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Cursor is where you edit and build the project; the VPS is where the finished files are served. For a typical static site, the dependable workflow is: build in Cursor’s terminal, copy the generated output to a non-root user’s web directory with rsync, configure Nginx, point DNS at the VPS, and enable HTTPS. You can repeat that manually for occasional releases or have GitHub Actions build and sync every approved commit.
This guide covers both approaches, plus Cursor’s optional Remote-SSH workflow. It assumes an Ubuntu VPS and a site that produces a static directory such as dist/, build/, or public/. A server-rendered application needs an application process and a different Nginx proxy configuration; do not point Nginx at source files and expect a Node, Python, or PHP application to run.
How the deployment is divided between Cursor and the VPS
Cursor does not host your website. It is the local editor, terminal, and Git client. The VPS performs the production work: it stores the deployed files, accepts HTTP and HTTPS traffic, and serves requests through a web server such as Nginx.
| Method | What happens | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
Build then rsync |
You run the build locally in Cursor, then synchronize its output to the VPS. | First deployments, small sites, and deliberate releases | You must run the build and transfer commands each time. |
GitHub Actions then rsync |
A push triggers a hosted workflow that builds the site and copies the output over SSH. | Teams and repeatable deployments | Secrets, workflow YAML, and a deploy key must be maintained. |
| Cursor Remote-SSH | Cursor opens the VPS filesystem through SSH; you edit or run commands on the host. | Server-side debugging and direct remote editing | The host needs a compatible Cursor Server runtime and a stable SSH connection. |
A static-site deployment guide describes the first pattern with rsync and --delete, while another documents a GitHub Actions build-and-sync flow for Hugo behind a Caddy/Nginx Docker stack: static site on an Ubuntu VPS and Hugo deployment with GitHub Actions. The commands below use the same general model, but you must substitute your project’s actual build output and domain.
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Prerequisites and decisions
- An Ubuntu VPS with a public IPv4 address (and IPv6 if you intend to publish an AAAA record).
- A domain name whose DNS you can edit.
- Local SSH access from the computer running Cursor.
- A project that has a documented production build command, commonly
npm run build. - The output directory produced by that command, such as
dist/,build/, orpublic/. - An SSH key rather than a password for the deployment user.
- A decision about whether releases are manual or triggered by pushes to a protected branch.
Use a placeholder domain such as example.com while reading. Replace it everywhere before running a command. Package names, service names, and Certbot options can differ between Ubuntu releases, so check the current Ubuntu, Nginx, and Certbot documentation for the release installed on your VPS before applying production changes.
Prepare a safer SSH account on the VPS
Create a non-root deploy user
Log in as the provider’s initial administrator, create a dedicated account, grant it administrative privileges through sudo, and install your public key. The exact VPS image may already provide an administrative user; in that case, create a separate deploy account rather than copying your workflow’s private key into a shared account.
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ssh root@SERVER_IP
adduser deploy
usermod -aG sudo deploy
Copy your local public key to the new account with your operating system’s equivalent of ssh-copy-id, then test a new session before closing the original one:
ssh-copy-id deploy@SERVER_IP
ssh deploy@SERVER_IP
sudo -v
Do not disable the original administrative session until the new key-based login and sudo access work. A guide describing Ubuntu VPS setup also recommends creating a non-root deploy user and testing key login first: Ubuntu VPS static-site guide.
Update the host and install Nginx
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade
sudo apt install nginx
sudo systemctl enable --now nginx
Visit http://SERVER_IP. The default Nginx page confirms that the service is reachable before you add your own site. The installation and server-block sequence is also outlined in this Ubuntu Nginx tutorial.
Open the firewall without locking yourself out
If UFW is installed, allow SSH before enabling the firewall, then allow Nginx traffic:
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status verbose
If your provider has a separate network firewall, allow TCP ports 22, 80, and 443 there as well. Restrict SSH to your own IP only when you have a reliable fixed address and an out-of-band console for recovery.
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Point DNS at the VPS
Create an A record for the apex domain, for example example.com to the VPS IPv4 address. Create a www CNAME pointing to the apex name, or an additional A record, according to your DNS provider. If you use IPv6, add an AAAA record only when Nginx and the provider firewall are configured for IPv6.
DNS changes can be visible at different times because resolvers cache records. You can proceed with Nginx configuration immediately, but HTTPS issuance will fail until the names resolve to this VPS and ports 80/443 are reachable from the public internet.
Build the site in Cursor
Install dependencies reproducibly
Open the project folder in Cursor and use its integrated terminal. For a JavaScript project, install the lockfile-defined versions before building:
npm ci
npm run build
Use the project’s documented equivalent when it is not JavaScript. Common output names are dist/, build/, and public/; inspect the build log and the project configuration instead of assuming one. The directory you synchronize must contain the production entry point, normally index.html, plus the generated assets.
Check production paths locally
Open the generated directory with a local static server or the framework’s preview command. Check that asset URLs, client-side routes, images, and environment-specific API endpoints use the public domain rather than localhost. Environment variables intended only for development must not be copied into a public bundle.
Deploy manually with rsync
Create a web root owned by the deploy account
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com
sudo chown -R deploy:deploy /var/www/example.com
Keeping the destination writable by the deploy user avoids using a private key with root SSH access. If your hosting image uses a different web-root convention, keep the same ownership principle and adjust the path.
Synchronize the build output
Run this from the project directory on your local computer:
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rsync -avz --delete dist/ deploy@SERVER_IP:/var/www/example.com/Replace dist/ with the real output directory. The trailing slash means “copy the contents of this directory.” --delete removes files from the server that no longer exist in the current build, preventing stale JavaScript chunks from remaining online. Never point this command at a directory containing uploads, user-generated content, or server-managed files; keep those outside the release directory or back them up first.
Before using --delete on a new project, perform a dry run:
rsync -avzn --delete dist/ deploy@SERVER_IP:/var/www/example.com/The n flag reports changes without making them. Review the list, then run the real command. The static-site guide cited earlier uses this same synchronization shape for an Ubuntu VPS.
Configure Nginx for the domain
Create a server block
On the VPS, create /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com:
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server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
root /var/www/example.com;
index index.html;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
}
location ~* .(?:css|js|png|jpg|jpeg|gif|svg|ico|webp|woff2?)$ {
try_files $uri =404;
add_header Cache-Control "public, max-age=31536000, immutable";
}
}
The try_files fallback is appropriate for many single-page applications because unknown client-side routes return index.html. A traditional multi-page site may need a different fallback; do not add it automatically if the site must return a real 404 for unknown paths. Long-lived asset caching is safe only when your build creates content-hashed filenames. Remove that cache header when filenames are reused between releases.
Enable and validate the site
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/example.com
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
If the test reports a duplicate server_name, disable the default site or remove the conflicting block after confirming it is not serving another domain:
sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Test both names over HTTP and inspect the deployed files if you receive a 403 or 404. A 403 commonly means the directory or files are not readable by Nginx; a 404 commonly means the root path or build directory is wrong.
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Enable HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt
After DNS resolves correctly and Nginx answers on port 80, install Certbot using the package instructions for your Ubuntu release and its Nginx integration. A commonly used package layout is:
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sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com
Certbot will ask for an email address, terms acceptance, and whether HTTP should redirect to HTTPS. Verify the resulting configuration with sudo nginx -t, then reload if necessary. Test both https://example.com and https://www.example.com, and check that the certificate covers every hostname you publish.
Certificate renewal is automated on most current Ubuntu installations through a timer. Confirm that a renewal simulation succeeds:
sudo certbot renew --dry-run
The Nginx and HTTPS sequence is covered in the referenced Nginx-on-Ubuntu tutorial. Package behavior changes over time, so treat the commands as a starting point and follow the current Certbot instructions for your distribution.
Automate releases with GitHub Actions
For repeat deployments, keep the source in Git, push from Cursor’s Git integration, and let a workflow build the project and synchronize only the generated directory. This keeps build tools off the web server and makes each deployment reproducible.
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Prepare an SSH deploy key
- Generate a dedicated key pair for automation on a trusted machine. Do not reuse your personal key.
- Add the public key to
/home/deploy/.ssh/authorized_keyson the VPS. - Store the private key in the repository’s encrypted Actions secrets, for example
VPS_SSH_KEY. - Create separate secrets for
VPS_HOST,VPS_USER, andVPS_PATH. Limit the key’s account and directory permissions where practical.
Example workflow
Create .github/workflows/deploy.yml and adapt the runtime version, build command, output directory, and action versions to your project:
name: Deploy website
on:
push:
branches: [main]
jobs:
deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Check out source
uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Set up Node
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: 22
cache: npm
- name: Install and build
run: |
npm ci
npm run build
- name: Install rsync and SSH tools
run: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y rsync openssh-client
- name: Configure SSH
run: |
install -m 700 -d ~/.ssh
printf '%sn' "${{ secrets.VPS_SSH_KEY }}" > ~/.ssh/deploy_key
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/deploy_key
ssh-keyscan -H "${{ secrets.VPS_HOST }}" >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
- name: Synchronize site
run: |
rsync -avz --delete -e "ssh -i ~/.ssh/deploy_key"
dist/ "${{ secrets.VPS_USER }}@${{ secrets.VPS_HOST }}:${{ secrets.VPS_PATH }}/"
ssh-keyscan records the server key presented during the run; for a high-assurance setup, verify that fingerprint out of band and store a fixed known-hosts value instead. Protect the workflow with branch protection and environment approvals so an unreviewed commit cannot publish immediately. The Hugo example described in this deployment article illustrates the same build-then-rsync architecture, although its web stack differs from the Nginx-only setup here.
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Make deployments recoverable
Keep the previous build as a versioned directory when instant rollback matters. A simple --delete sync replaces files in place; it does not preserve a previous release. For stronger rollback, upload to /var/www/releases/COMMIT_SHA, update a current symlink after a successful upload, and point Nginx at /var/www/current. That pattern requires a small server-side script and permission design, but it lets you switch back to the preceding commit without rebuilding.
Use Cursor Remote-SSH when you need remote editing
Remote-SSH is optional; it is not required for the rsync workflow. Community results identify the Cursor extension ID as anysphere.remote-ssh, but that identification and several compatibility details are community-reported rather than confirmed product documentation. Treat the extension listing and its current requirements as version-sensitive.
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On your local computer, edit ~/.ssh/config:
Host my-vps
HostName SERVER_IP
User deploy
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
ServerAliveInterval 60
ServerAliveCountMax 3
Test it with ssh my-vps, then choose the alias from Cursor’s Remote-SSH connection command. The alias keeps the hostname, user, and key consistent; a Cursor community thread discusses using one alias per user on shared servers: SSH for beginners and SSH config troubleshooting.
Check compatibility before relying on it
Remote-SSH installs a Cursor Server component on the VPS. Community reports indicate that it requires a modern GNU C library; one report says a CentOS 7.9 host with glibc 2.17 failed while glibc 2.28 was cited as a minimum. These are reports, not a guaranteed support matrix. Confirm the current requirement for your Cursor build before changing an operating system solely for this feature. See the discussion at Cursor Server questions.
Cursor’s AI features run on your local machine and use the SSH connection for remote files. If the editor connects but AI features do not respond, check local internet access first, then the VPS’s available CPU and memory. Cursor’s network troubleshooting page is available here. For an offline host, a community workaround copies the server package to the machine manually; it is not presented as an official feature: manual Cursor Remote-SSH server download discussion.
Raise remote.SSH.connectTimeout in Cursor settings only when a slow network is the cause. A larger timeout cannot fix a blocked port, a wrong key, an incompatible libc version, or an unavailable SSH daemon.
Troubleshoot by symptom
| Symptom | Likely cause | Checks and fixes |
|---|---|---|
Permission denied (publickey) |
Wrong user, key, or remote file permissions | Run ssh -v deploy@SERVER_IP; confirm the public key is in the deploy user’s authorized_keys, and test the same identity used by rsync. |
| SSH times out | Port 22 blocked, wrong IP, provider firewall, or offline host | Check the VPS console and both provider and UFW rules. Do not repeatedly increase the Cursor timeout until basic SSH works. |
| Rsync says the source does not exist | Wrong build output directory or command was not run | Run the build again, list the project directory, and replace dist/ with the actual generated folder. |
| Old assets remain after deployment | Files were copied without deletion or a cache is serving them | Use a dry-run rsync --delete, then the real command; invalidate any CDN or browser cache and use hashed filenames. |
| Nginx returns 403 | Incorrect ownership, permissions, or missing index file | Check ls -la /var/www/example.com; ensure directories are searchable and files readable by Nginx, and confirm index.html exists. |
| Every client-side route returns 404 | No SPA fallback | Add try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html; for a single-page app, then run sudo nginx -t and reload. |
| HTTPS issuance fails | DNS has not propagated, port 80 is closed, or another server answers | Resolve both hostnames to this VPS, allow HTTP temporarily, and test the domain from an external network before rerunning Certbot. |
| Remote-SSH installs then disconnects | Insufficient memory, incompatible glibc, or unstable SSH | Use ordinary SSH to inspect memory and logs, verify the host’s libc against the current Cursor requirement, and add keep-alive settings. |
Production checks before calling the deployment complete
- Open the HTTPS URL in a private browser window and test the apex and
wwwhostnames you published. - Use browser developer tools to confirm CSS, JavaScript, fonts, images, and API calls load from the intended domain.
- Check that secrets are not present in the generated HTML or JavaScript bundle.
- Run
sudo nginx -tafter every Nginx edit and reload rather than restarting unnecessarily. - Confirm the deploy user cannot write unrelated system directories and that the workflow key is stored only in encrypted secrets.
- Keep the previous build or commit identifier so you can identify what is live and restore a known-good release.
- Schedule operating-system security updates and monitor disk space, memory, Nginx errors, and certificate-renewal logs.
Once these checks pass, Cursor remains your development and release-control surface while Nginx serves the exact build output that was transferred to the VPS.
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