Vercel Operations

This skill helps you work with the Vercel cloud platform and CLI. Use it whenever the user needs to deploy applications, manage projects, configure environments, handle domains, or perform any Vercel-related operations.

Prerequisites

• User should be logged into Vercel CLI (vercel login)
• For first-time setup, ensure Vercel CLI is installed: npm i -g vercel

Core Concepts

Vercel is a frontend cloud platform that provides:

• Git-based deployments: Automatic preview deployments on every push
• Edge compute: Serverless functions and edge middleware running globally
• Multi-framework support: Next.js, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Astro, Remix, and more
• Built-in observability: Logs, analytics, and performance monitoring
• Team collaboration: Role-based access, SSO, audit logs

Command Reference by Use Case

1. Project Setup and Initialization

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel init <template>	Create new project from template	vercel init nextjs my-app
vercel link [path]	Link local directory to existing project	vercel link
vercel pull [path]	Pull project settings from cloud	vercel pull

2. Deployment Operations

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel or vercel deploy	Deploy to preview (default)	vercel
vercel --prod	Deploy to production	vercel --prod
vercel --prebuilt	Deploy pre-built assets	vercel --prebuilt
vercel build	Build locally for inspection	vercel build
vercel ls	List all deployments	vercel ls
vercel inspect <id>	View deployment details	vercel inspect abc123
vercel rm <id>	Delete a deployment	vercel rm abc123
vercel redeploy <id>	Rebuild and redeploy	vercel redeploy abc123
vercel rollback <id>	Revert to previous deployment	vercel rollback abc123
vercel promote <url>	Promote preview to production	vercel promote my-app.vercel.app

3. Local Development

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel dev	Start local dev server with edge emulation	vercel dev
vercel dev --listen 3001	Run on custom port	vercel dev --listen 3001
vercel curl <path>	Test local deployment	vercel curl /api/users

4. Environment Variables and Secrets

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel env add <name> <env>	Add environment variable	vercel env add API_KEY production
vercel env ls	List all environment variables	vercel env ls
vercel env rm <name> <env>	Remove environment variable	vercel env rm API_KEY preview
vercel secrets add <name>	Add secret (encrypted)	vercel secrets add stripe-key
vercel secrets ls	List all secrets	vercel secrets ls
vercel secrets rm <name>	Remove secret	vercel secrets rm stripe-key

5. Domain and DNS Management

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel domains add <domain>	Add custom domain	vercel domains add example.com
vercel domains ls	List all domains	vercel domains ls
vercel domains rm <domain>	Remove domain	vercel domains rm example.com
vercel alias set <url> <domain>	Set alias for deployment	vercel alias set abc123 app.example.com
vercel dns add <domain> <type> <value>	Add DNS record	vercel dns add example.com A 1.2.3.4
vercel certs add <domain>	Add SSL certificate	vercel certs add example.com

6. Logs and Monitoring

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel logs <url>	Stream deployment logs	vercel logs my-app.vercel.app
vercel logs --since 1h	Logs from last hour	vercel logs --since 1h
vercel logs --follow	Follow logs in real-time	vercel logs --follow
vercel open	Open project in dashboard	vercel open

7. Project and Team Management

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel projects ls	List all projects	vercel projects ls
vercel projects add <name>	Create new project	vercel projects add my-app
vercel projects rm <id>	Delete project	vercel projects rm abc123
vercel switch <scope>	Switch team/scope	vercel switch my-team
vercel teams ls	List teams	vercel teams ls
vercel whoami	Show current user	vercel whoami
vercel login	Authenticate	vercel login
vercel logout	Log out	vercel logout

8. Git Integration

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel git connect	Connect Git repository	vercel git connect
vercel git disconnect	Disconnect Git repository	vercel git disconnect
vercel git ls	List connected repos	vercel git ls

9. Advanced Operations

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel bisect	Find deployment that introduced bug	vercel bisect
vercel cache ls	List cached items	vercel cache ls
vercel cache rm <path>	Clear cache	vercel cache rm /api/users
vercel webhooks add <url>	Add webhook	vercel webhooks add https://...
vercel blob add <name>	Create blob store	vercel blob add my-store
vercel api <endpoint>	Make authenticated API request	vercel api /v2/deployments
vercel upgrade	Upgrade CLI to latest	vercel upgrade

10. Redirects and Routing

Command	Purpose	Example
vercel redirects ls	List redirects	vercel redirects ls
vercel redirects add <src> <dst>	Add redirect	vercel redirects add /old /new

Common Workflows

New Project Workflow

# 1. Initialize new project
vercel init nextjs my-app
cd my-app

# 2. Run locally
vercel dev

# 3. Add environment variables (if needed)
vercel env add DATABASE_URL production

# 4. Deploy to preview
vercel

# 5. Deploy to production when ready
vercel --prod

Existing Project Workflow

# 1. Link to existing project
vercel link

# 2. Pull latest settings
vercel pull

# 3. Run locally
vercel dev

# 4. Deploy changes
vercel

# 5. Promote to production
vercel promote <preview-url>

Debugging Workflow

# 1. List recent deployments
vercel ls

# 2. Inspect specific deployment
vercel inspect <deployment-id>

# 3. View logs
vercel logs <deployment-url> --since 1h

# 4. If needed, rollback
vercel rollback <deployment-id>

Domain Setup Workflow

# 1. Add custom domain
vercel domains add example.com

# 2. Configure DNS (follow instructions)
# Vercel will provide DNS records to add

# 3. Add/verify SSL certificate
vercel certs add example.com

# 4. Set alias for production
vercel alias set <production-url> example.com

Global Options

• --yes / -y: Skip confirmation prompts
• --debug: Enable debug output
• --token: Use specific authentication token
• --scope: Set custom scope (team)
• --cwd: Set current working directory
• --local-config: Path to vercel.json
• --force: Force operation

Environment Variable Scopes

Environment variables can be scoped to:

• production: Production deployments
• preview: Preview/PR deployments
• development: Local development with vercel dev

Configuration Files

vercel.json

Common configuration file for project settings:

{
  "name": "my-app",
  "version": 2,
  "buildCommand": "npm run build",
  "outputDirectory": "dist",
  "framework": "nextjs",
  "regions": ["iad1"],
  "env": {
    "MY_VAR": "@my-secret"
  },
  "build": {
    "env": {
      "BUILD_VAR": "value"
    }
  },
  "routes": [
    {
      "src": "/api/(.*)",
      "dest": "/api/$1"
    }
  ],
  "rewrites": [
    {
      "source": "/old/:path*",
      "destination": "/new/:path*"
    }
  ],
  "redirects": [
    {
      "source": "/old",
      "destination": "/new",
      "statusCode": 301
    }
  ]
}

Framework-Specific Notes

Next.js

• Automatic framework detection
• Image optimization enabled by default
• ISR (Incremental Static Regeneration) supported

Nuxt/SvelteKit/Astro

• Requires appropriate build configuration
• May need vercel.json for output directory
• Edge middleware supported

Static Sites

• Set version: 2 in vercel.json
• Specify outputDirectory
• Can use vercel --prebuilt for CI/CD

Troubleshooting

Build Failures

1. Check logs: vercel logs <url> --since 1h
2. Verify build command in vercel.json
3. Check environment variables: vercel env ls
4. Try local build: vercel build

Deployment Issues

1. Verify authentication: vercel whoami
2. Check project link: cat .vercel/project.json
3. Inspect deployment: vercel inspect <id>
4. Check quota limits in dashboard

Domain Problems

1. Verify DNS: vercel dns ls <domain>
2. Check certificate: vercel certs ls
3. Use vercel domains inspect <domain>

Best Practices

1. Use environment-specific variables: Scope variables properly (production/preview/development)
2. Link before deploying: Always vercel link existing projects
3. Test with preview: Always deploy to preview before --prod
4. Monitor logs: Use vercel logs --follow during debugging
5. Use vercel.json: Keep configuration in version control
6. Leverage edge functions: Use vercel dev to test edge behavior locally
7. Set aliases: Use descriptive aliases for production deployments

Integration with Git Hooks

For CI/CD integration, use:

# Non-interactive mode for CI
vercel --prod --yes --token $VERCEL_TOKEN

For preview deployments from PRs:

vercel --yes --token $VERCEL_TOKEN

When to Use Vercel CLI vs Dashboard

• Use CLI for: Deployment, environment management, local development, CI/CD automation
• Use Dashboard for: Visual analytics, team management, spending overview, complex project settings