Railway Deployment Failing
Quick Answer
Missing start command, missing PORT variable, or build configuration errors. Start with "Check build logs" before making broader code changes.
You're in the right place if...
- !Deploy fails in Railway
- !Build logs show errors
- !Service won't start
Why this happens
Missing start command, missing PORT variable, or build configuration errors.
Fix
Check build logs
Railway Dashboard → your service → Deployments → click failed deploy → View logs.
Fix common issues
Most Railway failures are one of these:
Missing start command: Railway Settings → Deploy → Start Command → npm run start Missing PORT: Add to your server code: const port = process.env.PORT || 3000 Build timeout: Railway Settings → increase build timeout
Prevent this next time
Always set a start command and use process.env.PORT. Test locally with PORT=3000 npm start.
Frequently Asked Questions
For Next.js: npm run start. For Express: node server.js. Check your package.json scripts.
Railway assigns a dynamic port. Your app must listen on process.env.PORT, not a hardcoded number.
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