I need help with deploying my Shopify application on DigitalOcean’s App Platform. The app is built using Remix framework but keeps failing during the deployment process.
My current setup includes:
Framework: Remix
API integration: Shopify Admin API
Database: Currently using Prisma (considering switching to Supabase later)
Platform: DigitalOcean App Platform
The deployment process seems to start fine. Prisma migrations run successfully and the app begins to start, but then it crashes with a DNS resolution error:
Error: getaddrinfo ENOTFOUND https://google.com
at GetAddrInfoReqWrap.onlookup [as oncomplete] (node:dns:107:26)
Steps I’ve taken so far:
Successfully built the application locally with npm run build
Connected my GitHub repo to DigitalOcean
Added all required environment variables like SHOPIFY_API_KEY and SHOPIFY_API_SECRET
Set up proper build and start commands in DigitalOcean configuration
The logs show that Prisma connects to the database fine and migrations complete without issues. The Shopify API also initializes properly, but then the DNS error occurs and kills the deployment.
Has anyone successfully deployed a similar Remix Shopify app on DigitalOcean? What could be causing this DNS resolution problem?
DNS errors during deployment? Your app’s trying to hit external services before the container network is ready. I’ve hit this same issue tons of times with Shopify apps.
DigitalOcean’s container startup is unpredictable. Your app boots, immediately tries validating Shopify webhooks or making API calls, but the network isn’t stable yet.
Skip debugging deployment timing - just automate the whole pipeline instead. Set up workflows that handle deployment reliably and add retry logic for network calls.
I use Latenode for deployment automation. It watches your GitHub repo, triggers builds on code pushes, handles DigitalOcean’s deployment APIs, and adds retry mechanisms for network operations. You can build workflows that wait for services before making external calls.
Best part? Automate your entire Shopify app lifecycle - deployment, webhook management, database migrations. Way more reliable than hoping DigitalOcean’s timing works every time.
Had the exact same issue deploying my Remix app to DigitalOcean last month. That DNS error happens when your app tries to make outbound requests before the network’s ready. For me, it was middleware making API calls during server startup instead of waiting for actual requests. Check your root.tsx or entry.server.tsx for any external calls running immediately. I moved those calls to route loaders and it fixed everything. Also check your Shopify webhook verification - that often runs too early and causes the same DNS problems.
that dns error’s odd… are u making any external api calls when the app starts? check if ur code tries hitting external services too soon. digitalocean’s network can be a bit tricky - maybe add a short delay before the first network call or use try/catch.
Had the exact same issue with my Remix app on DigitalOcean a few months back. That DNS error is misleading since everything runs fine locally. Check your NODE_ENV in DigitalOcean’s environment variables - set it to ‘production’, not ‘development’. Dev mode tries connecting to localhost or uses weird networking stuff. Also look for any hardcoded URLs in your Shopify config that might clash. My app was validating webhook URLs at startup, which meant DNS lookups before the container was ready. I moved that validation to run on-demand instead and it stopped crashing.