# Build with an Express starter template

**Author:** Ben Sabic

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Express is a fast, unopinionated, minimalist web framework for Node.js, and it deploys to Vercel with zero configuration. On Vercel, your Express app runs as a single [Vercel Function](https://vercel.com/docs/functions) on [Fluid compute](https://vercel.com/fluid), with response streaming and preview deployments available with minimal configuration.

Vercel maintains an [Express template directory](https://vercel.com/templates/express) with starters from both Vercel and the community, so you can begin from a working project instead of a blank repo.

## Which Express template should you use?

These templates range from a minimal API to AI, Bun, and full-stack apps:

| Template                                                                          | What it gives you                                                                                                                                                             |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [Express.js on Vercel](https://vercel.com/templates/backend/express-js-on-vercel) | A minimal Express app that serves HTML, JSON, and a simulated API route, and deploys with zero configuration. Start here if you're new to Express on Vercel.                  |
| [Express on Bun](https://vercel.com/templates/express/express-on-bun)             | An Express backend that runs on the [Bun](https://vercel.com/docs/functions/runtimes/bun) runtime instead of Node.js, ready to deploy and to develop locally with Bun.        |
| [Express + AI SDK](https://vercel.com/templates/other/express-ai-sdk)             | An Express server wired up with [AI SDK](https://ai-sdk.dev/cookbook/api-servers/express) to generate and stream text and structured objects from your routes.                |
| [SaaS Microservices](https://vercel.com/templates/next.js/saas-microservices)     | A [Next.js](https://nextjs.org/) dashboard paired with an Express API service, running under one domain with [Vercel microfrontends](https://vercel.com/docs/microfrontends). |

If you're not sure where to begin, deploy the Express.js on Vercel starter and add routes, middleware, or a frontend as your project grows.

## Deploy an Express template

Every Express template deploys to Vercel the same way. Open the template you want, select Deploy, and Vercel clones the repository into your Git provider, creates a project, and ships it to a live URL.

1. **Open the template**: Choose a template from the table above, then select Deploy.
   
2. **Connect your Git provider**: Vercel creates a new repository for the template in your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket account.
   
3. **Deploy the project**: Vercel builds and deploys the template, then returns a production URL. Each later push to the repository triggers a new deployment.
   

### Run the template locally

After deploying, clone your new repository, install dependencies, and start the development server with [Vercel CLI](https://vercel.com/docs/cli):

`git clone your_repository_url_here cd your_project_name_here npm install vercel dev`

Vercel CLI serves your app at `http://localhost:3000` and runs it the same way it does in production. Edit your route handlers to make it your own.

### Start from the command line instead

To scaffold the Express example with Vercel CLI, run:

`vercel init express`

This clones the Express boilerplate into an `express` directory, so you can develop locally first and deploy with `vercel` when you're ready.

## Resources and next steps

- Follow the end-to-end [How to ship an Express app on Vercel](https://vercel.com/kb/guide/ship-a-express-app-on-vercel) guide to deploy and configure your app
  
- Read the full [Express on Vercel documentation](https://vercel.com/docs/frameworks/backend/express)
  
- Learn how [Vercel Functions](https://vercel.com/docs/functions) run your server code
  
- Understand pricing and scaling with [Fluid compute](https://vercel.com/docs/fluid-compute)
  
- Run code before requests with [Routing Middleware](https://vercel.com/docs/routing-middleware)
  
- Serve static assets from the [CDN](https://vercel.com/docs/cdn)

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