Deploy SvelteKit with adapter-node to your own VPS

To deploy SvelteKit to a VPS with ox, add the repo as a project and deploy it, with no Dockerfile and no ox.toml. ox reads svelte.config.js and package.json, runs npm install and npm run build, then starts node build 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 SvelteKit repo in ox's tests. A deploy on a real server is not recorded yet.

What ox detects in a SvelteKit repo

This is the plan ox check prints for a minimal a SvelteKit app with adapter-node, 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 SvelteKit

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 SvelteKit

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 SvelteKit

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 SvelteKit deploy fails

• svelte.config.js uses @sveltejs/adapter-auto, which builds for another host; install @sveltejs/adapter-node (a server) or @sveltejs/adapter-static (a static site) and use it in svelte.config.js: adapter-auto is the SvelteKit default and builds for other hosts. Switch to adapter-node or adapter-static. More.
• 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.

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.

SvelteKit FAQ

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

No. ox does not use Docker, and ox check on a SvelteKit 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 SvelteKit?

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.

Why does ox not deploy my app with adapter-auto?

adapter-auto builds for other hosts, so there is nothing for ox to run. ox check says to install @sveltejs/adapter-node for a server or @sveltejs/adapter-static for a site.

Related guides

• SvelteKit staticDeploy a SvelteKit site built with adapter-static to your own VPS: ox reads the pages folder from svelte.config and Caddy serves it over HTTPS, no Docker.
• NuxtDeploy a Nuxt app with server-side rendering to your own VPS: ox runs nuxt build, starts .output/server/index.mjs under systemd, and Caddy adds HTTPS.

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