How to restart a Node.js app via PM2 in cPanel (Zero Downtime)

Recently, a developer friend of mine was panicking because his Node.js app crashed on a cPanel shared server. Like many developers would want to do, they wanted a quick way to restart Node.js app in cPanel, fix the bug that caused the crash, then restart Node.js app without downtime. Fortunately, PM2 came to the rescue with its app, and with auto-restart capabilities, it becomes easy to auto-restart Node.js app using PM2 and can run it smoothly without downtime. In this guide, we will show you how to use PM2 to fix Node.js app crashes in cPanel and keep your app online.

Prerequisites to restart Node.js application with PM2:

• Node.js app deployed:
  Your Node.js application should now be uploaded and actively running on your server! PM2 works best with apps that are already deployed properly and ready for production
• VPS or dedicated server:
  To restart a Node.js application using PM2, you need full control of that server. This process will not work on shared hosting, as it requires root-level access.
• Terminal access:
  To perform PM2 commands, connect to your server using the terminal
• PM2 installed:
  PM2 should be installed worldwide using the following command:
  npm install -g pm2

Restart Node.js App via cPanel (Shared Hosting)

1. Log in to cPanel.

2. Go to the software section and click on the setup Node.js app.

3. You can click on the Restart button to relaunch the application.
OR
4. Edit the application environment created in cPanel by clicking the Edit option and copying the virtual environment URL.

5. Go to Terminal (under Advanced options), and paste the activation command

Steps to Restart a Node.js App Using PM2:

Step 1: Connect via terminal:
Log on to your server using a terminal

Step 2: Check running apps with pm2 list:
This command displays a list of all PM2-managed apps along with their status.

Step 3: Restart the app with pm2 restart app_name
Replace app_name with your app name or ID from the list.

Step 4: View logs with pm2 logs app_name:
Check if the app restarted correctly and look for any errors.

Enable Auto-Restart on Reboot (Optional)
Run pm2 startup

• Configures PM2 to launch applications automatically upon server reboot.
  Then, save the config with’ pm2 save’.
• Saves your current app list so PM2 knows what to restart.

With Big Cloudy hosting, you can quickly restart your Node.js app in cPanel and keep it online without interruption. Our hosting platform fully supports PM2, allowing you to easily auto-restart Node.js apps using PM2 and keep them online. No more downtime—Big Cloudy gives you the tools that you need to fix Node.js app crashes in cPanel and run your projects 24/7.