Deploy to Vercel

A structured decision flow for deploying applications to Vercel. Core principle: always deploy as preview (not production) unless the user explicitly asks for production.

Initial Setup: Gather Project State

Before choosing a deployment method, run these four checks:

git remote get-url origin 2>/dev/null
cat .vercel/project.json 2>/dev/null || cat .vercel/repo.json 2>/dev/null
vercel whoami 2>/dev/null
vercel teams list --format json 2>/dev/null

Team Selection: When users belong to multiple teams, present available team slugs as a list and ask which to deploy to. Pass the team via --scope <team-slug> on subsequent commands.

Deployment Methods

Choose based on project state:

1. Linked Project + Git Remote → Git Push (Ideal)

git add . && git commit -m "deploy: <description>"
git push
vercel ls --format json  # to retrieve preview URL

Ask explicit permission before pushing: "This project is connected to Vercel via git. I can commit and push to trigger a deployment. Proceed?"

2. Linked Project + No Git Remote → Direct CLI Deploy

vercel deploy [path] -y --no-wait
vercel inspect <deployment-url>

For production (only if explicitly requested):

vercel deploy [path] --prod -y --no-wait

3. Not Linked + CLI Authenticated → Link First, Then Deploy

vercel link --repo --scope <team-slug>
# or
vercel link --scope <team-slug>
vercel deploy -y --no-wait

4. CLI Not Installed/Authenticated → Install, Auth, Link, Deploy

npm install -g vercel
vercel login
vercel link --repo --scope <team-slug>
vercel deploy -y --no-wait --scope <team-slug>

No-Auth Fallback

For sandboxed environments (claude.ai, Codex) where authentication isn't possible:

bash /mnt/skills/user/deploy-to-vercel/resources/deploy.sh [path]

The script auto-detects frameworks, packages projects, and returns:

• Preview URL: Live deployed site
• Claim URL: Transfer deployment to user's Vercel account

Tell users: "Your deployment is ready at [previewUrl]. Claim it at [claimUrl] to manage your deployment."

Output Requirements

Always display the deployment URL to users. For builds, use vercel inspect <url> to check status and report results. Do not curl/fetch the deployed URL to verify functionality.

Key Agent Notes

• Terminal-based agents: Use the CLI directly; don't reference /mnt/skills/ paths
• Sandboxed (claude.ai): Go directly to no-auth fallback; network access may be restricted
• Codex: Try CLI first; escalate network access only for actual deploy commands

Installation

npx skills add https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills --skill deploy-to-vercel

Mirrored from https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-skills — original author: vercel-labs, license: MIT. This is an unclaimed mirror. Content and ownership transfer to the author when they claim this account.