24-7_hosting_replit

24/7 Free Hosting with Repl.it

How do I get free 24/7 hosting with replit? Here’s how.

If this repository helps you in any way, give it a :star::

:warning: Warning: This only works for Node.JS or HTML, CSS, JS repls.

💡 Tip: repl.it is great for testing out projects before lauching to the masses.

Index

Creating a Repl

Assuming you’ve already created a replit account, let’s make a repl:

💡 Tip: If you already have a repl, go to the next section.

  1. Go to replit.com/~
  2. Create a repl by clicking the ➕ sign under the ‘Create’ section:
  3. Select Node.JS as your template (or HTML, CSS, JS for a site):

    For Node.JS 16+, fork this repl instead of creating a new one!

  4. Give it a name, or stick with the one that is auto generated:
  5. Click “Create Repl”:

Hosting

Install Packages

  1. Run npm init -y in the Shell
  2. Run this in the Shell to install the dependencies: 
    npm install express ping-monitor

⚠️ Warning: It is very important that you use the Shell tab for this:

If you are on mobile, then you probably won’t see the Shell tab, in that case, go into “View Desktop Mode”. Learn how below:

After that, you should be able to access Shell as normal. When you are done using the Shell, I recommend going back to regular view, as the sizing of the page gets a bit weird on Desktop mode.

index.js

Put this code in your index.js file for the Node.JS template, or script.js for the HTML, CSS, JS template:

const keepAlive = require('./server');
const Monitor = require('ping-monitor');

keepAlive();
const monitor = new Monitor({
    website: '',
    title: 'NAME',
    interval: 2
});

monitor.on('up', (res) => console.log(`${res.website} its on.`));
monitor.on('down', (res) => console.log(`${res.website} it has died - ${res.statusMessage}`));
monitor.on('stop', (website) => console.log(`${website} has stopped.`) );
monitor.on('error', (error) => console.log(error));

💡 Tip: If you already have code in your index.js file, just put this code at the bottom of the code, or where ever you feel it looks best.

server.js

  1. Create a file called server.js:

  2. Paste-in this code: ```js const express = require(‘express’); const server = express();

server.all(‘/’, (req, res) => { res.send(‘<h2>Server is ready!</h2>’); });

module.exports = () => { server.listen(4000, () => { console.log(‘Server Ready.’); }); return true; } ```

💡 Tip: See where I put 4000, it is recommended you change that if you are using multiple repls. For example, you can do 1000, 2000, 3000, or whatever else. This is just a port.

Run It

Click the ‘Run’ button:

UptimeRobot

We will be using UptimeRobot as the monitoring system.

  1. Copy the URL of the website that shows when you run the repl. If you are on mobile, this will be on the “Output” tab; on Desktop, you’ll see it in the upper right corner of your screen:
  2. Go to uptimerobot.com and create a new account:


    Don’t forget to check your email!
  3. After clicking the link in your email, it should take you to the dashboard. Here, you can create a new monitor:
  4. Select these settings, then save (you’ll need to double click the “Create Monitor” button):

    “https://replname.yourusername.repl.co” should be replaced with the URL we copied from our repl earlier.

Profit

Run your repl, and now your bot/website/project will be hosted 24/7. Note that this is free hosting, so obviously it isn’t perfect. But it is certainly good enough to experiment with!
Good luck and have fun building your project.

pssst: If you need any help or want to chat with fellow developers join our Discord Server ✨