July 10, 2025
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Essential PM2 Commands for Managing Node.js Apps

At Prism ICT, we run multiple Node.js microservices in production. To keep them stable and easily manageable, we rely on PM2, a powerful production process manager. Whether you’re deploying a small app or managing dozens of services, PM2 simplifies your workflow with tools to start, monitor, and auto-restart your apps.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through essential PM2 commands every developer and sysadmin should know.

✅ 1. Installation

Install PM2 globally:

npm install -g pm2

🟢 2. Start an Application

Start your app with:

pm2 start app.js

With a name:

pm2 start app.js --name prism-api

♻️ 3. Restart an App

pm2 restart prism-api

Or restart all:

pm2 restart all

🔴 4. Stop or Delete an App

Stop one:

pm2 stop prism-api

Delete one:

pm2 delete prism-api

Delete all:

pm2 delete all

📊 5. View Running Apps

pm2 list

Detailed info:

pm2 show prism-api

📁 6. View Logs

All logs (stdout + stderr):

pm2 logs

Only error logs:

pm2 logs --err

Specific app logs:

pm2 logs prism-api

Tail last 100 lines:

pm2 logs --lines 100

🔐 7. Auto Startup on Server Reboot

Generate startup script:

pm2 startup

Then follow the printed instructions, usually involves:

sudo env PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin pm2 startup systemd -u your_user --hp /home/your_user

Save process list:

pm2 save

Now your apps will start on server reboot.

💾 8. Save and Load App List

Save current state:

pm2 save

Reload from saved state:

pm2 resurrect

🔄 9. Reload App Without Downtime

For zero-downtime reloads (especially for APIs):

pm2 reload prism-api

📦 10. Deploy with Ecosystem File

Create config:

pm2 init

Then edit ecosystem.config.js and deploy with:

pm2 start ecosystem.config.js

🧹 11. Clear Logs

pm2 flush

🧠 Final Tips from Prism ICT

  • Monitor your apps with PM2 Plus (pm2.io)
  • Keep logs clean to save disk space
  • Always run pm2 save After making changes
  • Automate deployment with ecosystem files

🛠 At Prism ICT, PM2 has become a vital part of our infrastructure for Node.js services. Whether you’re handling APIs, background workers, or cron jobs — PM2 keeps your processes alive and healthy.

Let us know if you’d like a PDF version of this guide or an internal cheat sheet for your team!