Skill: Deploy to Vercel

Purpose: Guide users through the complete GitHub → Vercel deployment pipeline to take their website live.

Audience: Business professionals who have built a website using Claude Code + Manus and are ready to deploy.

Use this skill when:

• User is ready to deploy their website for the first time
• User wants to understand the deployment process before going live
• User needs to redeploy after making changes
• User wants to set up a custom domain
• User is troubleshooting deployment issues

Overview

Deploying to Vercel is the final step before your site goes live. This skill walks you through:

1. Preparing your code - Initialize git, create proper .gitignore
2. Publishing to GitHub - Create a repository and push your code
3. Connecting to Vercel - Link GitHub and set up deployment
4. Configuring your site - Add environment variables, set up domains
5. Pre-launch checklist - Verify everything works before going live

No previous experience with Git or command-line tools required. We'll guide you through each step.

The Deployment Pipeline

Your Local Files
    ↓
Git Repository
    ↓
GitHub
    ↓
Vercel (Auto-deploys)
    ↓
Live Website

Every time you push changes to GitHub, Vercel automatically rebuilds and redeploys your site. This means updates go live in seconds without any manual steps.

Step 1: Prepare Your Code

What is Git?

Git is a tool that tracks changes to your files. Think of it like version control for documents — you can see what changed, who changed it, and revert to previous versions if needed.

Initialize a Git Repository

Open your terminal in your project directory and run:

git init

This creates a hidden .git folder that tracks all your files.

Create a .gitignore File

Some files shouldn't be uploaded to GitHub (passwords, API keys, node_modules, etc.). Create a .gitignore file in your project root with this content:

# Dependencies
node_modules/
.env
.env.local
.env.*.local

# OS files
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

# IDE files
.vscode/
.idea/
*.swp

# Build output
dist/
build/
.next/

# Logs
npm-debug.log*
yarn-debug.log*

Stage Your Files

Tell Git which files to track:

git add .

Create Your First Commit

A commit is a snapshot of your code at a point in time. Create your first one:

git commit -m "Initial commit: First version of website"

Commit message tips:

• Start with a verb: "Add", "Fix", "Update", "Remove"
• Be descriptive: "Add contact form validation" is better than "fixed stuff"
• Keep it under 50 characters when possible

Step 2: Create a GitHub Repository

GitHub is where your code lives online. Multiple team members can work on it, and it integrates with Vercel for automatic deployments.

Prerequisites

You'll need:

• A GitHub account (free at https://github.com)
• GitHub CLI (gh) installed and authenticated
• SSH key set up with GitHub (see references/github-setup.md for detailed instructions)

Create Repository via CLI

The easiest way is using the GitHub CLI:

gh repo create your-site-name --source=. --remote=origin --push

Replace your-site-name with something memorable (e.g., "acme-corp-website", "sarah-portfolio").

What this does:

• Creates a public repository on GitHub
• Adds GitHub as a "remote" (linked location)
• Pushes your local commits to GitHub

Verify It Worked

Visit https://github.com/your-username/your-site-name in your browser. You should see your files listed there.

Step 3: Connect to Vercel

Vercel watches your GitHub repository. Every time you push code, Vercel automatically builds and deploys your site.

Method A: Using Vercel CLI (Recommended for Developers)

If you have Node.js installed:

npm i -g vercel
vercel

Follow the prompts:

• Log in with your GitHub account
• Link to your GitHub repository
• Vercel will auto-detect your site type and settings

Method B: Manual Setup (Recommended for Non-Technical Users)

1. Go to https://vercel.com/new
2. Click "Import Git Repository"
3. Paste your GitHub repository URL
4. Click "Import"
5. Configure project settings (see next section)

Step 4: Configure Your Vercel Project

Detect Project Type Automatically

Vercel auto-detects your site type:

• Static HTML - Simple HTML/CSS/JS sites
• Vite - Modern JavaScript framework sites
• Next.js - Full-stack React applications

If you're unsure, ask in your project setup notes.

Create vercel.json

For custom configurations, create a vercel.json file in your project root. Choose based on your site type:

For Static HTML Sites

{
  "public": ".",
  "buildCommand": "echo 'No build needed'",
  "outputDirectory": "."
}

For Vite Sites

{
  "buildCommand": "npm run build",
  "outputDirectory": "dist"
}

Commit this file to Git:

git add vercel.json
git commit -m "Add Vercel configuration"
git push

Set Environment Variables

If your site uses APIs (like Resend for emails), add the API key to Vercel:

1. Go to your project on Vercel: https://vercel.com/dashboard
2. Click your project name
3. Go to Settings → Environment Variables
4. Add each variable:
   • Name: RESEND_API_KEY (or other variable name)
   • Value: Your actual API key
   • Environments: Select Production, Preview, Development

Important: Never commit API keys to GitHub. Always use environment variables.

Step 5: Configure Custom Domain (Optional)

Your site gets a free Vercel domain (your-site.vercel.app), but you can add a custom domain.

Add Domain to Vercel

1. In Vercel dashboard, go to Settings → Domains
2. Click Add Domain
3. Enter your domain (e.g., www.acmecorp.com)

Update DNS Records

This depends on where you bought your domain. Vercel will show you the exact DNS records to add. Common providers:

• GoDaddy, Namecheap, Google Domains, etc.

Typical steps:

1. Log into your domain registrar
2. Find "DNS Settings" or "Name Servers"
3. Add the records Vercel shows you
4. Wait 24-48 hours for DNS to propagate

If this is confusing, contact your domain registrar's support — they handle this all the time.

Step 6: Pre-Launch Checklist

Before your site goes live, run through this checklist to catch any issues:

Content & Links

• All pages render correctly (no broken layouts)
• All internal links work and go to correct pages
• External links open in a new tab (target="_blank")
• No placeholder text remains ("Add your content here", "TODO", etc.)

Branding & SEO

• Page titles are unique and descriptive (browser tab shows proper titles)
• Meta descriptions are present and compelling (what shows in Google search results)
• Favicon is set (small icon in browser tab)
• Open Graph tags are set (what shows when shared on social media)
• Company logo displays correctly on all pages

Forms & Interactions

• Contact forms submit successfully
• Form validation works (catches empty required fields)
• Form success message appears after submission
• Email notifications are received (if configured)

Images & Media

• All images load quickly (no broken image icons)
• Images are properly sized (not stretching or pixelating)
• Videos play correctly (if any)
• Dark mode works (if implemented)

Security & Performance

• SSL certificate is active (green lock icon in browser)
• Site loads in under 3 seconds
• No console errors (open browser DevTools → Console)
• Form data is encrypted if collecting sensitive info

Analytics & Tracking

• Google Analytics is installed and working (if configured)
• Conversion tracking is set up (if configured)
• Email notification list is working (if configured)

See references/deploy-checklist.md for detailed testing instructions and common issues.

Step 7: Go Live

Once everything passes the checklist:

1. Update your domain (if using custom domain, verify DNS is set up)
2. Test from a different device (phone, tablet, coworker's computer)
3. Announce your launch (email, social media, etc.)

Your site is now live and will automatically redeploy whenever you push code to GitHub.

Making Updates After Launch

After your site goes live, you can make updates quickly:

The Standard Update Workflow

# 1. Make changes in your code editor
# 2. Stage your changes
git add .

# 3. Create a commit
git commit -m "Update hero section copy"

# 4. Push to GitHub
git push

# 5. Vercel auto-deploys (usually within 30 seconds)

Go to your Vercel dashboard to watch the deployment. Once it shows "Ready", your changes are live.

Use the site-updater Skill

For non-developers or frequent updates, use the site-updater skill to make changes without touching the command line. You can describe changes in plain English, and the skill handles the technical work.

Troubleshooting

Build Fails on Vercel

The problem: Vercel shows a build error, but the site works locally.

Solutions:

1. Check your vercel.json is correct for your site type
2. Ensure all imports and file paths are correct (case-sensitive on Linux)
3. Make sure all dependencies are in package.json
4. Check environment variables are set in Vercel settings

Custom Domain Not Working

The problem: Your custom domain shows an error or doesn't point to the site.

Solutions:

1. Verify DNS records in your domain registrar match what Vercel shows
2. Wait 24-48 hours for DNS propagation (sometimes longer)
3. Clear your browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete or Cmd+Shift+Delete)
4. Try from a different network (sometimes ISP caching interferes)

Forms Not Submitting

The problem: Contact form works locally but fails when deployed.

Solutions:

1. Check that your form handler/API endpoint is configured
2. Verify environment variables (like API keys) are set in Vercel
3. Check browser console for error messages (right-click → Inspect → Console)
4. If using Resend, verify API key is correct and has permission to send

Site Shows Outdated Content

The problem: You pushed changes but the live site hasn't updated.

Solutions:

1. Verify your push succeeded: git log should show your commit
2. Check Vercel dashboard — is a deployment in progress?
3. Clear browser cache (Ctrl+Shift+Delete)
4. Wait 30-60 seconds for deployment to complete

404 Errors on Deploy Preview

The problem: Preview deployments show 404 errors but production works.

Solutions:

1. Check your vercel.json output directory is correct
2. Verify file paths are case-sensitive (index.html not INDEX.html)
3. Ensure all assets are being copied to the build output

Quick Reference: Git Commands

Once you're comfortable, here are the commands you'll use most:

# Check status of your changes
git status

# See your commit history
git log --oneline

# Stage all changes
git add .

# Commit with a message
git commit -m "Your message here"

# Push to GitHub (triggers Vercel deploy)
git push

# Pull latest from GitHub
git pull

Next Steps

1. Follow the references - Start with references/github-setup.md if you're new to GitHub
2. Deploy your first version - Use this skill to get your site live
3. After launch, use site-updater - For ongoing changes and maintenance

Additional Resources

• GitHub Setup: references/github-setup.md - Detailed GitHub account setup and SSH keys
• Vercel Setup: references/vercel-setup.md - Vercel account and domain configuration
• Pre-Launch Checklist: references/deploy-checklist.md - Complete testing checklist before going live
• site-updater Skill: For making changes to your live site after deployment

Support

If you encounter issues:

1. Check the Troubleshooting section above
2. Review the reference documents for your specific setup
3. Check error messages in the Vercel dashboard (most informative)
4. Visit Vercel docs: https://vercel.com/docs

This deployment process is the same one used by millions of websites. You've got this!