jochenyang/skills/vercel-deploy

Vercel Deploy Skill

Deploy current project to Vercel using Vercel CLI.

Quick Start

1. Check if Vercel CLI is installed:

vercel --version

If not installed, prompt user to install:

npm i -g vercel

2. Check login status:

vercel whoami

If not logged in:

• Run vercel login - opens browser for OAuth login (no token needed)
• Or use VERCEL_TOKEN environment variable for CI/CD

3. Detect deployment mode:

• Preview deployment (default): vercel
• Production deployment: vercel --prod

Deployment Workflow

Step 1: Pre-deployment Check

1. Check project structure:

   • Look for package.json, vercel.json, next.config.*, nuxt.config.*
   • Detect framework automatically

2. Check for uncommitted changes:

   • Warn user about uncommitted changes
   • Suggest committing or using --force

Step 2: Ask Deployment Mode

Prompt user to choose:

• Preview (default): For testing, creates preview URL
• Production: vercel --prod, creates production URL

Step 3: Execute Deployment

Run the appropriate command:

# Preview deployment
vercel

# Production deployment
vercel --prod

Step 4: Handle Result

1. Success: Display the deployment URL clearly
2. Failure: Parse error message, suggest fixes

Common Issues

Not logged in

Error: Not authenticated

Solution: Run vercel login - opens browser, click "Continue" to authenticate

Project not linked

Error: No linked project

Solution: Run vercel link to link to a Vercel project

Build failed

Check error output, common fixes:

• Check package.json scripts
• Verify build command in vercel.json
• Check environment variables

Vercel Configuration

If user needs custom config, create vercel.json:

{
  "buildCommand": "npm run build",
  "outputDirectory": "dist",
  "framework": "nextjs"
}

Output Format

Present deployment result:

✓ Deployed! 🎉

Production URL: https://your-project.vercel.app
Preview URL: https://your-project-xxx.vercel.app

To deploy updates, run: vercel --prod

Boundaries

• Focus on Vercel deployment workflow, project readiness, and rollout reporting.
• Do not broaden into generic cloud migration or platform-selection consulting unless the owner asks.
• Do not treat a successful CLI invocation as sufficient if the deployed app still lacks runtime validation.

When NOT to Use

• Non-Vercel deployment targets (AWS/GCP/Azure/K8s) requiring broader infra work
• Application feature implementation/debugging not related to deployment
• Production rollouts without explicit owner approval and validation intent

Escalation Rules

Pause and ask the owner before:

• deploying to production when preview validation has not happened
• changing environment variables, domains, or routing behavior with user-facing impact
• making assumptions about ownership of the target Vercel account or project

Final Output Contract (MANDATORY)

Every use of this skill should end with:

1. Skill Fit - why Vercel deployment is the right path
2. Primary Deliverable - preview/production deployment result
3. Execution Evidence - commands run, URLs produced, and validation checks completed
4. Risks / Open Questions - config gaps, environment concerns, or rollout hazards
5. Next Action - the next validation or release step