publish-to-vercel

name	publish-to-vercel
description	Publish a Meta Display Glasses webapp to Vercel for live HTTPS access on device. Use when the developer is ready to publish, host, ship, or release a webapp to a stable production URL for everyone. Handles server setup, Vercel project creation, and direct deploys without GitHub.
argument-hint	[app-directory]

Publish to Vercel

Publish a Meta Display Glasses webapp to Vercel for live HTTPS hosting at a stable production URL. This enables loading the webapp directly on Meta Display Glasses, which require HTTPS URLs.

Use this skill only when the webapp is ready to ship to everyone. For iterating on uncommitted changes during development, use /test-on-device instead — it deploys to a stage-<project-name> URL without affecting production.

No GitHub repo required — code is pushed directly from local to Vercel.

Why Vercel?

Meta Display Glasses load webapps via HTTPS URLs. Vercel provides instant static hosting with HTTPS out of the box, making it the fastest path from local development to on-device access.

Prerequisites

1. Vercel-Compatible Node Server

The app directory must have these three files. If they don't exist, create them before proceeding.

package.json:

{
  "name": "<app-name>",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "private": true,
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node server.js"
  }
}

server.js — lightweight static file server:

var http = require('http');
var fs = require('fs');
var path = require('path');

var PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;

var mimeTypes = {
  '.html': 'text/html',
  '.css': 'text/css',
  '.js': 'application/javascript',
  '.json': 'application/json',
  '.png': 'image/png',
  '.jpg': 'image/jpeg',
  '.svg': 'image/svg+xml',
};

var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
  var filePath = '.' + (req.url === '/' ? '/index.html' : req.url);
  var ext = path.extname(filePath);
  var contentType = mimeTypes[ext] || 'application/octet-stream';

  fs.readFile(filePath, function(err, content) {
    if (err) {
      res.writeHead(404, { 'Content-Type': 'text/html' });
      res.();
      ;
    }
    res.(, { : contentType });
    res.(content);
  });
});

server.(, () {
  .( + );
});

vercel.json:

{
  "rewrites": [
    { "source": "/(.*)", "destination": "/$1" }
  ]
}

If a server already exists, verify Vercel compatibility:

• Port must use process.env.PORT || 3000 (not hard-coded)
• vercel.json must exist with rewrites config
• Server must only serve static files (no Express routes or SSR)
• package.json must have a start script

2. Existing Webapp

• Existing webapp with index.html (created via /create-webapp or manually)

Steps

0. Verify Vercel Setup

Run vercel whoami to detect the user's current state, then branch:

a. Authenticated — vercel whoami returns a username. Skip to Step 0.5.

b. CLI not installed — command returns vercel: command not found (or similar). Tell the user:

Publishing to Meta Display Glasses needs a public HTTPS URL. I can set this up for you via Vercel — it's free and takes a couple of minutes. You'll need to create a Vercel account at https://vercel.com/signup (free tier is fine), and then I'll handle installing the CLI and walking you through the rest.

If you'd rather host this yourself on any HTTPS server, you can skip this skill entirely.

Want me to proceed with Vercel?

If yes, wait for the user to confirm they've created the Vercel account, then run npm i -g vercel yourself. After install completes, proceed to the login branch below.

c. Not logged in — CLI is installed but vercel whoami returns an auth error. Tell the user:

Vercel CLI is installed but not logged in. vercel login is interactive and needs your input — please type ! vercel login in this prompt to run it in this session.

After they complete login, re-run vercel whoami to confirm. Only proceed once it returns a valid user.

0.5. Detect and Offer to Disable Existing Passcode

If lock.html exists in the app directory, the app was previously gated by /test-on-device's passcode lock. Production releases shouldn't require visitors to enter a passcode, so ask the user:

This app has a passcode lock screen from /test-on-device. For a public production release, do you want to disable it? (default: yes)

I'll only disable the routing — lock.html, lock.css, and lock.js will stay in the directory in case you re-test later.

If yes, revert only the routing wiring (leave lock.html/lock.css/lock.js files in place):

1. server.js — change the root path back to serve index.html:

   // Find this:
   var filePath = '.' + (req.url === '/' ? '/lock.html' : req.url);
   // Replace with:
   var filePath = '.' + (req.url === '/' ? '/index.html' : req.url);
   

2. vercel.json — remove the { "source": "/", "destination": "/lock.html" } rewrite. Keep the catch-all.
3. index.html — remove the inline localStorage guard <script> from <head> (the one that redirects to lock.html when the storage key is unset).

If the user says no, leave everything in place — the production URL will continue to gate visitors with the passcode.

If lock.html does not exist, skip this step. Do not proactively add a passcode lock during publish.

1. Ensure No GitHub Repo Is Linked

This workflow pushes code directly from local to Vercel — no GitHub repo needed.

If a Vercel project was previously linked to GitHub, disconnect it:

vercel git disconnect --yes

2. Create Vercel Project and Publish

For a first-time publish, run from the app directory:

vercel --yes --prod

This will:

1. Create a new Vercel project (auto-named from directory)
2. Upload all files directly
3. Build and deploy to production
4. Output the live HTTPS URL

The project will be linked locally via a .vercel/ directory (auto-added to .gitignore).

3. Disable Deployment Protection

Immediately after the first deploy, disable Vercel Authentication so the glasses browser can access the URL without login:

PROJECT_ID=$(python3 -c "import json; print(json.load(open('.vercel/project.json'))['projectId'])")
echo '{"ssoProtection":null}' | vercel api "/v9/projects/$PROJECT_ID" -X PATCH --input - --silent

This is safe to run on every deploy — it's a no-op if already disabled.

4. Alias to a Stable Production URL

After deploying, alias the deployment to a predictable <project-name> URL:

URL=$(vercel --prod)
vercel alias set "$URL" <project-name>.vercel.app

Replace <project-name> with the actual project name (from package.json or .vercel/project.json). For example, if the project is my-glasses-app, the stable URL becomes https://my-glasses-app.vercel.app.

This is the URL to share with everyone. It never changes between deploys.

5. Generate QR Code for Easy Device Setup

Generate a QR code that users can scan from their phone to automatically add the webapp — no manual URL typing needed.

The QR code data must use this deep link format:

fb-viewapp://web_app_deep_link?appName=<app-name>&appUrl=<url-encoded-prod-url>

For example, if the app is called my-glasses-app and the stable URL is https://my-glasses-app.vercel.app:

fb-viewapp://web_app_deep_link?appName=my-glasses-app&appUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmy-glasses-app.vercel.app

Use the /qr-code skill to generate the QR code:

python3 skills/qr-code/scripts/qr_generator.py --png <app-dir>/qr-publish.png "fb-viewapp://web_app_deep_link?appName=<app-name>&appUrl=<url-encoded-prod-url>"

The PNG is saved to the app directory. If your environment supports rendering images inline (e.g. Claude Code's Read tool), display the QR code directly. Otherwise, provide the file path and tell the user to open it and scan from their phone.

6. Give the User the Stable URL and Setup Instructions

After deploy, alias, and QR generation, present the user with:

Stable URL:

https://<project-name>.vercel.app

Option A — Scan QR code (recommended): Scan the generated QR code with your phone camera. It will open the Meta AI app and automatically add the webapp.

Option B — Manual setup:

1. Open the Meta AI app on your phone
2. Go to Devices > Display Glasses settings
3. Navigate to App connections > Web apps
4. Tap Add a web app
5. Enter the name: <app-name>
6. Enter the URL: https://<project-name>.vercel.app

7. After Each Update — Republish

After making changes, republish, re-alias, and regenerate the QR code every time:

URL=$(vercel --prod)
vercel alias set "$URL" <project-name>.vercel.app

# Regenerate QR code
python3 skills/qr-code/scripts/qr_generator.py --png <app-dir>/qr-publish.png "fb-viewapp://web_app_deep_link?appName=<app-name>&appUrl=<url-encoded-prod-url>"

The stable URL automatically serves the latest version. No git push needed — Vercel receives the files directly.

After each republish, show the QR code and setup instructions (following Steps 5-6).

PS: If the user has already added this webapp to their glasses, no need to re-add — the stable URL automatically serves the latest deploy.

Verification

• Step 0 verified Vercel setup (vercel whoami returns a user) before any deploy
• If lock.html existed, user was offered the option to disable the passcode routing for production
• No new passcode lock was added during publish
• package.json, server.js, and vercel.json exist in app directory
• server.js uses process.env.PORT
• vercel --prod completes successfully
• vercel alias set succeeds and maps to <project-name>.vercel.app
• Stable URL returns the app (check in browser)
• URL uses HTTPS (required for Meta Display Glasses)
• App loads correctly on device via the stable URL
• Subsequent deploys + alias keep the same URL working

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
vercel: command not found	Run npm i -g vercel
Auth error	Run vercel login
GitHub link error on deploy	Run vercel git disconnect --yes first
404 on sub-pages	Check vercel.json rewrites config
Old version still showing	Run vercel --prod --force to skip cache, then re-alias
Alias name taken	The <project-name>.vercel.app subdomain may already be claimed. Try a more specific name like <project-name>-<team>.vercel.app
Permission denied on gh config	Ignore — this workflow doesn't need GitHub
QR code won't scan	Ensure the deep link format is correct and the URL is properly percent-encoded. Try increasing --scale for a larger QR image

Related Skills

Skill	Purpose	When to Use
/test-on-device	Preview uncommitted changes on glasses	Quick iteration without committing
/create-webapp	Create a new webapp	Before first publish
/add-ui	Add screens, buttons, components	Adding UI before republish
/connect-api	Add API connections	Adding data sources before republish
/qr-code	Generate QR codes	Used automatically by this skill for device setup
/passcode-for-testing	Add passcode lock screen	Not added by this skill — if one already exists from /test-on-device, Step 0.5 offers to disable the routing for production