vercel-cli

---
name: vercel-cli
description: Deploy, manage, inspect, and troubleshoot Vercel projects from the command line. Use for Vercel deployments, Vercel Toolbar comments, build failures, projects and teams, environment variables, domains and DNS, logs, metrics, Speed Insights, Core Web Vitals, request traces, usage, activity, alerts, firewall rules, cache, cron jobs, deploy hooks, Edge Config, feature flags, integrations, connectors, Blob storage, Container Registry (VCR), microfrontends, rolling releases, custom environments, Sandbox, agent/MCP setup, OAuth apps, preview access, local development, or `vercel api` fallback.
license: Apache-2.0
---

# Vercel CLI Skill

The Vercel CLI (`vercel` or `vc`) deploys, manages, and develops projects on the Vercel platform from the command line. Use `vercel <command> --help` for full flag details on any command.

The installed CLI help is the source of truth for obscure or newly added flags. If a command example here is not enough, check `vercel <command> --help` before acting instead of guessing.

Parse only stdout for URLs and JSON. Warnings, progress, and `--help` print to stderr; merge streams only when searching help text. Some help commands exit 2 after printing usage, so treat printed usage as a successful help read.

In agent/non-interactive mode, many commands report errors and required confirmations as a single JSON object on stdout with `status`, `reason`, `hint`, and `next` (runnable follow-up commands). Prefer a suggested `next` command over composing a retry only after confirming that it preserves the user's intended target and authorization; do not automatically run linking, authentication, or mutation follow-ups. Read commands such as `list`, `logs`, `inspect`, and `api` keep their normal output shape.

## Critical: Project Linking

Project context depends on the command's working directory. Before a consequential read or mutation, run `vercel project inspect --non-interactive` from the intended directory and confirm the reported owner and project. This command resolves only existing context in non-interactive mode; stop on `link_required` or a target mismatch instead of linking automatically.

Many project-aware commands also accept `--project <name-or-id>` with `--scope <team>` for an explicit, one-command target. Confirm that target and scope preserve the user's intent before using them.

- **`<cwd>/.vercel/project.json`**: Created by `vercel link`. This exact working-directory link wins over a repository link. The CLI does not generally inherit a root `project.json` when run from an arbitrary subdirectory.
- **`<repo-root>/.vercel/repo.json`**: Created by `vercel link --repo`. The CLI selects the deepest project directory that contains the working directory.
- **Unmatched repository path**: If no repo mapping contains the working directory, interactive repo resolution prompts among the configured projects. Non-interactive repo resolution currently selects the only configured project or remains unresolved when multiple choices exist. Commands that set up projects may then enter a linking flow, so non-interactive mode is not generally fail-closed.

Being inside an app directory is not proof that the intended project was selected. Check the resolved project explicitly, especially when a repo mapping does not cover that directory.

`vercel whoami --format json` identifies the authenticated user and effective team; plain non-TTY `vercel whoami` prints only the username. Neither verifies the linked project. Read-only project commands can still require login or team SAML re-authentication and open a browser/device flow. Ask the user to complete that flow deliberately before continuing.

## Quick Start

```bash
npm i -g vercel
vercel login
vercel link              # single project
# OR
vercel link --repo       # monorepo
vercel pull
vercel dev        # local development
vercel deploy     # preview deployment
vercel --prod     # production deployment
```

## Decision Tree

Use this to route to the correct reference file:

- **Deploy, redeploy, forced builds, no-cache builds, or deployment source/provenance** → `references/deployment.md`
- **Rolling releases, deploy hooks, cron jobs, cache, git connection, Edge Config, redirects, custom environments** → `references/project-infra.md`
- **Local development** → `references/local-development.md`
- **Environment variables** → `references/environment-variables.md`
- **CI/CD automation** → `references/ci-automation.md`
- **Domains or DNS** → `references/domains-and-dns.md`
- **Projects or teams** → `references/projects-and-teams.md`
- **Vercel Toolbar comments (`vercel comments`)** → `references/comments.md`
- **Build failures, deployment errors, logs, metrics, Speed Insights, Core Web Vitals, activity, performance, preview access, or production debugging** → `references/monitoring-and-debugging.md`
- **Alerts, usage, contracts, billing purchases, tokens, telemetry, or CLI upgrades** → `references/platform-ops.md`
- **Blob storage** → `references/storage.md`
- **Container Registry (`vercel vcr`: repositories, images, tags, docker/podman/buildah login, push/pull)** → `references/container-registry.md`
- **Integrations (databases, storage, etc.)** → `references/integrations.md`
- **Connectors (`vercel connect`)** → `references/connectors.md`
- **Routing rules** → `references/routing.md`
- **Firewall (WAF rules, IP blocks, rate limiting)** → `references/firewall.md`
- **Access a preview deployment** → use `vercel curl` (see `references/monitoring-and-debugging.md`)
- **CLI command is unavailable or output is missing required fields** → use `vercel api` after first-class CLI paths are unavailable or insufficient (see `references/advanced.md`)
- **Node.js backends (Express, Hono, etc.)** → `references/node-backends.md`
- **Monorepos (Turborepo, Nx, workspaces)** → `references/monorepos.md`
- **Bun runtime** → `references/bun.md`
- **Feature flags** → `references/flags.md`
- **Microfrontends** → `references/microfrontends.md`
- **Sandbox** → `references/sandbox.md`
- **Agent, MCP, skills discovery, or AI Gateway** → `references/agent-and-ai.md`
- **Captured request traces (`vercel traces`, including `--open` / `--view`)** → `references/advanced.md`
- **Vercel Apps / OAuth apps (`vercel oauth-apps`)** → `references/advanced.md`
- **Advanced (`vercel api` fallback, webhooks)** → `references/advanced.md`
- **Global flags** → `references/global-options.md`
- **First-time setup** → `references/getting-started.md`

## Anti-Patterns

- **Wrong link type in monorepos with multiple projects**: `vercel link` creates `project.json`, which only tracks one project. Use `vercel link --repo` instead. When things break, check `.vercel/` first.
- **Letting commands auto-link in monorepos**: Many commands implicitly run `vercel link` if `.vercel/` doesn't exist. This creates `project.json`, which may be wrong. Run `vercel link` (or `--repo`) explicitly first.
- **Assuming an app subdirectory determines the project**: Verify with `vercel project inspect --non-interactive`; an unmatched repo path can currently fall back to the sole configured project in non-interactive mode.
- **Using `vercel whoami` as linked-project verification**: `vercel whoami --format json` reports authentication and team context, not the selected project.
- **Forgetting non-interactive flags in plain CI runs**: detected agents get `--non-interactive` by default, but plain CI does not — pass it explicitly there, and add `--yes` only for commands that require confirmation.
- **Using `vercel deploy` after `vercel build` without `--prebuilt`**: The build output is ignored.
- **Using `vercel redeploy` for no-cache rebuilds**: `vercel redeploy` does not expose a no-cache flag; use `vercel deploy --force` without `--with-cache` when you need a fresh deployment that does not retain build cache.
- **Hardcoding tokens in flags**: Use `VERCEL_TOKEN` env var instead of `--token`.
- **Disabling deployment protection**: Use `vercel curl` instead to access preview deploys.
- **Using `vercel api` too early**: Prefer first-class CLI commands when they expose the needed data or mutation.