Chapter 8. Publishing to the world with Vercel

Key points

• Vercel connects to GitHub and deploys in a few clicks
• Once connected, pushing changes to GitHub updates the site automatically
• The free plan (Hobby) is for personal, non-commercial use; be careful with work

What Vercel is

Vercel is a deployment service that publishes and updates your site automatically once you point it at code on GitHub. What used to mean renting a server, transferring files, issuing certificates and so on is all handled for you.

The reason to pick Vercel is that it works outstandingly well with Next.js, which appears in Chapter 10 — in fact the company that makes Vercel also makes Next.js. Getting used to Vercel now makes it much easier when you grow into full websites and work tools later.

Steps to publish

Let us publish the page you put on GitHub in Chapter 6.

1. Connect GitHub. Go to Vercel (https://vercel.com/) and sign in. From "Import Git Repository" on the dashboard, click "Continue with GitHub" and connect.

⚠️ Sign in and authorise the connection yourself, following the on-screen guidance. When asked whether to permit the connection, read what it says and decide for yourself.

2. Choose the project to publish. Once connected, your GitHub projects are listed. Find the profile site in the search box and click "Import".

3. Deploy. On the "New Project" screen, enter a project name (the ●● part of https://●●.vercel.app) and click "Deploy". Wait a moment and publishing finishes.

4. Check the URL. Click "Visit" on the dashboard and the published site opens. At https://●●.vercel.app, it is now reachable from anywhere in the world.

You are now someone who built a website and published it to the world. Since deployment itself is a few clicks, many people find it easier than expected.

Connect once, and it is automatic

The pleasing part of Vercel is automatic deployment. Once connected, pushing a change from your editor to GitHub is enough; Vercel reflects it on the site. The loop becomes: fix → push to GitHub → the live site updates by itself.

Things to know (especially for therapists)

Vercel's free tier (the Hobby plan) has a point worth holding onto.

The free plan is, as a rule, limited to personal and non-commercial use.

A hobby profile page or a personal site with no money involved is fine free. But a landing page for self-funded rehabilitation, or a site aimed at bringing patients to a clinic, may count as commercial use, in which case a paid plan (Vercel Pro) may be required.

If you want to publish for work, either consider the paid plan or use Netlify, a different service that permits commercial use on its free tier. Prices and terms change easily, so always check current official information before using anything for business. The method from the previous part — have an AI read the terms of service and lay out the key points — is useful here too.

Chapter 8 summary

• Vercel publishes in a few clicks via GitHub
• Once connected, pushing to GitHub updates the site automatically
• The free plan is personal and non-commercial; for work, consider Pro or Netlify