Deploy payload-cms-postgres

Deploy and Host Payload CMS on Railway

About Hosting

Railway provides a modern, streamlined platform for deploying web applications and databases. This template bundles Payload CMS — the open-source, fullstack Next.js framework for headless content management — running on Next.js 16 with a managed Postgres database. One-click deploy, auto-migrations, zero vendor lock-in.

Why Deploy

Deploying this template gives you a production-ready CMS in minutes:

• Open-source headless CMS — the most popular CMS for Next.js developers, MIT licensed
• Next.js 16 native — Payload runs as a Next.js app; no separate server to manage
• Postgres included — the template provisions a managed Railway Postgres database pre-wired to the app
• Migrations automated — payload migrate runs on every boot, so your schema is always current
• Admin panel included — full content management UI at /admin
• GraphQL + REST APIs — auto-generated for every collection you define
• Production-ready defaults — healthcheck on /api/health, standalone build, restart policy

Common Use Cases

• Headless CMS — content for websites, apps, and digital products with a developer-friendly admin panel
• SaaS backends — typed collections, auth, and API routes in a single Next.js codebase
• Marketing sites — structured content with preview, drafts, and versioning
• Portfolios and blogs — rich text with the Lexical editor, media library, and SEO fields

Dependencies for

This template requires:

Deployment Dependencies

• Postgres — a managed Railway Postgres database (the wizard wires DATABASE_URL automatically)
• PAYLOAD_SECRET — random 32+ char secret for authentication and encryption (auto-generated in the wizard)
• PORT — Railway routes traffic by this variable (default 3000)

Getting Started

1. Click Deploy on Railway
2. In the deploy wizard, the Postgres service and variables are pre-configured
3. Wait for the build (Next.js 16 + Payload) and automatic migrations
4. Open the generated domain — the admin panel is at /admin

Next Steps

• Create your first collection — via the admin panel or code-first in src/collections
• Build your frontend — use the REST or GraphQL APIs
• Add media — uploads are stored on the service (or wire S3/R2 with the Payload S3 adapter)
• Custom domain — add one to your Railway service

License

MIT (Payload CMS)