Deploy and Host Streamlit Portal on Railway

Streamlit Portal is a web app where student groups log in with a code and upload their Python files, or paste a Google Colab link. It checks the code is safe, then saves it to GitHub, which automatically deploys each group's project as its own live Streamlit app.

About Hosting Streamlit Portal

Streamlit Portal runs as a single lightweight FastAPI service, so hosting is simple. When students upload code, the portal validates it for safety, builds a clean dependency list, and commits the files to your GitHub repository using an access token. There is no database to manage — it starts instantly and needs no extra infrastructure. Railway builds the service automatically from the included railway.json, runs a /healthz health check, and restarts it on failure. You only set three environment variables and deploy, then hand the portal's URL to your students.

Common Use Cases

• Let students deploy Streamlit apps without touching Git, tokens, or the command line
• Collect team submissions at a hackathon or coding club, each with its own live URL
• Safely accept student-written Python behind built-in code-safety checks

Dependencies for Streamlit Portal Hosting

• A GitHub token with repo access, so the portal can save uploads
• A GitHub repository to store and auto-deploy the uploaded apps

Deployment Dependencies

• Source repo: https://github.com/twahidin/ctss-streamlit-portal
• Create a GitHub token: https://github.com/settings/tokens
• Streamlit docs: https://docs.streamlit.io

Implementation Details

Set these three environment variables on the service before deploying:

• GITHUB_TOKEN — GitHub token with repo access
• GITHUB_REPO — where uploads are saved, e.g. your-org/ctss-streamlit-projects
• GROUP_CODES — JSON list of group login codes

Why Deploy Streamlit Portal on Railway?

Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.

By deploying Streamlit Portal on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.