Running applications with Worker Processes
Worker Processes keep an application running alongside your website — a Node.js app, a Laravel queue, a PHP script or another custom command. This guide covers starting one, managing it, and what it can and cannot be used for.
Open Worker Processes
- Log in to your control panel and open the website.
- Open the Advanced menu and choose Worker processes.
If the website deploys from GitHub, its worker processes are also shown on the website's GitHub page.
Supported applications
- Node.js — choose the Node.js version your app needs.
- Laravel — for queue workers and similar long-running Laravel tasks.
- PHP — for long-running PHP scripts.
- Custom — any other supported startup command.
Static websites do not need a worker at all: deploy them and they are served directly by the web server.
Set up a process
- Choose how it runs: Automatic (Production) starts the process for you and restarts it if it stops; Manual (Development) leaves starting it to you.
- Select the application type.
- Enter the startup command — for example npm start.
- Set the working directory if the app needs to start from a particular folder.
- If visitors should reach the app through your domain, turn on HTTP Proxy and enter the port your app listens on. Your app should listen on 0.0.0.0.
- Click Launch.
Start, stop and restart
Each process appears in a list with its startup command and working directory. Use the menu next to a process to stop, start or restart it — restart after changing configuration or deploying new code.
Check output and errors
Click View logs next to a process to see what it is printing. If an app will not start, the log is the first place to look — it usually shows the error.
Resource limits still apply
Worker processes run inside your website's normal resource limits — the same CPU, memory and process allowances as the website itself. On Shared Hosting they suit lightweight applications. If an app is busy all the time or needs a lot of resources, a Managed VPS is the right home for it; talk to us and we will recommend a setup.
Getting help
If a process will not run because of the hosting environment, open a support ticket with the website name and the process log.
Please note: Go Red Robot supports the hosting environment and deployment tools. Application development, repository configuration and code debugging are not included with hosting support.