Let your agent set up your server

In a vibe coding training, everyone had just seen their first app working on their own laptop. And then a participant asked if he had to set all that up on the server himself. You might recognise this. Building went surprisingly smoothly. And then comes the part most people dread: a server, a domain name, certificates, a database. That sounds like a separate profession, and it actually is.

My answer was short. You say nothing. You let your agent do the work, on a server that belongs to you. In this article you will read how that works, and what you do have to arrange yourself.

Copy the prompt at the bottom of this article. With that you let your agent propose what your server needs.

Your own server instead of a platform

There are platforms that handle the hosting for you. They are handy, because they do a lot automatically. Personally I do not really like them, because it is also a bit of a lock-in. Your app is then tied to their way of working.

So I rent my own server on the internet, a virtual private server or VPS. A few months ago it was still with an American provider. Meanwhile I have brought everything to Europe. The provider I use now has a good API, and that is what it is really all about.

Because through that API my agent can chat directly with the provider. It can set up a server, manage domain names and prepare certificates for security. And via SSH it logs into the server itself. Once it has those two accesses, it can do everything you as a user would do on your server. If I say we have built a little web app and it needs to go on our server, it just does it. It sets everything up and configures everything.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know myself which software my server needs?

You do not really have to, because your agent can propose that. Let it look at your code and your briefing and ask it which tech stack it recommends. After that it also installs it itself.

Why log in with a key instead of a password?

A password can be guessed or stolen. With an SSH key there is a secure tunnel between your computer and your server. Your agent can set up that login for you.

Do I really need a separate test environment?

I would always do it, even for a small app. On a test environment you try things out and let others take a look, without your real users being bothered by it. Your agent then gives production a stricter configuration.

Where do I learn to do this myself?

In the Vibe Coding with AI training you build an app and learn how to put it online securely. You can find the dates at Workshops & Events.

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