Deploy a NestJS API

Introduction

To develop and host a NestJS application on Square Cloud, it’s essential to follow a structured sequence of configurations and prerequisites. This technical guide will cover the entire process, from initial setup to production deployment.

Prerequisites

Square Cloud Account: Register through the signup page using your email.
Active plan: Ensures dedicated resources and optimized performance for your application. Check our available plans and choose the most suitable for your needs.

This guide runs on the Node.js runtime. Tested with NestJS 12 on Node.js 24 in September 2026.

Create the project

You need Node.js and npm on your machine. If you don’t have them, download them from the official Node.js website. Install the Nest CLI globally and create a project:

npm install -g @nestjs/cli
nest new my-app

nest new asks for a package manager and installs the dependencies in the new my-app folder. Start the development server with npm run start:dev; it listens on http://localhost:3000.

Build for production

NestJS is written in TypeScript, so compile it to JavaScript before you deploy:

npm run build

The build script runs nest build, which writes the compiled files to the dist/ folder. The entry file is dist/main.js, the same file the start:prod script runs.

Don’t use nest start or npm run start in production. The Nest CLI and TypeScript are devDependencies, which Square Cloud does not install (it runs with NODE_ENV=production). Build on your machine and upload the compiled dist/ folder.

Port and host

Nothing to change: the generated src/main.ts already reads the PORT environment variable, which Square Cloud sets to 80, and Nest listens on all network interfaces by default. Locally, it falls back to port 3000:

src/main.ts

import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
import { AppModule } from './app.module.js';

async function bootstrap() {
  const app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule);
  await app.listen(process.env.PORT ?? 3000);
}
await bootstrap();

Projects created with older versions of the Nest CLI may import ./app.module and end with bootstrap();. The app.listen line is the one that matters.

Configure Square Cloud

Create a squarecloud.app file at the root of your project:

squarecloud.app

MAIN=dist/main.js
MEMORY=512
VERSION=recommended
DISPLAY_NAME=My NestJS API
SUBDOMAIN=my-nest-api

Square Cloud then runs node dist/main.js, the same command as the start:prod script. In the dashboard upload, set dist/main.js as the main file.

What goes in the ZIP

dist/, the compiled application.
package.json.
squarecloud.app.

Leave out node_modules: Square Cloud installs your dependencies on the first start.

Deploy and verify

Via dashboard

Access the Upload Page

Access the upload page and upload your project zip file.

Configure Your Environment

After uploading your zip, you will need to configure the name, main file or runtime environment and other settings for your project.
If you are uploading a web project, make sure to select “Web Publication” and set a subdomain to your project.

Deploy Your Project

Finally, click on the “Deploy” button to host your project on Square Cloud.
After deployment, you can monitor your project’s status and logs from the dashboard.

Confirm Your App Is Live

Your first deploy usually takes less than a minute. In the dashboard, wait for your application status to show as running and check the logs for any startup errors.
If you deployed a website or API, open https://<your-subdomain>.squareweb.app in your browser: you should see your application responding. If you deployed a bot, send it a command to confirm it is online.

App not starting? See the Troubleshooting guide for the most common causes and fixes.

Via CLI

To use this method, your project needs a configuration file named squarecloud.app at its root. It tells Square Cloud how to run your application.

Configuration file guide

Learn how to create the squarecloud.app configuration file that defines your application’s environment.

Install the CLI

Install the Square Cloud CLI. If you already have it, run the same command to update it:

curl -fsSL https://cli.squarecloud.app/install | bash

npm install -g @squarecloud/cli@latest

Run the command below. It opens your browser: approve the login there and the CLI is ready. There is no API key to copy. For scripts and CI, see CLI authentication.

squarecloud auth login

Upload Your Project

From your project folder, run the command below. The CLI zips the current folder, leaving out what squarecloud.ignore lists, and uploads it:

squarecloud upload

To upload a zip you created yourself, pass it with --file:

squarecloud upload --file <path/to/zip>

Confirm Your App Is Live

Your first deploy usually takes less than a minute. Check your application status and logs directly from the terminal:

squarecloud app status
squarecloud app logs

If you deployed a website or API, open https://<your-subdomain>.squareweb.app in your browser: you should see your application responding. If you deployed a bot, send it a command to confirm it is online.

App not starting? See the Troubleshooting guide for the most common causes and fixes.

Common errors

Custom domain

To use a custom domain (e.g., mysite.com) instead of the default URL mysite.squareweb.app, you need the Standard plan or higher. The default URL comes from the SUBDOMAIN field in the configuration file. To connect your domain, follow how to set up your own domain.

Minimum RAM requirements

Minimum: 512MB RAM for websites and APIs, enough for a static build on the static runtime. For apps that render pages on a server (Next.js, Nuxt, Angular SSR and similar), we recommend at least 1GB RAM. For larger applications, allocate more RAM to prevent the application from running out of memory and crashing.

Could not find this site.

Check if the subdomain/domain matches what’s configured in the SUBDOMAIN field or in the custom domain settings. If you just uploaded the site, wait up to 60 seconds for Square to enable first access.

Site took too long to respond…

Your server must listen on port 80 and host 0.0.0.0. Square Cloud sets the PORT (80) and HOST (0.0.0.0) environment variables in your application: read them in your code instead of hardcoding other values. A server that listens only on localhost or 127.0.0.1 never receives requests.

The main file is invalid or corrupted

dist/main.js is missing from the ZIP. Run npm run build and check that the dist/ folder is at the root of the ZIP.

Next steps

Environment variables

Keep secrets and settings out of your code and read them at runtime.

Custom domain

Serve your app on your own domain, on the Standard plan and above.

Troubleshooting

Fix an app that does not start or a site that does not respond.

For more about NestJS, see the official NestJS documentation.

Contact us

If you continue facing technical difficulties, our specialized support team is available to assist you. Contact us and we’ll be happy to help you resolve any issue: support quality is a big part of why developers rate Square Cloud 4.9/5 across 402 reviews on Google and Trustpilot.

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Introduction

Prerequisites

Create the project

Build for production

Port and host

Configure Square Cloud

What goes in the ZIP

Deploy and verify

Via dashboard

Via CLI

Configuration file guide

Common errors

Custom domain

Minimum RAM requirements

Could not find this site.

Site took too long to respond…

The main file is invalid or corrupted

Next steps

Environment variables

Custom domain

Troubleshooting

Contact us

​Introduction

​Prerequisites

​Create the project

​Build for production

​Port and host

​Configure Square Cloud

​What goes in the ZIP

​Deploy and verify

​Via dashboard

​Via CLI

Configuration file guide

​Common errors

​Custom domain

​Minimum RAM requirements

​Could not find this site.

​Site took too long to respond…

​The main file is invalid or corrupted

​Next steps

Environment variables

Custom domain

Troubleshooting

​Contact us

Introduction

Prerequisites

Create the project

Build for production

Port and host

Configure Square Cloud

What goes in the ZIP

Deploy and verify

Via dashboard

Via CLI

Common errors

Custom domain

Minimum RAM requirements

Could not find this site.

Site took too long to respond…

The main file is invalid or corrupted

Next steps

Contact us