Deploy Nuxt to a VPS: SSR on Node with no Docker

To deploy Nuxt to a VPS with ox, add the repo as a project and deploy it, with no Dockerfile and no ox.toml. ox reads nuxt.config.ts and package.json, runs npm install and npm run build, then starts node .output/server/index.mjs under systemd behind Caddy with HTTPS. Run ox check in your repo to see the same plan before the first deploy.

Plan verified, real-server test pending. The plan below is what ox check prints for a minimal Nuxt repo in ox's tests. A deploy on a real server is not recorded yet.

What ox detects in a Nuxt repo

This is the plan ox check prints for a minimal a Nuxt app with server-side rendering, with no ox.toml. Each row says where its value came from: a file in the repo, or ox's default.

The ox.toml for Nuxt

None is needed: the plan above comes from the repo alone. Write one to serve your own domain or to change what ox detected. This one passes ox check against the same repo: [app] keeps the detected start command and build.

domains = ["www.example.com"]

[app]

Check and deploy Nuxt

Add the repo as a project, then check and ship it from a terminal:

ox check                                # in the repo: the plan above, offline
ox new <owner/repo> --server <server>  # add the repo as a project
ox deploy <project> --wait              # stream the deploy, exit with its result
ox logs <project> --follow             # the app's own logs

Variables to set for Nuxt

None before the first deploy: ox check asks for no variable. Add your own on the dashboard's Variables tab or with ox vars set <project> KEY.

ox provides these to the app itself: PORT, HOST, OX_ENV, OX_PROJECT, OX_RELEASE, OX_DATA_DIR, PUBLIC_URL and PUBLIC_HOST.

If the Nuxt deploy fails

• build 1/1: npm run build: exit status 1: Your build failed. The lines above it are the build's own output; run the same command on your computer, fix it, and push. More.
• TCP connect to 127.0.0.1:8001 did not answer within 120s: dial tcp 127.0.0.1:8001: connect: connection refused: The app started but never answered on the port ox gave it. Listen on 127.0.0.1 at $PORT; the lines above the message are the app's own output. More.
• killed by the out-of-memory killer (the build needs more memory than the project or host allows): The build ran out of memory. Raise the project's memory, add swap, or use a bigger server. More.

Your visitors never see a failed deploy: the previous release keeps serving until the new one passes its health check.

Next steps

• The Node.js guide: start scripts, migrations, PostgreSQL and Redis.
• The [app] keys: start, health check, memory and the rest.
• Add a custom domain with one A record; Caddy gets the HTTPS certificate.
• Read the logs live, search them, or download them.
• Set variables and secrets on the dashboard or with ox vars.

Nuxt FAQ

Do I need a Dockerfile or an ox.toml to deploy Nuxt to a VPS?

No. ox does not use Docker, and ox check on a Nuxt repo with no ox.toml prints Ready to deploy. Write an ox.toml only to change what ox detected.

What does ox install on the server for Nuxt?

Only what the plan names: node 24 (ox's default). Your app's own dependencies are installed by the build into the release folder, not system-wide.

Can I deploy a static Nuxt site instead?

Yes. When package.json has a generate script and no build script, or the config sets ssr: false, ox runs generate and serves .output/public as files, with no server.

Related guides

• React RouterDeploy a React Router 7 app (the Remix successor) with server rendering to your own VPS: ox builds it, runs npm start under systemd, and Caddy adds HTTPS.
• React Router SPADeploy a React Router 7 app with ssr: false to your own VPS: ox reads react-router.config.ts, builds it, and Caddy serves build/client over HTTPS, no Node.

Every stack ox deploys, and the ones it does not yet, is on the Stacks page.