How to Deploy a Next.js Front-End to Vercel – Complete Tutorial

Whether you’re a frontend developer, freelancer, or tech startup, deploying your Next.js application to production can seem intimidating at first. But thanks to Vercel — the creators of Next.js — the deployment process is incredibly smooth, fast, and developer-friendly.

In this step-by-step tutorial, you’ll learn how to deploy a Next.js app to Vercel, including GitHub integration, environment variables, and advanced optimization tips. This guide is beginner-friendly but also touches on deeper concepts for production-ready workflows.

Why Use Vercel for Next.js?

Before jumping into the deployment steps, let’s understand why Vercel is the most recommended platform for Next.js apps:

• Blazing fast CDN and edge network
• Automatic SSR and static rendering
• Instant rollbacks & preview deployments
• Built-in analytics, monitoring, and environment variables
• Seamless GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket integration

Vercel is built to optimize everything that makes Next.js great — from server-side rendering (SSR) to Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) and Edge Functions.

Prerequisites

Make sure you have the following ready before deploying:

• A Next.js app (can be freshly created or an existing project)
• A GitHub account (or GitLab/Bitbucket)
• A Vercel account (free tier is enough)
• Basic understanding of Git and React

Step-by-Step Guide to Deploy Next.js to Vercel

Step 1: Create a Next.js App (if you haven’t already)

If you don’t have a project yet, you can create one with:

npx create-next-app@latest my-next-app
cd my-next-app
npm run dev

Your app will run locally at http://localhost:3000

Step 2: Push Your Project to GitHub:

1. Initialize a Git repository:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

2. Create a new GitHub repository on github.com

3. Link your local project to GitHub:

git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repo-name.git
git push -u origin main

Step 3: Connect Vercel to GitHub

1. Go to https://vercel.com and sign in with GitHub
2. Click on “New Project”
3. Vercel will list all your GitHub repositories. Select the Next.js project you want to deploy
4. Click “Import”

Step 4: Configure Project Settings (Optional)

You’ll now be asked to configure settings:

• Project name – Leave as default or rename it
• Root directory – Usually leave it as /
• Framework preset – Auto-detected as Next.js
• Build Command – next build (auto-filled)
• Output Directory – .next (handled by Vercel)
• Environment Variables – You can add keys like NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL here

Click “Deploy” once everything is set.

Step 5: First Deployment!

Vercel will now:

• Clone your repo
• Install dependencies (npm install)
• Build the app (next build)
• Deploy it to a global CDN

In a few seconds, your app will be live at:

https://your-project-name.vercel.app

You’ll also get a custom preview URL for each push and PR automatically!

Accessing the Vercel Dashboard

Once deployed, you can manage your project via the Vercel Dashboard:

• Monitor deployments
• View build logs
• Set environment variables
• Enable custom domains
• Analyze performance and visitor stats

Link: https://vercel.com/dashboard

Setting Environment Variables

Environment variables are critical for using APIs or hiding keys. To set them:

1. Go to your Vercel dashboard
2. Select your project
3. Click on Settings → Environment Variables
4. Add variables like:
   NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.example.com
   API_KEY=supersecretkey
5. Choose the environment:
   • Development (local dev)
   • Preview (deploy previews)
   • Production (live site)
6. Click “Save” → redeploy your app.

In code, access them via:

process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL

Custom Domain Setup

Want to use your own domain instead of *.vercel.app?

1. Go to Settings > Domains
2. Add your custom domain (e.g., www.myapp.com)
3. Update your domain DNS to point to Vercel (CNAME or A record)
4. Vercel will auto-generate an SSL certificate ✅

Done!

Automatic Deployments with Git

Every time you push changes to the main or dev branch:

• Vercel triggers a build
• Deploys to a preview URL
• If merged to main, it’s deployed to production

Perfect CI/CD pipeline with zero config!

Bonus: Tips for Production Optimization

• Use next/image for optimized image loading
• Enable Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR) using revalidate in getStaticProps
• Lazy-load components for faster First Contentful Paint
• Turn on Analytics in Vercel (free on hobby plan)
• Add a custom 404 page (pages/404.js) and 500 error page (pages/500.js)
• Use middleware for routing logic or auth guards