How to Live Deploy a Full-Stack Website with Vercel, Render, and MongoDB: A Step-by-Step Guide

Table of Contents

Introduction

To live deploy a full-stack website, it’s essential to understand how to integrate Vercel for the frontend, Render for the backend, and MongoDB for data storage. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the entire deployment process, ensuring you can get your application up and running smoothly.

step-by-step-guide-on-how-to-live-deploy-a-full-stack-website-using-Vercel-Render-MongoDB-and-GitHub.

Understanding Vercel, Render, and MongoDB

Vercel:
- A cloud platform optimized for frontend frameworks like React, Vue, and Next.js.
- Provides features such as automatic scaling, serverless functions, and a global CDN for fast delivery.
Render:
- A versatile platform for hosting both backend services and static sites.
- Supports multiple programming languages and provides seamless integration with code repositories.
MongoDB:
- A NoSQL database that is scalable and flexible, making it suitable for modern web applications.
- Allows for efficient data retrieval and storage, with a schema-less structure to accommodate various data types.

Step-by-Step Deployment Process

Step 1: Prepare Your Project

Set Up Your Codebase:
- Ensure your project structure is organized. A common structure is:
  /my-fullstack-app
  ├── /frontend (Contains the frontend code)
  └── /backend (Contains the backend code)
- Use a version control system like Git to manage your code. Initialize your project with: git init
- Create a repository on GitHub or GitLab and push your code there.
  more detilas checkout this: Create a Git Repository And Push Commits – Step-by-Step Guide.
Install Necessary Packages:
- For the frontend (e.g., React):
  npx create-react-app frontend cd frontend npm install axios
- For the backend (e.g., Express):
  mkdir backend
  cd backend
  npm init -y npm install express mongoose dotenv

Step 2: Set Up MongoDB

Create a MongoDB Atlas Account:
- Go to MongoDB Atlas and sign up.
- Follow the prompts to create a new project.
Create a Cluster:
- In your project dashboard, click on “Build a Cluster.”
- Select the free tier and configure your cluster settings.
Set Up Database Access:
- Navigate to “Database Access” and create a new database user with appropriate permissions (read and write).
Network Access:
- Under “Network Access,” add your IP address to the IP whitelist to allow connections.
Get Connection String:
- In your cluster dashboard, click “Connect” and select “Connect your application.” Copy the connection string and replace <password> with the user password.

more detilas checkout this: Step-by-Step Guide to Create a Database on MongoDB Atlas

Step 3: Build Your Backend API

Create Your Server:
- In the backend directory, create a file named server.js:

const express = require('express');
const mongoose = require('mongoose');
const dotenv = require('dotenv');

dotenv.config();
const app = express();
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 5000;

app.use(express.json());

mongoose.connect(process.env.MONGODB_URI, { useNewUrlParser: true, useUnifiedTopology: true })
  .then(() => console.log('MongoDB connected'))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('API is running');
});

app.listen(PORT, () => {
  console.log(`Server running on port ${PORT}`);
});

Create a .env File:
- In the backend directory, create a .env file to store your environment variables: MONGODB_URI=your_connection_string_here

Step 4: Deploy the Backend on Render

Create an Account on Render:
- Go to Render and sign up for an account.
Create a New Web Service:
- Click on “New” and select “Web Service.”
- Connect your GitHub account and select the repository containing your backend code.
Configure Your Service:
- Name your service and select the branch you want to deploy.
- Set the build command (if using Node.js, it would be npm install) and start command (node server.js).
Set Environment Variables:
- In the “Environment” section, add the environment variable for MongoDB:
  - MONGODB_URI: Your MongoDB connection string.
Deploy the Service:
- Click on “Create Web Service” to deploy your backend.
- Render will build and deploy your service, providing a live URL once complete.

more detilas checkout this: How to Deploy a Backend on Render: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 5: Deploy the Frontend on Vercel

Create a Vercel Account:
- Go to Vercel and sign up.
Import Your Frontend Project:
- Click on “New Project” and import your frontend repository from GitHub.
Configure Your Project:
- Vercel automatically detects your framework. You can customize the settings as needed.
Environment Variables:
- If your frontend requires environment variables (like API URLs), set them up in the Vercel dashboard under “Settings.”
Deploy Your Project:
- Click “Deploy” to publish your frontend. Vercel will provide a live URL for your frontend application.

more detilas checkout this: Host a Website on Vercel: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 6: Connect Frontend and Backend

Update Frontend API Calls:
- In your frontend code, update API calls to point to the Render backend URL:
  const apiUrl = 'https://your-render-service-url.com/api'; // Replace with your actual URL
Test the Connection:
- Once both applications are deployed, visit your frontend URL and test the functionality to ensure it interacts with the backend correctly.