Deploying a Next.js application to Vercel (Beginner)

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Deploying your Next.js application to Vercel is an easy process that ensures your project is live and accessible with minimal effort.

Follow this step-by-step guide to achieve a successful deployment.

Prerequisites: 📑

A fully developed Next.js project.
An account on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.
A Vercel account.

Step 1: Prepare Your Next.js Application

Before deployment, ensure your application is production-ready(Build).

Navigate to your project directory and execute:

///This command compiles your application for production.
npm run build

Test Locally:

After building, start the application locally to verify its functionality:

npm run start

At this stage, we need to have the application hosted on a remote platform to facilitate deployment.

Step 2: Push Your Project to a Git Repository

Vercel integrates seamlessly with Git platforms to facilitate deployments.

Initialize Git:

If your project isn't under version control:

Create a Remote Repository

On your preferred Git platform (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket), create a new repository, then, on your local terminal:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

Now that our remote repository exists, let's Push our Code!:

Link your local repository to the remote one and push your code:

git remote add origin <repository-url>
git push -u origin main

Step 3: Deploy to Vercel

Sign-in to vercel using your Git provider

Click on "Add New" in the Vercel dashboard:

Select Project

Import Your Project/Next.js repository

Configure Project Settings:

Vercel automatically detects Next.js projects and sets the appropriate configurations. Review the settings and make adjustments if necessary.

Deploy 🥳

Click the "Deploy" button. Vercel will build and deploy your application. Once completed, you'll receive a unique URL to access your live application.

Step 4: Configure Custom Domain (Optional)

To use a custom domain, Update your domain's DNS records as instructed by Vercel to point to their servers.

Update your domain's DNS records as instructed by Vercel to point to their servers.

Step 5: Enable Continuous Deployment

Vercel supports automatic deployments on every push to your Git repository.

By default, Vercel redeploys your application on every push to the connected branch. You can manage these settings in your project's dashboard under the "Deployments" section.

Conclusion

Deploying a Next.js application to Vercel is efficient and user-friendly, offering features like automatic scaling, global CDN, and seamless integration with Git platforms. By following this guide, your application will be live and ready to serve users.

For more detailed information, refer to Vercel's official Next.js documentation.