Why does Heroku fail to detect Node.js buildpack?

Question

I git cloned a Node.js application (the version specified in the package.json being 4.1.2 and that of my local machine being 6.2.2) an

Answer 1

If you are working on a branch, you need to set master to track your branch

git branch -f --track master origin/branch_name

Check for package.json in master

git show master:package.json

If it's available, trying pushing again.

git push heroku master

`

Answer 2

It’s because Heroku thinks you are deploying a Node app. But what you are deploying is the public directory of a Node app, not Node code.

Heroku uses buildpacks to select how the ap is handled. You want to clear that Node association:

buildpacks:clear # clear all buildpacks set on the app

Which means that “Next release will detect buildpack normally.”, that should solve it for you.

ref: https://devcenter.heroku.com/articles/buildpacks

Answer 3

This means that a package.json file isn't checked into the root of your git project, so Heroku is detecting that it isn't a Node.js app. You can see this locally:

git show master:package.json

To fix it, you'll want to be sure there is a package.json in the root of your project (where there is also a .git directory), and add it to git:

git add package.json
git commit -m 'track package.json'

The phrasing ('failed to detect set buildpack') could be improved. It should probably say 'failed to detect Node.js app'. When the buildpack's "detect" script is run (https://github.com/heroku/heroku-buildpack-nodejs/blob/master/bin/detect), it looks for a package.json file to verify that there's a node app available to build.

Answer 4

I run into the same issue and tried everything, eventually realized no file would commit because they were already committed and pushed to the github repository. So you need to do the following:

• Remove old git. folder:

rm -rf .git

• Create new git:

git init

• Add all project files:

git add .

• Commit:

git commit -m “commit name”

• Creat new heroku application:

heroku create

• Push code to master:

git push heroku master

This worked for me.

Answer 5

Most apps have at least one of these signatures present, so if you see this error, it usually means an important file isn't checked into your git repository:

• Java: pom.xml

• Ruby: Gemfile

• Node.js: package.json

• Python: requirements.txt / setup.py / Pipfile

• PHP: composer.json / index.php

You should:

git add {file}
git commit -am 'added {file} 
git push heroku master

Answer 6

I had similar issue, here are the steps which solved the problem.

heroku buildpacks:set heroku/nodejs
git push heroku master

Basically details are in the more info link -

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This situation may also occur if you remove or rename a file that previously led to the automatic detection of your application type and thus the automatic setting of the detected buildpack on your application.

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