Deploying a Django App on Heroku with PostgreSQL

Learn how to set up a PostgreSQL database and deploy your Django app on Heroku.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have a Heroku account and the Heroku CLI installed. You will also need Python and pip.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Install PostgreSQL Dependencies

Use pip to install the necessary PostgreSQL adapter:

pip install psycopg2

2. Install Gunicorn

Gunicorn is a Python WSGI HTTP Server for UNIX:

pip install gunicorn

3. Install Heroku CLI

Download and install the Heroku CLI.

4. Login to Heroku via CLI

Authenticate your Heroku account:

heroku login

5. Create Your Heroku App

Replace appname with your desired app name:

heroku create appname

6. Set Up Your Database

Add a PostgreSQL database to your app:

heroku addons:create heroku-postgresql:hobby-dev --app appname

7. Configure Database URI

Retrieve and add the database URI to your settings.py:

heroku config --app appname

8. Create a Procfile

In your project root, create a Procfile:

touch Procfile

Add this line to the Procfile:

web: gunicorn project_name.wsgi

9. Prepare Dependencies

Generate a requirements.txt file:

pip freeze > requirements.txt

10. Specify Python Runtime

Create a runtime.txt to specify the Python version:

python-3.9.1

11. Configure Allowed Hosts

Add your Heroku domain to ALLOWED_HOSTS in settings.py:

ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['your_app_name.herokuapp.com']

12. Set Up Static Files

Add STATIC_ROOT in settings.py:

STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'static')

13. Update URL Patterns

Include static URL configurations in urls.py:

from django.conf import settings
from django.conf.urls.static import static

urlpatterns = [
    # ... your URL patterns ...
] + static(settings.STATIC_URL, document_root=settings.STATIC_ROOT)

14. Collect Static Assets

Collect all static files:

python manage.py collectstatic

15. Deploy Using Git

Initialize a Git repository, commit, and push to Heroku:

git init
git add . && git commit -m 'Deploy'
heroku git:remote -a appname
git push heroku master

16. Apply Migrations

Run migrations on the Heroku database:

heroku run bash
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py createsuperuser

17. Monitor Logs

Keep track of your app's logs:

heroku logs --tail

18. Access Your App

Open your deployed app in a browser:

heroku open

This guide should help you successfully deploy your Django application on Heroku with a PostgreSQL database.