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Deploy HSC HTTP to Render

Overview

This guide will deploy your full stack (React frontend + Ktor backend + PostgreSQL) to Render.

Prerequisites

Step 1: Push Your Code to GitHub

git add .
git commit -m "Prepare for Render deployment"
git push origin trunk

Step 2: Create Render Account

  1. Go to https://render.com
  2. Click "Get Started for Free"
  3. Sign up with GitHub
  4. Authorize Render to access your repositories

Step 3: Deploy Using render.yaml (Automatic)

Option A: Blueprint (Easiest)

  1. In Render Dashboard, click "New +" → "Blueprint"
  2. Connect your GitHub repository hsc-http
  3. Render will detect render.yaml and create:
    • PostgreSQL database
    • Web service (Ktor backend + React frontend)
  4. Click "Apply"
  5. Wait 5-10 minutes for build to complete

Option B: Manual Setup

If Blueprint doesn't work, follow these steps:

3a. Create PostgreSQL Database

  1. Dashboard → "New +" → "PostgreSQL"
  2. Settings:
    • Name: hsc-http-db
    • Database: healthshadow_dev
    • User: hsc_user
    • Region: Oregon (US West) or closest to you
    • PostgreSQL Version: 15
    • Plan: Free
  3. Click "Create Database"
  4. Important: Copy the Internal Database URL (you'll need this)

3b. Deploy Backend (with React Frontend)

  1. Dashboard → "New +" → "Web Service"
  2. Connect your GitHub repository
  3. Settings:
    • Name: hsc-http-backend
    • Region: Same as database
    • Branch: trunk
    • Root Directory: Leave empty
    • Runtime: Docker
    • Plan: Free
  4. Environment Variables (click "Add Environment Variable"):
    • DATABASE_URL: Paste the Internal Database URL from step 3a
    • PORT: 8080
  5. Health Check Path: /health
  6. Click "Create Web Service"

Step 4: Wait for Deployment

  • First build takes ~10-15 minutes (building Docker image)
  • Watch the logs in Render dashboard
  • Look for: "Application started"

Step 5: Access Your Site

Once deployed, Render gives you a URL like:

https://hsc-http-backend.onrender.com

Your React landing page will be served at the root URL.

Step 6: Set Up Custom Domain (shadowconnects.com)

In Render Dashboard:

  1. Go to your web service → "Settings" tab
  2. Scroll to "Custom Domains" section
  3. Click "Add Custom Domain"
  4. Add both:
    • shadowconnects.com
    • www.shadowconnects.com

Update DNS at Your Domain Registrar:

Render will provide DNS records. Add these where you bought your domain:

For root domain (shadowconnects.com):

  • Type: A record
  • Name: @
  • Value: Render's IP address (provided in dashboard)

For www subdomain (www.shadowconnects.com):

  • Type: CNAME record
  • Name: www
  • Value: hsc-http-backend.onrender.com (or whatever Render shows)

SSL Certificate:

  • Render automatically provisions free SSL (HTTPS)
  • Takes 5-60 minutes after DNS propagates
  • Auto-renews forever

Result:

  • ✅ https://shadowconnects.com → Your landing page
  • ✅ https://www.shadowconnects.com → Your landing page
  • ✅ Free SSL/HTTPS

Troubleshooting

Build Fails

  • Check logs in Render dashboard
  • Ensure all files are committed to GitHub
  • Verify Dockerfile is correct

Database Connection Issues

  • Ensure DATABASE_URL environment variable is set correctly
  • Use the Internal Database URL, not external
  • Check database is in same region as web service

Frontend Not Loading

  • Verify React build succeeded: Check logs for "react-web:assemble"
  • Ensure /health endpoint returns 200 OK
  • Check browser console for errors

Custom Domain Not Working

  • Wait 5-60 minutes for DNS propagation
  • Verify DNS records are correct at your registrar
  • Use tools like dig shadowconnects.com or https://dnschecker.org to verify

Environment Variables Reference

Variable Value Notes
DATABASE_URL From Render PostgreSQL Auto-provided by Render
PORT 8080 Required by Render

Free Tier Limits

PostgreSQL Database (Free):

  • 256 MB RAM
  • 1 GB Storage
  • Expires after 90 days (then need to upgrade)

Web Service (Free):

  • 512 MB RAM
  • Spins down after 15 minutes of inactivity
  • Spins up on first request (30s-1min delay)

Upgrade to Paid ($7/month per service):

  • Always on (no spin down)
  • More resources
  • Database doesn't expire

Monitoring

  • Health Check: https://shadowconnects.com/health
  • Logs: Render Dashboard → Your Service → Logs tab
  • Metrics: Render Dashboard → Your Service → Metrics tab

Updating Your App

Push to GitHub, Render auto-deploys:

git add .
git commit -m "Update landing page"
git push origin trunk

Render automatically rebuilds and redeploys in ~5 minutes.

Next Steps

  1. ✅ Deploy to Render
  2. ✅ Test your landing page at temporary URL
  3. ✅ Connect shadowconnects.com custom domain
  4. Add monitoring/alerts
  5. Consider upgrading for production traffic (no spin down)
  6. Set up CI/CD for automated testing before deploy