# Deploy me

A guestbook lets visitors leave their name and a note, then keeps every entry through refreshes and new deployments. Tokay runs it as one Web Service and preserves its SQLite data.

You can see the page, form handling, and storage in one small `server.js` file. Start here when you want to understand a complete app before moving to a framework or managed database.

## Facts

- Runtime: Node.js
- Framework: Express
- Service types: Web Service
- Resources: SQLite
- Required secrets: None

## What it does

The page opens with a welcome entry and a form for your name and note.

Press **Sign the book** and your message appears at the top with its author and time. The entry count updates with it.

Leave either field blank and the page asks you to fill in both without losing what you already typed.

## Deploy it

Bring this folder to Tokay any way you like. Paste or upload it in the dashboard, push it with git, or hand it to your AI agent along with [our agent instructions](https://app.tokay.io/llms.txt). Tokay figures out the rest.

Working in Claude, ChatGPT, VS Code, or another MCP client? Connect the [Tokay MCP server](https://tokay.io/docs/platform-mcp) and ask your agent to deploy this example. It signs in through your browser, so there is no token to paste.

New to Tokay? The [getting started guide](https://tokay.io/getting-started) walks you through your first deploy.

## Try it

1. Add your name and a note, then refresh the page.
2. Return to the Service page and deploy the same code again.
3. Open the live URL. Your note is still there because Tokay preserved the SQLite file.

## How it works

Want to see exactly what keeps the notes? The server writes them to a SQLite file under the persistent data directory Tokay supplies. The same file is available after the app restarts or you deploy new code.

Tokay also replicates persistent data beyond the app and takes periodic offsite snapshots. Read [Files and persistent storage](https://tokay.io/docs/persistent-storage) when you want the storage details.

## Secrets

This guestbook has no secret to configure. Tokay gives the app a persistent directory for its SQLite file.

## Grow from here

Try the [PostgreSQL task tracker](/examples/node-express-postgres-task-tracker) when you want a larger app with tasks, filters, and an API.

## Source files

- [package.json](https://tokay.io/examples/src/deploy-me/package.json)
- [server.js](https://tokay.io/examples/src/deploy-me/server.js)

## Download and source

- [Download the complete project](https://tokay.io/examples/downloads/deploy-me.zip)
- Last updated: 2026-07-31
- Example revision: `52c7b7f`
- [View this revision on GitHub](https://github.com/tokayio/tokay-examples/tree/52c7b7ffd52e157375b08f1f11ff4fbe6c498642/deploy-me)
- [Deploy an app that uses SQLite](https://tokay.io/use-cases/deploy-app-with-sqlite)