Express is a fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js. You can deploy an Express app to Vercel with zero configuration.
Express applications on Vercel benefit from:
- Fluid compute: Active CPU billing, automatic cold start prevention, optimized concurrency, background processing, and more
- Preview deployments: Test your changes on a copy of your production infrastructure
- Instant Rollback: Recover from unintended changes or bugs in milliseconds
- Vercel Firewall: Protect your applications from a wide range of threats with a multi-layered security system
- Secure Compute: Create private links between your Vercel-hosted backend and other clouds
Get started with Express on Vercel
You can quickly deploy an Express application to Vercel by creating an Express app or using an existing one:
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vc initexpress
app.{js,cjs,mjs,ts,cts,mts}
index.{js,cjs,mjs,ts,cts,mts}
To run an Express application on Vercel, create a file that imports the express package at any one of the following locations:
server.{js,cjs,mjs,ts,cts,mts}
Get started by initializing a new Express project using Vercel CLI init command:
src/app.{js,cjs,mjs,ts,cts,mts}
For example, use the following code that exports your Express app:
src/index.{js,cjs,mjs,ts,cts,mts}
This will clone the Express example repository in a directory called express.
src/server.{js,mjs,cjs,ts,cts,mts}
The file must also export the application as a default export of the module or use a port listener.
constapp=express();
// Define your routes
import express from'express';
// Export the Express app
exportdefault app;
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
TypeScript
You may also run your application using the app.listen pattern that exposes the server on a port.
constport=3000;
import express from'express';
// Define your routes
TypeScript
// Use "type: module" in package.json to use ES modules
});
});
constapp=express();
app.listen(port, () => {
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
res.json({ message:'Hello from Express on Vercel!' });
Use vercel dev to run your application locally
vercel dev
To deploy, connect your Git repository or use Vercel CLI:
vc deploy
Serving static assets
To serve static assets, place them in the public/** directory. They will be served as a part of our CDN using default headers unless otherwise specified in vercel.json.
Vercel Functions
Additionally, all Vercel Functions limitations apply to the Express application, including:
Limitations
When you deploy an Express app to Vercel, your Express application becomes a single Vercel Function and uses Fluid compute by default. This means your Express app will automatically scale up and down based on traffic.
express.static() will be ignored and will not serve static assets.
express.static() will not serve static assets. You must use the public/** directory.
- Application size: The Express application becomes a single bundle, which has a standard bundle size limit of 250MB. Large Functions support Node.js bundles up to 5GB on Fluid compute when enabled (public beta). Our bundling process removes all unneeded files from the deployment's bundle to reduce size, but does not perform application bundling (e.g., Webpack or Rollup).
- Error handling: Express.js will swallow errors that can put the main function into an undefined state unless properly handled. Express.js will render its own error pages (500), which prevents Vercel from discarding the function and resetting its state. Implement robust error handling to ensure errors are properly managed and do not interfere with the serverless function's lifecycle.
More resources
Learn more about deploying Express projects on Vercel with the following resources:
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Last updated August 10, 2026
Nitro
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