start-2-5

name	start-2-5
description	Lesson 2.5: Go Live. Use when the student types /start-2-5.
disable-model-invocation	true
allowed-tools	["Read","Bash"]

Setup

Read .claude/rules/teaching-rules.md and follow it for everything below.

2.5 Go Live

This is it. The final step.

Your quiz is built, polished, and saved to GitHub. Now we put it on the internet so anyone can visit it.

Developers call this "deploying" - you're deploying your app to the web. You'll hear that word a lot.

STOP: Ready to go live?

USER: Yes

---

Vercel is a free service that puts your code on the internet.

It's basically the home base of vibecoding.

You give it your GitHub project, and it turns it into a real website with a real URL.

It's made by the same people who make Next.js (the framework we used), so they work together perfectly.

STOP: Sound good?

USER: Yes

---

First, you need a Vercel account.

STOP: Want me to open vercel.com for you? I recommend signing up with your GitHub account because it simplifies account setup. Connecting the repository is a separate step we can handle together.

USER: Yes / I'll do it myself

ACTION: If they want it opened, run open https://vercel.com and state in prose that the Vercel page opened.

STOP: Let me know when you've created an account. Make sure to sign up with GitHub!

USER: Done

---

Just like with GitHub, I'm going to download tools that let me work with Vercel directly.

This will open your browser to log in - just follow the prompts.

ACTION: Set up Vercel CLI:

1. Check if already installed:

vercel --version

2. If NOT installed:

npm i -g vercel

3. Once installed, authenticate as an agent-managed background task. Do not use a fixed sleep; poll for the device URL while keeping the student informed:

vercel login

4. Read the output to get the device URL with code, then open it:

open "https://vercel.com/oauth/device?user_code=[CODE FROM OUTPUT]"

5. Tell user: "I just opened Vercel in your browser. Check that the code on the page matches [CODE FROM OUTPUT], click Authorize, then let me know when you're done." Always state the code in prose in case the page asks for it.

STOP: Let me know when you've authorized it.

USER: Done

ACTION: Verify authentication worked:

vercel whoami

If successful, continue. If not authenticated, troubleshoot:

• They may not have completed the browser flow - ask them to try again
• The background process may have timed out - run the login command again

---

Now let's put your quiz on the internet.

STOP: Are you ready for me to create a public production deployment on Vercel?

USER: Yes

ACTION: Deploy to Vercel:

1. Navigate to the quiz-project folder:

cd [path to quiz-project]

2. Deploy to production:

vercel --prod --yes

The --yes flag accepts all the defaults so you don't have to answer questions. The --prod flag means it goes live immediately.

Wait for the deploy to complete and read the exact URL from the output.

Vercel is building your quiz and putting it on the internet now...

Done! State the exact deployment URL from the output in prose.

---

Present the exact URL as a clickable link labeled "Open your live quiz."

That's YOUR website. On the real internet. Anyone can visit it.

Let me open it for you.

ACTION: Render the exact deployment URL as a clickable markdown link labeled "Open your live quiz," run open <actual-deployment-url> to launch it in the external browser, and echo success or failure in prose.

STOP: Do you see your quiz live on the internet?

USER: Yes!

---

Open that URL on your phone. It should work there too - same quiz, any device.

STOP: Does it work on your phone?

USER: Yes!

---

Now for the real test: send that link to a friend. Text it to someone right now. When they react, that's the feeling of shipping something real.

Let's acknowledge what just happened.

You built a real web application. You put it on the internet. You have a URL that works on any device. You did this without writing a single line of code yourself.

That's vibecoding. That's the future.

STOP: How does that feel?

USER: [Response]

---

Here's what you now know:

Plan → Get clear on what you're building Build → Let AI create it Iterate → Refine until it's right Save → Back it up to GitHub Go Live → Put it on the internet (deploy)

This is the loop. You can build anything with this loop.

STOP: Make sense?

USER: Yes

---

One more thing: what if you want to update your quiz later?

Pushing to GitHub can auto-deploy once the repository is connected to Vercel. If you want that workflow, ask me and we'll connect it.

STOP: Pretty cool, right?

USER: Yes

---

What if you wanted to collect emails from people who take the quiz? You'd need a database to save them. That's a future module.

What if you wanted to make sure it doesn't break? You'd need testing. Also a future module.

What if you wanted a custom domain like yourquiz.com? That's a possible next step we can explore together.

The point is: you now have the foundation. Everything else builds on this.

STOP: Feeling empowered?

USER: Yes

---

To build something else, create a new project in Claude Desktop and ask the agent to follow the same Plan → Build → Iterate → Save → Go Live loop. The agent can check and use the installed Vercel CLI; you still make the deployment and account decisions.

STOP: Any ideas brewing?

USER: [Response]

---

Quick Plugs

To catch future modules: Subscribe to the Claude Code for Everyone newsletter at ccforeveryone.com. That's also where you'll find in-depth guides and a community of non-technical Claude Code users like yourself.

STOP: Want me to open that site so you can subscribe?

USER: Yes / No

ACTION: If yes, open https://ccforeveryone.com in browser

This course was created by Carl Vellotti. If you have feedback, questions, or just want to say hi, he's always happy to hear from you: X / LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this, share it with friends and coworkers who could use these skills!

---

Module 2 Complete!

You went from zero to deployed web app. You learned planning, building, iteration, GitHub, and going live.

This is vibecoding. This is your new superpower.

What's next: Future modules will cover databases, APIs, more complex apps, and connecting Claude to everything. But you now have the core skill - you can build and ship things.

In the meantime, try building something for yourself. The best way to learn is to make something you actually want.

STOP: Thanks for building with me. Now go make something cool.

USER: (exits or explores)

---

Important Notes for Claude

• The vercel --prod --yes flags are critical - --yes skips all interactive prompts, --prod deploys to production immediately
• Auto-deploy requires a repository connection. Offer to connect it; do not promise it from CLI deployment alone.
• Use the exact URL reported by the deployment command.
• If deploy fails, common issues:
  • Build errors → Inspect the deployment command's diagnostics and available Vercel project diagnostics
  • Not in the right directory → Make sure you're in quiz-project
• The celebration moment (sending to a friend) is crucial - let it breathe, don't rush past it

Success Criteria

• User has a Vercel account (connected to GitHub)
• Vercel CLI is installed and authenticated
• Quiz is deployed and live on the internet
• User can access the quiz from their phone
• User has sent the link to at least one other person
• User understands the Plan → Build → Iterate → Save → Go Live loop
• User knows pushing to GitHub can auto-deploy after the repository is connected to Vercel
• User feels empowered to build more things

ACTION: Before wrapping up, record this lesson as complete by running this WITHOUT NARRATING the raw output:

fspm progress complete cc-everyone-2-5

If it fails because the fspm CLI isn't installed, follow the teaching rules' missing-CLI guidance: tell the learner progress tracking needs the FSPM CLI, offer to install it, and continue the wrap-up either way.

Then close out with the student's options, in natural language (never as a command list):

• Mention they can leave feedback on this lesson anytime — if they have some, collect it conversationally and submit it with the CLI (see teaching rules).
• Remind them, briefly and only if it fits the moment, that they can always ask for a recap, a quiz on what they just did, a saved note, or where they stand in the course.
• End with the next step: this wraps the module. Ask me what to take on next and I'll lay out what's open to you.