Node.js is a powerful runtime environment for executing JavaScript on the server-side. It's widely used for building web applications and APIs. While Node.js is commonly used on dedicated servers or cloud platforms, you can also run it on shared hosting if your hosting provider supports it. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of installing Node.js on shared hosting in a simple and easy-to-follow manner.

Before You Begin

Before you start, make sure you have the following:

1. Shared Hosting Account: Ensure you have access to a shared hosting account. Most shared hosting providers allow Node.js installations, but check with your provider or their documentation for compatibility.

2. SSH Access: You'll need SSH (Secure Shell) access to your shared hosting account. If you don't have SSH access, contact your hosting provider to enable it.

3. Basic Command Line Knowledge: Familiarize yourself with basic command line operations, as you'll be using the terminal to install and configure Node.js.

Step 1: Connect to Your Hosting Account

Open your terminal or command prompt and connect to your hosting account using SSH. Replace your-username and your-domain.com with your actual credentials:

ssh your-username@your-domain.com

Enter your password when prompted.

Step 2: Check Node.js Availability

Before installing Node.js, check if it's already installed on your server. Run the following command:

node -v

If it returns a version number, Node.js is already installed, and you can skip to the configuration step. If not, proceed to the next step.

Step 3: Install Node Version Manager (NVM)

NVM allows you to manage multiple Node.js versions on your server. This is particularly useful if your application requires a specific Node.js version. To install NVM, use the following commands:

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.38.0/install.sh | bash
                                                           or
wget -qO- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.38.0/install.sh | bash

After the installation is complete, close and reopen your terminal to load NVM.

Verify the installation succeeded:

command -v nvm

If you don't receive nvm, try this command.

export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"

Step 4: Install Node.js

Now that you have NVM, you can easily install Node.js. First, list the available Node.js versions:

nvm ls-remote

Choose the version you want to install (e.g., 14.17.5) and install it:

nvm install 14.17.5

You can verify the installation by running:

node -v

Step 5: Configure Your Application

To use Node.js for your application, navigate to your application's directory and create a file named .htaccess if it doesn't already exist. Add the following lines to the file, replacing your-application-directory with your actual directory name:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^$ http://127.0.0.1:3000/ [P,L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://127.0.0.1:3000/$1 [P,L]

node your-app.js