/deploy

name: deploy
description: "Use this skill when the user needs to deploy their app, choose a hosting provider, connect a custom domain, set up environment variables, manage a production database, configure DNS, or go from 'it works locally' to 'it's live on the internet.' Covers hosting selection, deployment workflows, domain setup, and production operations for non-technical founders."

Deployment & Going Live

The gap between "it works on my screen" and "anyone can use it" feels enormous. It's not. This skill walks you through choosing a host, deploying, connecting a domain, and setting up backups — step by step.

**This skill is for deployment and hosting.** For pre-launch quality checks, use **go-live**. For monitoring after deploy, use **monitor**. For database setup, use **database**. For security hardening, use **secure**.

Core Principles

• The best hosting platform is the one that matches how you built. Don't migrate unless you have to.
• Managed beats self-managed every time for solo founders. Pay more, worry less.
• Your first deployment should take under 30 minutes. If it's taking hours, you're overcomplicating it.
• Custom domains are not optional for a real business. yourapp.vercel.app is not professional.
• Backups are not optional. If you don't have them, you don't have a business.

Don't Do Yet

• **Don't set up Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, or "infrastructure as code."** Managed platforms handle this. You're shipping a product, not building a data center.
• **Don't set up a staging environment** until you have paying users. Deploy straight to production. You can add staging later.
• **Don't optimize for scale** before you have traffic. A $5/month Railway plan handles thousands of users. Worry about scaling when it becomes a real problem.
• **Don't self-host your database.** Use a managed service (Supabase, Railway Postgres, PlanetScale). Self-hosting means you're on call for backups, upgrades, and outages.

Choose Your Hosting

If You Built With These Tools

| Built With | Deploy To | Why | |-----------|-----------|-----| | **Lovable** | Lovable's built-in hosting | Already deployed. Just connect your domain. | | **Replit** | Replit Deployments | One-click deploy from your Repl. Built in. | | **Bolt / Stackblitz** | Netlify or Vercel | Export code, connect git repo, auto-deploys. | | **Claude Code (Next.js, React)** | Vercel | Built for Next.js. Git push = deploy. | | **Claude Code (any framework)** | Railway | Supports everything. Simple dashboard. | | **Claude Code (static site)** | Netlify or Cloudflare Pages | Free tier is generous. Fast global CDN. | | **Claude Code (Python/Django/Flask)** | Railway or Render | Good Python support with managed databases. |

Hosting Comparison for Solo Founders

| Platform | Free Tier | Ease | Database | Custom Domain | Best For | |----------|-----------|------|----------|---------------|----------| | **Vercel** | Generous | Very easy | No (use Supabase) | Yes | Next.js, React apps | | **Railway** | $5 credit/mo | Easy | Yes (Postgres) | Yes | Full-stack apps, any framework | | **Netlify** | Generous | Very easy | No | Yes | Static sites, JAMstack | | **Render** | Free tier | Easy | Yes (Postgres) | Yes | Full-stack, background jobs | | **Fly.io** | Limited free | Moderate | Yes (Postgres) | Yes | Global distribution, Docker | | **Cloudflare Pages** | Very generous | Easy | No (use D1 or Supabase) | Yes | Static sites, edge functions | | **Replit** | Included | Easiest | Yes (built-in) | Yes | Apps built in Replit | | **Lovable** | Included | Easiest | Yes (Supabase) | Yes | Apps built in Lovable |

**Recommendation for most solo founders:** Vercel (for Next.js) or Railway (for everything else).

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Deployment: Step by Step

Path 1: Lovable / Replit (Already Deployed)

Your app is already running. You just need a custom domain:

1. Buy a domain (Namecheap, Cloudflare, or Google Domains) 2. In your Lovable/Replit dashboard, go to Settings → Custom Domain 3. Add your domain name 4. Update DNS records at your domain registrar (they'll tell you what to add) 5. Wait 5-30 minutes for DNS propagation 6. SSL certificate is automatic — your site will be HTTPS

Path 2: Vercel (Next.js / React)

Deployment Checklist — Vercel:
- [ ] Push your code to a GitHub repository
- [ ] Go to vercel.com → "Add New Project"
- [ ] Connect your GitHub repo
- [ ] Vercel auto-detects framework and configures build settings
- [ ] Add environment variables (Settings → Environment Variables)
- [ ] Click "Deploy"
- [ ] Connect custom domain (Settings → Domains)
- [ ] Update DNS (Vercel gives you the records)
- [ ] Verify HTTPS is working

**Tell AI:**

Help me deploy my Next.js app to Vercel. My app uses:
- Framework: [Next.js version]
- Database: [Supabase/PlanetScale/etc.]
- Environment variables I need: [list them]
Walk me through the steps and tell me what environment variables
to set in the Vercel dashboard.

Path 3: Railway (Any Framework)

Deployment Checklist — Railway:
- [ ] Push code to GitHub repository
- [ ] Go to railway.app → "New Project"
- [ ] Choose "Deploy from GitHub Repo"
- [ ] Select your repo
- [ ] Add environment variables in the Railway dashboard
- [ ] If you need a database: click "New" → "Database" → "PostgreSQL"
- [ ] Railway gives you a DATABASE_URL — add it to your app's env vars
- [ ] Click "Deploy"
- [ ] Connect custom domain (Settings → Networking → Custom Domain)
- [ ] Update DNS records

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Environment Variables

Environment variables store secrets (API keys, database passwords) that should never be in your code.

What Goes in Environment Variables

Common Environment Variables:
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@host:5432/dbname
STRIPE_SECRET_KEY=sk_live_...
STRIPE_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_live_...
STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_...
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=https://xxx.supabase.co
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=eyJ...
EMAIL_API_KEY=re_...
NEXTAUTH_SECRET=random-s