Add Vercel serverless deployment support with serverless-http adapter

[Copilot]

Vercel deployment was returning 404 due to missing serverless configuration. This PR enables the Express/EJS app to run as a Vercel serverless function.

Changes

New files:

• api/index.js - Serverless wrapper using serverless-http that attempts to load app from common paths (../app, ../server, etc.)
• vercel.json - Node 18 runtime config with route rewrites to /api/index.js
• PROPOSED_CHANGE.md - Deployment guide and security notes
• .gitignore - Excludes node_modules, .env, logs

Modified files:

• app.js - Now exports the app instance with conditional listen() for local dev:

  mongoose.connect(dbURI).then(() => {
    if (require.main === module) {
      app.listen(3000);
    }
  });
  module.exports = app;

• package.json - Added serverless-http@^3.0.0, fixed start script to use app.js

Security Note

⚠️ MongoDB credentials are currently hardcoded in app.js. Move to environment variables before deployment:

1. Set MONGODB_URI in Vercel dashboard
2. Update app.js: const dbURI = process.env.MONGODB_URI

See PROPOSED_CHANGE.md for detailed deployment steps.

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

• nodeproject.62tovra.mongodb.net
  • Triggering command: node -e try { const app = require('./app'); console.log('App loaded successfully:', typeof app); } catch(e) { console.error('Error loading app:', e.message); } (dns block)
  • Triggering command: node -e const app = require('./app'); console.log('✓ App exports successfully'); console.log('✓ App type:', typeof app); console.log('✓ Has listen method:', typeof app.listen); (dns block)

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

• Configure Actions setup steps to set up my environment, which run before the firewall is enabled
• Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to the custom allowlist in this repository's Copilot coding agent settings (admins only)

Original prompt

Issue: Vercel deployment returned 404 (screenshot attached). Vercel likely can't find a build output or a compatible server entrypoint. Goal: Add a serverless adapter and configuration so the Express/EJS app can run on Vercel as a serverless function, and add serverless-http as a dependency.

What this PR will do:

• Add api/index.js: a serverless wrapper that attempts to require existing Express app from common locations (../app, ../server, ../src/app, ../src/server) and wraps it with serverless-http. If not found, it returns a helpful JSON error message.
• Add vercel.json: declare Node 18 runtime for the function and rewrite all routes to /api/index.js so client-side routing doesn't 404.
• Add PROPOSED_CHANGE.md: short explanation and instructions for maintainers.
• Update package.json to add "serverless-http": "^3.0.0" to dependencies (preserving existing content). Also ensure scripts include build/start if appropriate (no destructive changes).

Files to add or modify:

• api/index.js (new)
• vercel.json (new)
• PROPOSED_CHANGE.md (new)
• package.json (modified to include dependency)

Notes for maintainers:

• If your Express app currently calls app.listen() in its module, change it to export the app instance (example provided in PROPOSED_CHANGE.md).
• If your project is actually a Next.js or static SPA app, let me know and I can adjust the approach.

Attached screenshot:

Please merge the PR and redeploy on Vercel. After merge, run npm install or redeploy via Vercel (it will install dependencies).

This pull request was created as a result of the following prompt from Copilot chat.

Issue: Vercel deployment returned 404 (screenshot attached). Vercel likely can't find a build output or a compatible server entrypoint. Goal: Add a serverless adapter and configuration so the Express/EJS app can run on Vercel as a serverless function, and add serverless-http as a dependency.

What this PR will do:

• Add api/index.js: a serverless wrapper that attempts to require existing Express app from common locations (../app, ../server, ../src/app, ../src/server) and wraps it with serverless-http. If not found, it returns a helpful JSON error message.
• Add vercel.json: declare Node 18 runtime for the function and rewrite all routes to /api/index.js so client-side routing doesn't 404.
• Add PROPOSED_CHANGE.md: short explanation and instructions for maintainers.
• Update package.json to add "serverless-http": "^3.0.0" to dependencies (preserving existing content). Also ensure scripts include build/start if appropriate (no destructive changes).

Files to add or modify:

• api/index.js (new)
• vercel.json (new)
• PROPOSED_CHANGE.md (new)
• package.json (modified to include dependency)

Notes for maintainers:

• If your Express app currently calls app.listen() in its module, change it to export the app instance (example provided in PROPOSED_CHANGE.md).
• If your project is actually a Next.js or static SPA app, let me know and I can adjust the approach.

Attached screenshot:

Please merge the PR and redeploy on Vercel. After merge, run npm install or redeploy via Vercel (it will install dependencies).

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Project	Deployment	Preview	Comments	Updated (UTC)
blog-node	Ready	Preview	Comment	Nov 4, 2025 3:36pm