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Vercel is the recommended platform for deploying Private Chat. This guide walks you through the entire deployment process.

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Prerequisites

Before deploying, make sure you have:

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Deploy from Git

1

Import your repository

Go to vercel.com/new and click “Import Project”.If this is your first time, you’ll need to connect your Git provider (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket).
2

Select your repository

Choose the repository containing your Private Chat project.
If you don’t see your repository, you may need to configure Vercel’s access to your Git provider.
3

Configure project

Vercel will auto-detect that this is a Next.js project. The default settings should work:
  • Framework Preset: Next.js
  • Root Directory: ./ (or your source directory if different)
  • Build Command: next build
  • Output Directory: .next
Leave these as default unless you have a custom setup.
4

Add environment variables

Click “Environment Variables” to expand the section.Add your Upstash Redis credentials:
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL=https://your-database.upstash.io
UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN=your_token_here
Make sure to add these variables to all environments (Production, Preview, and Development) where you want the app to function.
5

Deploy

Click “Deploy” and wait for Vercel to build and deploy your application.This usually takes 1-3 minutes. You’ll see real-time build logs as your project is deployed.
6

Visit your deployment

Once deployment is complete, Vercel will provide a URL for your application.Click “Visit” to open your deployed Private Chat application.

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Automatic deployments

Vercel automatically deploys your application when you push changes to your Git repository:
  • Production: Deployments from your main branch (usually main or master)
  • Preview: Deployments from pull requests and other branches
Each preview deployment gets a unique URL for testing before merging to production.

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Custom domain

To add a custom domain to your deployment:
1

Open project settings

In your Vercel dashboard, select your project and go to Settings → Domains.
2

Add domain

Enter your domain name and click “Add”.
3

Configure DNS

Vercel will provide DNS records to add to your domain registrar:
  • A Record: Points to Vercel’s IP address
  • CNAME Record: For subdomains
Follow the instructions for your specific registrar.
4

Wait for verification

DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours, but usually completes within a few minutes.Vercel will automatically verify your domain and issue an SSL certificate.

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Environment variables management

To update environment variables after deployment:
1

Navigate to settings

In your Vercel project, go to Settings → Environment Variables.
2

Edit or add variables

You can:
  • Add new variables
  • Edit existing values
  • Delete variables
  • Set different values for Production, Preview, and Development
3

Redeploy

Changes to environment variables require a redeploy to take effect.Go to Deployments, click the three dots next to the latest deployment, and select “Redeploy”.
Environment variable changes are not applied to existing deployments automatically. You must redeploy for the changes to take effect.

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Troubleshooting

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Build fails

If your build fails:
  1. Check the build logs in Vercel for error messages
  2. Ensure all environment variables are set correctly
  3. Verify your code builds locally with npm run build
  4. Check that all dependencies are listed in package.json

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Runtime errors

If your app builds but has runtime errors:
  1. Check the Function Logs in your Vercel dashboard
  2. Verify your Upstash Redis credentials are correct
  3. Test your Redis connection locally
  4. Ensure your Upstash database region matches or is close to your Vercel deployment region

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Real-time messaging not working

If real-time features aren’t working:
  1. Verify UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_URL and UPSTASH_REDIS_REST_TOKEN are set
  2. Check that your Upstash database is active and not paused
  3. Review Function Logs for WebSocket connection errors
  4. Test the /api/realtime endpoint directly

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Next steps

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