deploy-it

name	deploy-it
description	Deployment patterns for Vercel, Netlify, Replit, Firebase Hosting, Railway, Render, and Cloudflare. Use when user wants to deploy, publish, go live, host a website, or mentions these platforms. Also use when troubleshooting deployment issues like "works locally but not deployed" or environment variable problems.

Deploy It

Get your app live without the headache.

Quick Comparison

Platform	Best For	Free Tier	Deploy Command
Vercel	Next.js, React	Generous	npx vercel
Netlify	Static sites, JAMstack	Generous	npx netlify deploy --prod
Railway	Full-stack, databases	$5/month credit	railway up
Render	APIs, Docker, databases	Limited	Git push
Cloudflare Pages	Static, edge functions	Very generous	Git push
Firebase	Firebase projects	Limited	firebase deploy
Replit	Quick prototypes	Limited	Click Deploy

Vercel (Best for Next.js)

First Time Setup

npm i -g vercel
vercel login
vercel

Deploy Updates

vercel --prod

Environment Variables

1. Go to vercel.com → Your project → Settings → Environment Variables
2. Add your variables
3. Redeploy (important!)

Custom Domain

1. Settings → Domains → Add
2. Update DNS at your registrar

vercel.json (optional config)

{
  "rewrites": [{ "source": "/(.*)", "destination": "/" }],
  "headers": [
    {
      "source": "/api/(.*)",
      "headers": [{ "key": "Cache-Control", "value": "no-store" }]
    }
  ]
}

Netlify

First Time Setup

npm i -g netlify-cli
netlify login
netlify init

Deploy

netlify deploy --prod

Build Settings (netlify.toml)

[build]
  command = "npm run build"
  publish = "dist"  # or "build" or ".next" or "out"

[[redirects]]
  from = "/*"
  to = "/index.html"
  status = 200

Environment Variables

Site Settings → Build & deploy → Environment

Railway (Full-Stack + Databases)

First Time Setup

npm i -g @railway/cli
railway login
railway init

Deploy

railway up

Add Database

1. Dashboard → New → Database (Postgres, MySQL, Redis, MongoDB)
2. Variables are auto-added to your app

Environment Variables

Dashboard → Variables → Add

Render

Deploy via GitHub

1. Connect GitHub repo
2. Choose Web Service or Static Site
3. Set build command: npm run build
4. Set start command: npm start

Environment Variables

Dashboard → Environment → Add

render.yaml (optional)

services:
  - type: web
    name: my-app
    env: node
    buildCommand: npm install && npm run build
    startCommand: npm start

Cloudflare Pages (Fast + Free)

Deploy via GitHub

1. Connect GitHub repo
2. Set build command: npm run build
3. Set output directory: dist or build or out

Environment Variables

Settings → Environment variables

_redirects (for SPA)

/*    /index.html   200

Firebase Hosting

Setup

npm i -g firebase-tools
firebase login
firebase init hosting

Deploy

npm run build
firebase deploy --only hosting

firebase.json (SPA config)

{
  "hosting": {
    "public": "dist",
    "ignore": ["firebase.json", "**/.*", "**/node_modules/**"],
    "rewrites": [
      { "source": "**", "destination": "/index.html" }
    ]
  }
}

Replit

1. Hit the Deploy button in your Replit
2. Choose deployment type (Static/Web Service)
3. Done

Keeping it Running

For backends, you may need Replit's paid tier to keep it always-on.

Common Deployment Problems

"Works locally, broken on deploy"

Check environment variables:

• They must be set in the platform's dashboard
• Next.js: NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix for client-side vars
• Redeploy after adding env vars

Check build output:

• Make sure npm run build works locally first
• Check the build logs on the platform

"404 on page refresh"

SPA routing issue. Add redirect rules:

Vercel (vercel.json):

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

Netlify (_redirects in public folder):

/*    /index.html   200

"API routes not working"

• Vercel: API routes work automatically for Next.js
• Netlify: Need Netlify Functions (different syntax)
• Cloudflare: Need Workers or Pages Functions
• Others: Need separate backend deployment

"Build failed"

1. Check build logs (platform dashboard)
2. Run npm run build locally to see the error
3. Common issues:
   • Missing dependencies (add to package.json)
   • TypeScript errors
   • Missing env vars (undefined at build time)
   • Case sensitivity (Linux servers are case-sensitive)

"Site shows old version"

• Clear CDN cache (usually in dashboard)
• Hard refresh browser: Cmd+Shift+R
• Check if deployment actually completed

"CORS errors"

• Backend and frontend on different domains
• Add CORS headers to your API
• Or use same-origin deployment

Pre-Deploy Checklist

• npm run build works locally
• All environment variables documented
• API keys NOT in code (use env vars)
• console.log statements cleaned up
• Error handling in place
• Loading states for async operations
• Mobile responsive

Which Platform?

Use Vercel if: Next.js project, want easiest experience

Use Netlify if: Static site, JAMstack, want forms/functions

Use Railway if: Need a database, full-stack app

Use Render if: Need Docker, cron jobs, background workers

Use Cloudflare if: Want speed, generous free tier, edge functions

Use Firebase if: Already using Firebase backend

Use Replit if: Quick prototype, want to share link fast

Environment Variable Cheat Sheet

Framework	Client-side prefix	Server-side
Next.js	NEXT_PUBLIC_	No prefix
Vite	VITE_	No prefix
Create React App	REACT_APP_	N/A
SvelteKit	PUBLIC_	No prefix