5 Common Vercel Mistakes That Could Slow Down Your Deployments

When you're deploying your latest project on Vercel, the last thing you want is to hit a wall due to common mistakes that could have been avoided. As indie hackers and solo founders, we value speed and efficiency, and slow deployments can be a real drain on our productivity. After working with Vercel for several projects, I've seen firsthand how easy it is to trip up on these pitfalls. Let’s dive into five common mistakes that can slow down your Vercel deployments, and how to avoid them.

1. Ignoring Build Caching

What It Is

Vercel offers build caching to speed up your deployments by reusing previous build outputs. This means if you have unchanged files, Vercel won’t rebuild them from scratch.

Common Mistake

Not configuring your caching strategy properly. If your cache settings are too aggressive, you might miss out on updates. Conversely, if they’re too lax, you’ll end up rebuilding everything.

How to Fix

Review your cache settings in vercel.json and ensure that you’re leveraging the cache effectively. For most projects, a simple configuration will suffice.

Expected Outcome: Faster deployments as Vercel reuses cached builds.

2. Not Using Environment Variables Wisely

What It Is

Environment variables are essential for managing different configurations in various environments (development, staging, production).

Common Mistake

Hardcoding values or failing to set environment variables correctly can lead to unnecessary rebuilds and slower deployments.

How to Fix

Use Vercel's Environment Variables feature to manage your configurations. Make sure to define them for each environment and avoid hardcoding sensitive information in your codebase.

Expected Outcome: Cleaner code and reduced deployment times due to fewer rebuilds.

3. Overusing Serverless Functions

What It Is

Vercel supports serverless functions that allow you to run backend code without managing servers.

Common Mistake

Deploying too many serverless functions can bloat your project and slow down deployments significantly.

How to Fix

Consolidate functions where possible. Instead of creating a separate function for each task, group related functionalities together.

Expected Outcome: More efficient deployments and potentially lower cold start times when functions are invoked.

4. Not Optimizing Static Assets

What It Is

Static assets (like images, stylesheets, and JavaScript files) can greatly affect your deployment speed and performance.

Common Mistake

Uploading large static assets without optimization leads to longer build times and slow loading in production.

How to Fix

Use tools like ImageOptim or Squoosh to compress images before uploading. For CSS and JavaScript, consider using minification tools.

Expected Outcome: Smaller build sizes and faster deployments.

5. Skipping Preview Deployments

What It Is

Preview deployments allow you to see your changes in a live environment before going to production.

Common Mistake

Skipping preview deployments to save time can lead to unexpected issues in production.

How to Fix

Always create a preview deployment for major changes. This helps catch issues early and reduces the likelihood of needing to redeploy due to bugs.

Expected Outcome: Fewer production issues and faster troubleshooting.

Conclusion: Start Here

To avoid these common Vercel mistakes and ensure your deployments are as fast and efficient as possible, start by reviewing your build caching settings, managing your environment variables, optimizing your static assets, and utilizing preview deployments. By addressing these areas, you’ll save time and improve your deployment workflow significantly.

What We Actually Use

In our experience, we prioritize build caching and environment variables management. We also use ImageOptim for asset optimization, and we always leverage preview deployments to catch issues early.