This guide explains how to deploy the Pixel-AI backend on a VPS (Virtual Private Server). You will configure the server, install required software, secure the database, and run Pixel-AI in a production-ready environment.

VPS deployment is recommended because it provides Full server control, Better performance tuning, Secure API handling, SSL support, Background processing (AI jobs, queue workers), Scalability for SaaS growth.

1. System Setup

After connecting to your VPS via SSH:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install curl wget git unzip build-essential -y

These utilities are required for installing Node.js, MongoDB, and managing your backend.

2. Install Node.js Runtime

Pixel-AI backend runs on Node.js. Install latest LTS (recommended for production):

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Verify installation:

node -v
npm -v

You should see Node 22.x (or latest LTS).

3. Install & Configure MongoDB (Database)

Pixel-AI uses MongoDB to store: Users, Human Agent, AI generations, API usage, AI Chatbot, Prompt history.

Step 1 — Import MongoDB GPG Key (Version 8.0)

curl -fsSL https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-8.0.asc | \
sudo gpg -o /usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-8.0.gpg --dearmor

Step 2 — Add Repository (Ubuntu 24.04 / 22.04)

# For Ubuntu 24.04 (noble):
echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/mongodb-server-8.0.gpg ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu noble/mongodb-org/8.0 multiverse" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-8.0.list

# Note: For Ubuntu 22.04 use "jammy" instead of "noble".

Step 3 — Install MongoDB

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y mongodb-org

Step 4 — Start & Enable Service

sudo systemctl start mongod
sudo systemctl enable mongod

Step 5 — Verify Installation

sudo systemctl status mongod
mongod --version
mongosh --version

4. Deploy Pixel-AI Backend Code

Clone your backend repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/pixel-ai-backend.git
cd pixel-ai-backend
npm install --production

5. Configure Environment Variables

Create .env file:

nano .env

Example Production Configuration:

NODE_ENV=
PORT=

MONGODB_URI=
JWT_SECRET=

APP_DEMO_MODE=

BASE_URL=
PUBLIC_URL=
FRONTEND_URL=

# Admin Credentials
ADMIN_EMAIL=
ADMIN_PASSWORD=
ADMIN_NAME=

REDIS_URL=

GEMINI_API_KEY=

INSTAGRAM_VERIFY_TOKEN=
MESSENGER_VERIFY_TOKEN=

ENCRYPTION_KEY=

ALLOWED_ORIGINS=

6. Process Management (PM2)

Install PM2 and start backend:

sudo npm install -g pm2
pm2 start server.js --name pixelai-backend
pm2 save
pm2 startup

Check logs:

pm2 logs pixelai-backend

PM2 ensures: Auto restart on crash, Background execution, Memory monitoring, Log management.

7. Reverse Proxy Setup (Nginx)

Pixel-AI runs internally on port 5000. Install Nginx and create config:

sudo apt install nginx -y
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/pixelai

Add configuration:

server {
   listen 80;
   server_name your-domain.com;

   location / {
       proxy_pass http://localhost:5000;
       proxy_http_version 1.1;
       proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
       proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
       proxy_set_header Host $host;
       proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
   }
}

Enable configuration:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/pixelai /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

8. Enable SSL (HTTPS)

Install Certbot and generate SSL:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
sudo certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com

Set up auto renewal:

sudo crontab -e
# Add the following line:
0 12 * * * /usr/bin/certbot renew --quiet

Now Pixel-AI runs securely via HTTPS.

9. Testing & Verification

Test health endpoint and common features:

https://your-domain.com/api/health

Check: Authentication, AI generation endpoints, Payment webhooks, Email campaigns, Ai chatbot creation.

Logs: pm2 logs pixelai-backend

10. Maintenance & Updates

To update backend:

cd pixel-ai-backend
git pull origin main
npm install --production
pm2 restart pixelai-backend

Regularly monitor: CPU & RAM, MongoDB memory usage, Disk space, Payment webhook logs, SSL renewal status.