Setup & Deployment Guide

Step-by-step instructions to clone, deploy, and keep your Stray presence client active 24/7.

Important: Deploy from a Personal Fork

Do not connect your cloud service directly to our upstream repository. Upstream updates may trigger automatic rebuilds that wipe un-persisted local storage config (db.json). Always fork the repository first and deploy from your personal fork.

1. Local Setup

Clone the repository

Clone your personal fork or the official repository and navigate into the project directory:

# Option A: Clone from your personal fork (Recommended)
git clone https://github.com/your-username/Stray.git

# Option B: Clone from the official repository
git clone https://github.com/BadCmdName/Stray.git

cd Stray

Configure environment variables

Create a .env file in the Alley folder and set your allowed Discord ID:

ALLOWED_USER_IDS="your_discord_user_id"

Install dependencies & Start

Install dependencies and execute the production server build using Bun or Node:

# Option A: Using Bun
bun install
bun run build
bun run start

# Option B: Using npm
npm install
npm run build
npm start

2. Cloud Deployment

Connect your forked repository to Render, Railway, Vercel, or Fly.io with the following settings:

Root DirectoryAlley

Build Commandnpm install && npm run build

Start Commandnpm start

Health Check Endpoint/api/ping

3. Prevent Idle Shutdowns (24/7 Uptime)

Free cloud containers enter sleep mode after inactivity. Set up a free ping monitor to keep your Discord gateway active around the clock:

Create an account on UptimeRobot.
Click Add New Monitor.
Set Monitor Type to HTTP(s) and URL to https://your-app.onrender.com/api/ping.
Set interval to 5 minutes and save.