Three Vercel Traps I Hit After Going Live
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In short
A Vercel custom alias does not automatically follow a redeploy, so unless you re-point it on every update, the public URL keeps serving an older deployment.
Starting with the conclusion
Deploying is not where you trip. The problem is the three things after it.
- A custom alias does not follow a redeploy
- Out of the box, the public URL demands a login
- Publishing alone does not get you into search
All three are the kind you notice only after going live, and I hit them in order.
① An alias does not follow a redeploy automatically
Point an alias of your choosing at a deployment, and the next time you redeploy, that alias may not automatically follow to the newest build.
Until I worked out that it needs re-pointing with vercel alias set, I was confused by “I updated it and nothing changed”.
For a site whose contents update regularly, that re-pointing has to go into the procedure.
② Out of the box, the public URL demands a login
Vercel has a feature called Deployment Protection, and out of the box the URL you thought you published can show a login screen.
For an internal or limited-access tool that is correct. But if you want “a public site anyone can view”, that protection has to be turned off.
This was the culprit behind “I published it and nobody else can see it”.
③ To be in search, put a sitemap and robots in place
Uploading does publish it, but getting picked up by Google is a separate matter.
If you want search traffic, prepare sitemap.xml and robots.txt and go as far as registering with Search Console. Skip that and it ends at “published, and nobody comes”.
What the three have in common
Lined up, all three take the shape of looking successful.
- ① the deploy succeeds. It is just an older build you are looking at
- ② the URL responds. It is just that only you can see it
- ③ the site is running. It is just that nobody can find it
Not one produces an error. There are three steps between “uploaded” and “reaching people” — that is what these three really are.
When choosing where to deploy, looking not only at how easy it is to upload but at what you have to verify after uploading leaves less confusion later.
Frequently asked questions
Q1I updated it and nothing changed. What should I suspect?
The custom alias may not point at the newest deployment. Aliases do not follow a redeploy automatically, so they need re-pointing. For a site whose contents update regularly, build that step into the procedure.
Q2The URL I published shows a login screen.
Deployment Protection is enabled. That is correct for something internal or limited-access, but if you want a public site anyone can view, that protection has to be turned off.
Q3Doesn't publishing alone get me into search?
It does not. You need a sitemap.xml and a robots.txt, and to register with Search Console. Skip that and you stay in the state of having published with nobody arriving.
What this article is based on
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