Integrate Heroku with Strapi

These integration guides are not official documentation and the Strapi Support Team will not provide assistance with them.

What Is Heroku?

Heroku is a cloud platform that supports multiple programming languages and takes the headache out of deploying applications. This Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) strips away infrastructure complexity so you can write code instead of wrestling with servers.

The platform's clean, intuitive interface makes deployment almost trivial. Its ecosystem of add-ons and integrations extends your app's capabilities without the usual setup nightmares.

The beauty of Heroku's PaaS approach? You skip the server management drama. No more late nights configuring servers or troubleshooting infrastructure issues. This makes Heroku perfect for teams without a dedicated DevOps person—you can focus on building cool Strapi features instead of babysitting servers.

For teams looking for an even more streamlined experience tailored specifically to Strapi, Strapi Cloud offers a fully managed alternative—designed and optimized by the creators of Strapi.

Why Use Heroku with Strapi

Heroku is a great fit for developers who want to deploy Strapi quickly without managing infrastructure. It supports fast iteration, integrates easily with version control, and handles scaling and provisioning out of the box, making it ideal for shipping APIs fast.

Here’s why developers often choose Heroku for Strapi projects:

• Fast Setup: You can deploy a Strapi app in minutes using the Heroku CLI and Git.
• Auto-Scaling: Heroku scales dynos automatically, so your API stays responsive under load.
• Tech Stack Flexibility: Add background workers, queues, or custom services as your project evolves.
• GitHub Integration: Connect a repo and enable auto-deploys from your main branch—no manual steps needed.
• Managed PostgreSQL: Use Heroku’s PostgreSQL add-on for production-grade data persistence and backups.
• Minimal DevOps: No need to configure servers or CI pipelines from scratch—Heroku handles most of it for you.

If you prefer a fully managed platform built specifically for Strapi, Strapi Cloud provides zero-config deployment and native optimization from the core team.

How to Integrate Heroku with Strapi for Deployment

Getting Strapi running on Heroku isn't rocket science. Here are a few simple steps to marry your headless CMS with this cloud platform.

Prerequisites

Before starting, grab these essentials:

• A Heroku account
• Git installed locally
• Node.js and npm installed
• A Strapi application ready to go
• Basic command-line knowledge

Setting Up the Heroku CLI

First, install the Heroku Command Line Interface:

• For Ubuntu-based systems:

curl https://cli-assets.heroku.com/install-ubuntu.sh | sh

• For macOS:

brew tap heroku/brew && brew install heroku

• For Windows: Download the installer from the Heroku website.

Then log in:

heroku login

Creating a Heroku App

Go to your Strapi project folder and create your Heroku app:

heroku create

This gives you a randomly named app and sets up a Git remote called "heroku."

Configuring PostgreSQL

Heroku's filesystem won't work with SQLite in production. Let's use PostgreSQL instead:

heroku addons:create heroku-postgresql:hobby-dev

This adds a free PostgreSQL database and automatically sets the DATABASE_URL environment variable. The official guide provides more details on connecting Strapi to PostgreSQL.

Setting Environment Variables

Set up your security keys:

heroku config:set NODE_ENV=production
heroku config:set APP_KEYS=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
heroku config:set API_TOKEN_SALT=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
heroku config:set ADMIN_JWT_SECRET=$(openssl rand -base64 32)
heroku config:set JWT_SECRET=$(openssl rand -base64 32)

These commands secure your app and set it to production mode.

Deploying Your Application

Commit your changes:

git add .
git commit -m "Ready for Heroku deployment"

Deploy to Heroku:

git push heroku HEAD:main

This sends your code to Heroku and starts the build.

Verifying Successful Deployment

Open your app in the browser:

heroku open

You should see the Strapi welcome page. If something's wrong, check the logs:

heroku logs --tail

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter issues, check these common causes:

1. Database Connection Errors: Make sure your config correctly uses Heroku's DATABASE_URL.
2. Build Failures: Double-check your dependencies and Node.js version in package.json.
3. Memory Limitations: Watch your app's memory usage—you might need a bigger Heroku dyno.
4. Plugin Restrictions: The Content-Types Builder is disabled in production for security reasons. Make schema changes locally, then redeploy.

Follow these steps, and you'll have successfully integrated Heroku with Strapi in no time. This combination provides a robust, scalable content management solution that grows with your needs.

For deeper details and advanced setups, check the official Strapi documentation on Heroku deployment.

Project Example: Launch a Content API with Heroku and Strapi

Let's say a startup needed to quickly build and launch a content API for their mobile app. They decided to integrate Heroku with Strapi for flexible content modeling and streamlined deployment. This combination allowed them to go from concept to production in a matter of days.

Their setup included:

• Strapi backend handling content and API generation
• Heroku for hosting
• PostgreSQL database through Heroku's add-on
• GitHub integration for automatic deployment

The deployment process was remarkably efficient. Their technical team could focus on building features rather than managing server infrastructure.

During an unexpected traffic surge from a marketing campaign, Heroku's auto-scaling capabilities ensured the application remained responsive without requiring manual intervention.

If you'd like to try a similar setup, we recommend exploring the Strapi Heroku Starter project. This open-source example demonstrates:

• Strapi is configured specifically for Heroku
• Database setup with Heroku PostgreSQL
• Secure environment variable management
• Continuous deployment with GitHub

Key takeaways from this example:

1. Integrating Heroku with Strapi enables efficient development and deployment.
2. GitHub integration creates a seamless update pipeline.
3. Built-in scaling handles traffic surges automatically.
4. Teams can run production-grade systems without extensive DevOps expertise.

We encourage you to study this example and the starter project to better understand how to integrate Heroku with Strapi for your own applications.

Strapi Open Office Hours

If you have any questions about Strapi 5 or just would like to stop by and say hi, you can join us at Strapi's Discord Open Office Hours, Monday through Friday, from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm CST: Strapi Discord Open Office Hours.

For more details, visit the Strapi documentation and the Heroku documentation.