Vercel, operated

The operator's manual for a project that already lives on Vercel: the commands you run and the config keys you set, with the 2025-2026 platform baked in — Fluid compute on by default, and Edge Functions deprecated (folded into Vercel Functions). Every claim here maps to a CLI command or a vercel.json key, not vibes.

This skill assumes the host decision is settled. If you are still asking where to run, or you need a Dockerfile / CI pipeline, that is ../deployment/SKILL.md. If you are writing the app's route handlers or next.config.js, that is ../nextjs/SKILL.md.

git push branch ──────────────▶ preview deployment (unique URL, protected on Hobby)
vercel              ───────────▶ preview deployment from your machine
vercel --prod       ───────────▶ production domain
vercel dev          ───────────▶ local emulation of functions + routing
                    config:  vercel.json (static)  |  vercel.ts (generated at build time)
                    env:     scoped per environment  →  production / preview / development

When to use / When NOT to use

When to use:

Linking a repo (vercel link), deploying (vercel, vercel --prod), or debugging a build.
Authoring or fixing vercel.json / vercel.ts: functions, crons, rewrites, redirects, headers, regions, cleanUrls, trailingSlash, framework, buildCommand.
Managing env vars across the three environments: vercel env add|pull|ls, .env.local, sensitive vars, vercel env pull round-trips that "don't update".
Attaching a custom domain (vercel domains add), aliasing, deployment protection scopes.
Setting function maxDuration / regions, choosing edge vs Node runtime, configuring crons.
Reading VERCEL_ENV, VERCEL_URL, VERCEL_GIT_* inside the running app.

When NOT to use:

"Vercel vs Hetzner vs Coolify, Dockerfile, GitHub Actions CI" → ../deployment/SKILL.md. That skill owns the host choice and containers; this one operates the chosen Vercel project.
Next.js application code, App Router, RSC, next.config.js, ISR logic → ../nextjs/SKILL.md. This skill only touches the Vercel-side knobs (function config, env, ISR-as-a-function).
Raw DNS records, registrar transfers, nameserver theory → ../domains-dns/SKILL.md. Here we cover only the vercel domains / vercel dns CLI surface for attaching a domain to a project.
A different platform (Netlify, Railway, Render, Fly, Cloudflare) → its own sibling. For Cloudflare Pages/Workers, see ../cloudflare/SKILL.md.

Mental model

Three facts make Vercel predictable:

A deployment is immutable and tied to one environment. git push to a branch → a preview; vercel --prod (or a push to the production branch) → production. You never "edit" a deployment; you ship a new one and the domain points at it.
Env vars are scoped, not global. A var exists in some subset of {production, preview, development}. Pulling for the wrong environment is the #1 "my var is missing locally" cause.
Config has two front doors with identical keys. vercel.json is static; vercel.ts runs at build time and can compute the same properties from env vars or an API call. Pick vercel.json unless you genuinely need to generate config.

First contact — which path

Situation	Do this
New project, never linked	`vercel link` (or first `vercel` run prompts to set it up), then `vercel` for a preview
Existing repo, just deploying	`vercel` for a preview URL, `vercel --prod` when ready
Only need the prod env vars locally	`vercel env pull .env.local` (see env section — pick the env)
Only attaching a domain	jump to Domains: `vercel domains add example.com`
Build failing	`vercel --prod --debug`, then read the build log; check `buildCommand`/`installCommand`/`framework` in `vercel.json`
Function times out	not a deploy bug — set `maxDuration` (and confirm your plan's ceiling) in `functions`

Deploy & build

vercel                 # deploy a PREVIEW from the current dir, prints a unique URL
vercel --prod          # deploy to the PRODUCTION domain
vercel dev             # run functions + routing locally (emulates the platform)
vercel link            # associate this dir with a Vercel project (.vercel/ created)
vercel pull            # fetch project settings + env into .vercel/.env.* for local builds
vercel --prod --debug  # same prod deploy with verbose build output for debugging

Skip redundant builds with ignoreCommand — Vercel runs it and cancels the build when it exits 0 (yes, zero means skip). Useful in a monorepo where most pushes don't touch this project:

{ "ignoreCommand": "git diff --quiet HEAD^ HEAD -- ." }

Bad → Good, the one that bites everyone:

# Bad: secrets committed so the build can read them
echo "STRIPE_SECRET=sk_live_..." >> .env && git add .env && git commit

# Good: secret lives in Vercel, never in git; pulled only for local dev
vercel env add STRIPE_SECRET production
vercel env pull .env.local        # .env.local is gitignored by Next/Vite defaults

Environments & env vars

Why scoping matters: the same key holds different values in production, preview, and development, and the CLI treats development specially.

vercel env ls                          # list which vars exist in which environments
vercel env add API_URL production      # add to production (prompts for the value)
vercel env add API_URL preview         # separate command for preview
vercel env pull .env.local             # writes vars for the local-linked env into .env.local
vercel env pull .env.local --environment=preview   # pull a SPECIFIC environment
vercel env run -- npm run seed         # run a command with the project's vars injected

Gotchas, each with the reason:

You cannot add development in the same command as production/preview. The API rejects mixing the dev environment with the others — run a second vercel env add … development. (Run vercel env add with no args for the interactive picker.)
vercel env add for production/preview/custom defaults the var to sensitive (write-only; you can't read it back, only overwrite). Fine for secrets, surprising for plain config.
"vercel env pull doesn't update my .env.local" is almost always the environment: pull defaults to the linked environment (usually development). Pass --environment=preview (or production) to get the values you actually mean. It overwrites the target file, so re-pull after you change a var in the dashboard.
Browser-exposed vars need the framework prefix. Anything reachable in client code must be prefixed (NEXT_PUBLIC_ for Next.js, VITE_ for Vite). No prefix → server-only. Never prefix a secret.

System vars are read-only and prefixed VERCEL_ — read them in the app, never set them:

const env = process.env.VERCEL_ENV        // 'production' | 'preview' | 'development'
const url = process.env.VERCEL_URL        // deployment host, no protocol
const branch = process.env.VERCEL_GIT_COMMIT_REF  // git branch that triggered the deploy

Checklist — "my var isn't showing up locally":

vercel env ls — does the var exist in the environment you expect?
Re-run vercel env pull .env.local --environment=<env> (it overwrites, doesn't merge).
Browser code? Confirm the framework prefix (NEXT_PUBLIC_/VITE_).
Dev server reads .env.local at boot — restart it.

vercel.json essentials

Add the $schema line first — you get editor autocomplete and validation for free.

{
  "$schema": "https://openapi.vercel.sh/vercel.json",
  "functions": {
    "api/**/*.ts": {
      "maxDuration": 30,
      "regions": ["fra1"]
    }
  },
  "crons": [{ "path": "/api/digest", "schedule": "0 * * * *" }],
  "redirects": [{ "source": "/old", "destination": "/new", "permanent": true }],
  "rewrites": [{ "source": "/proxy/:path*", "destination": "https://api.example.com/:path*" }],
  "headers": [
    { "source": "/(.*)", "headers": [{ "key": "X-Frame-Options", "value": "DENY" }] }
  ],
  "cleanUrls": true
}

Whys:

maxDuration caps wall-clock per invocation. Defaults/ceilings are plan-bound (Hobby 60s, Pro 300s, Enterprise 900s). Setting 30 on Hobby is fine; setting 300 on Hobby silently can't apply.
No memory key here when Fluid is on (default for new projects since 2025-04-23). Under Fluid, default function memory/CPU is a dashboard setting, not a vercel.json key — putting memory in-file is ignored or rejected. See references/vercel-json.md.
crons fire only on the production deployment. Each entry needs a path starting with / and a schedule cron expression. They never run against preview. Don't expect a preview to tick.
redirects change the URL the browser sees (permanent: true → 308, cacheable); rewrites keep the URL and serve other content (proxying, framework routing); headers add response headers by path. Reaching for the wrong one of these three is the classic mistake.
functions cannot be combined with the legacy builds key — pick one; functions is current.

vercel.ts exports the same shape but is code that runs at build time — use it only to generate config (e.g. regions from an env var). Full top-level key catalog (21 keys), object shapes, and the per-plan limit table live in references/vercel-json.md.

Runtimes in 2025-2026

Edge Functions and Edge Middleware were deprecated and unified into Vercel Functions — the edge runtime now runs on Vercel Functions (changelog "Edge Middleware and Edge Functions are now powered by Vercel Functions", 2025-06). What this means for you:

New standalone functions: don't set runtime: 'edge'. Use the default Node runtime (Vercel Functions). Reaching for the edge runtime for a fresh API route is the deprecated path.
Routing Middleware still defaults to the edge runtime — the deprecation does not apply to it. Leave middleware as-is.
Pick Node when you need full Node APIs, longer duration, larger payloads, or a database driver that isn't edge-compatible. The Fluid-compute default already gives you fast cold starts and concurrency, so the old "use edge for speed" reflex is mostly obsolete.

Domains & deployment protection

vercel domains add example.com         # attach a domain to the current project
vercel domains ls                      # list domains
vercel domains inspect example.com     # show config + nameserver/record status
vercel domains add example.com --force # move it off whatever project currently holds it
vercel alias set <deployment-url> staging.example.com   # point an alias at a deployment

For DNS records themselves (vercel dns add) beyond attachment, and for registrar/nameserver theory, see ../domains-dns/SKILL.md.

Deployment Protection is per-project: a method (Vercel Authentication or Password) plus a scope. On Hobby, Standard Protection covers preview deployments and the generated deployment URLs; the production custom domain stays public. For CI that must hit a protected preview, use a protection-bypass token rather than disabling protection — recipe in references/cli-cookbook.md.

Anti-patterns

Anti-pattern	Why it's wrong	Do instead
`memory` set inside `functions` on a Fluid project	Ignored/rejected — Fluid sets memory/CPU in the dashboard, not the file	Remove `memory`; set the default in project settings
`builds` + `functions` together	Legacy `builds` is mutually exclusive with `functions`	Delete `builds`; express everything via `functions`
Committing `.env` so the build can read secrets	Secret leaks into git history; rotates badly	`vercel env add`; `vercel env pull` for local only
Expecting `crons` to run on a preview	Crons execute only on the production deployment	Test the handler with `vercel dev`; rely on prod for the schedule
Cranking `maxDuration` to the plan ceiling to mask a slow query	Hides the real bug; burns compute; still hits the hard cap	Fix the query/timeout; set `maxDuration` to a sane headroom value
`runtime: 'edge'` on a new standalone function	Edge Functions are deprecated → Vercel Functions	Use the default Node runtime; keep edge only for middleware
Using `redirect` when you meant `rewrite` (or vice-versa)	Redirect changes the visible URL; rewrite keeps it	Redirect for moved URLs (308), rewrite for proxy/internal routing
`vercel env pull` then surprised the value is stale	Pull overwrites for one environment at the moment you run it	Re-pull with `--environment=<env>` after any dashboard change

References

references/vercel-json.md — every top-level key, the functions/crons/rewrites/redirects/ headers object shapes, the per-plan maxDuration/memory limit table, and a vercel.ts example.
references/cli-cookbook.md — copy-paste CLI recipes (link, deploy, env round-trip, domains + alias, promote a preview to production, protection-bypass for CI) and the full VERCEL_* system env var table.

vercel

Files6

SKILL.mdskills/vercel/SKILL.md