How to Deploy a Website on DigitalOcean App Platform (Beginner’s Guide)

Introduction

If you want the power of cloud hosting but without the complexity of managing servers, DigitalOcean App Platform is a great choice. It supports static sites, frontend apps, and backend APIs with automatic scaling.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to host a template on DigitalOcean App Platform.

Why Use DigitalOcean App Platform?

• Easy GitHub/GitLab integration
• Free SSL and automatic HTTPS
• Supports static sites, Node.js, Python, PHP, Go, and more
• Scales automatically if traffic grows

Step 1: Sign Up and Create a Project

1. Go to DigitalOcean.
2. Create an account and verify your email.
3. From the dashboard, click Create → Apps.

Step 2: Connect Your Repository

1. Connect GitHub or GitLab to DigitalOcean.
2. Select the repository where your site code lives.

Step 3: Configure the App

• For static sites:
  • Build Command: leave empty or use npm run build (React, Vue, etc.)
  • Output Directory: build or dist
• For backend apps:
  • Make sure you have a Procfile or a proper start command.

DigitalOcean will auto-detect most setups.

Step 4: Deploy Your App

Click Launch App.
After a few minutes, your project will be live at:

https://your-app.ondigitalocean.app

Step 5: Add a Custom Domain

• Go to Settings → Domains
• Add your domain (e.g., mywebsite.com)
• Update DNS records as instructed
• SSL is automatic

Troubleshooting

• Build failed? Double-check your build command.
• Wrong folder? Ensure your output directory matches (dist, build, etc.).
• App not starting? Check your Procfile or start script.

Conclusion

DigitalOcean App Platform makes cloud hosting approachable. It’s ideal for projects that may grow but don’t want the pain of server management.

Next, we’ll look at AWS Amplify, Amazon’s service for frontend apps and SPAs.