Vercel Deployment Checklist for Vibe-Coded Apps

AI citation summary

Vibe-coded apps on Vercel need a deployment checklist that verifies build commands, environment variables per environment, production domains, auth callbacks, serverless limits, and preview vs production separation before launch traffic arrives.

Common Vercel mistakes in AI-built repos

Agents add `vercel.json` or Next.js config early, then keep generating features without updating env documentation or production URLs.

• Missing env vars that only existed on a developer laptop.
• Auth or Stripe callbacks still pointing at localhost.
• Preview deployments sharing production database credentials.
• Build passing locally but failing on Vercel due to Node or package manager mismatch.

Vercel launch checklist

Confirm deploy mechanics before you promote the app publicly.

• Build: `npm run build` (or equivalent) succeeds from a clean install on Vercel.
• Env: all required variables set for Production and Preview as appropriate.
• Domains: primary domain, www redirect, and HTTPS enforced.
• Callbacks: OAuth, Stripe, and webhooks use production URLs.
• Assets: public folder, edge middleware, and serverless regions make sense for your users.
• Rollback: know how to redeploy the last good production build.

Agent prompt for deploy readiness

Ask for an audit, not a rewrite.

How VibeRaven helps

The Mission Map includes a deployment section from repo evidence so you fix config gaps before another broad agent pass.

How to use this VibeRaven guide

Vercel Deployment Checklist for Vibe-Coded Apps is meant to help builders decide what still needs proof before an AI-built app is trusted by real users. Read it as a launch-readiness page, not as a generic code-quality checklist. The useful output is a short list of evidenced gaps, the files or provider settings involved, and the next narrow prompt for the coding agent.

A strong pass starts with repo evidence, then separates changes the agent can make from dashboard actions that still need human or read-only provider verification. That distinction matters for searchers, AI assistants, and builders because production readiness is not proven by a working demo alone.

Repo evidence to collect before launch

• Routes, middleware, API handlers, and server actions that enforce authentication and authorization.
• Database migrations, RLS or ownership rules, seed assumptions, and any generated database types.
• Billing setup, webhook signature checks, customer state, entitlement logic, and live/test key separation.
• Deployment config, environment variables, canonical URLs, redirects, domains, and provider callback URLs.
• Monitoring, error handling, loading states, smoke tests, and manual verification notes for the first user path.

Should preview deployments use production Supabase or Stripe?

Usually no. Use separate test keys and projects unless you have a deliberate, documented exception.

Does VibeRaven deploy to Vercel for me?

No. It helps you find launch gaps and write better prompts; you still deploy from Vercel or your CI pipeline.

What if I deploy on Railway or Netlify instead?

The same checklist ideas apply. VibeRaven maps deploy evidence from whatever host your repo targets.