Deploy to Vercel

Deploy your forked ColdConvert repository to Vercel for automatic hosting and scaling.

Go to Vercel →← Back to Tutorials

Overview

Vercel provides seamless deployment for Next.js applications with automatic scaling, global CDN, and built-in cron job support. The initial deployment will fail (this is expected) because we haven't configured environment variables yet.

Why Vercel?
Vercel is the platform of choice for Next.js applications, offering seamless deployment, automatic scaling, and built-in cron job support perfect for ColdConvert's automated workflow.

Step 1: Sign In to Vercel

1.Go to vercel.com and click "Sign Up" or "Log In"
2.Choose "Continue with GitHub" to connect your GitHub account
3.Authorize Vercel to access your GitHub repositories
4.You'll be redirected to your Vercel dashboard
GitHub Integration
Vercel integrates seamlessly with GitHub, allowing automatic deployments when you push changes to your repository.

Step 2: Import Repository

1.In your Vercel dashboard, click "New Project"
2.You'll see a list of your GitHub repositories
3.Find your forked "coldconvert" repository
4.Click "Import" next to your repository
Repository Name
Make sure you're importing your forked repository, not the original. The repository name should be "coldconvert" under your GitHub username.

Step 3: Configure Project

Vercel will automatically detect that this is a Next.js project. You can leave most settings as default:

1.Project Name: Leave as default or choose a custom name
2.Framework Preset: Should auto-detect as Next.js
3.Root Directory: Leave as default (./)
4.Build Command: Leave as default (npm run build)
5.Output Directory: Leave as default (.next)
6.Install Command: Leave as default (npm install)
Auto-Detection
Vercel automatically detects Next.js projects and configures the build settings correctly. You typically don't need to change any of these settings.

Step 4: Deploy

1.Click "Deploy" to start the deployment process
2.Vercel will clone your repository and install dependencies
3.The build process will start automatically
4.You'll see the build progress in real-time

Expected Behavior:

  • • Build will succeed - the code compiles correctly
  • • Deployment will fail - this is expected because environment variables aren't set
  • • You'll see error logs about missing environment variables
  • • This is normal - we'll fix it in the next tutorial
Initial Failure is Expected
Don't worry if the deployment fails initially. This is expected because we haven't configured the environment variables yet. We'll fix this in the next tutorial.

Step 5: Handle Initial Failure

After the initial deployment fails, you'll see error messages about missing environment variables. This is completely normal and expected.

1.Note your deployment URL (e.g., https://your-app.vercel.app)
2.Go to your project settings in Vercel dashboard
3.Navigate to the "Environment Variables" tab
4.We'll add the required variables in the next tutorial
Common Error Messages
Error: Missing environment variable: POSTGRES_PRISMA_URL
Error: Missing environment variable: RESEND_API_KEY
Error: Missing environment variable: PRODUCT_HUNT_API_KEY
Deployment URL Ready
Your application is deployed and ready for environment variable configuration. Save your deployment URL - you'll need it for testing in the next tutorial.

Next Tutorial

Configure Environment Variables

Now it's time to add all your API keys and connection strings to make your application work.

Continue to Environment Variables →← Back to Tutorials

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