How to Deploy a Next.js Template to Vercel (Complete Tutorial)

Introduction

If your template is built with Next.js, the best place to host it is Vercel — the company that created Next.js. Vercel offers free hosting, fast global CDN, and zero-config deployment for React apps. In this guide, you’ll learn how to deploy a Next.js template to Vercel step by step.

Why Choose Vercel?

Free hobby plan with generous limits
One-click deploy for Next.js projects
Automatic HTTPS and CI/CD
Serverless functions support

Prerequisites

A GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket account
A Next.js template (e.g., cloned from Crafted Template)
A Vercel account (sign up at vercel.com)

Step 1: Push Your Next.js Template to GitHub

If your project is local, push it to GitHub:

Code · batchfile

git init 

git add . 

git commit -m "Initial Next.js commit" 

git branch -M main 

git remote add origin https://github.com/username/my-nextjs-template.git 

git push -u origin main

Step 2: Import Project to Vercel

Log in to the Vercel Dashboard.
Click New Project → Import Git Repository.
Select your Next.js repo.
Vercel auto-detects Next.js, just click Deploy.

Step 3: Verify Deployment

After a few minutes, Vercel gives you a live link like: https://my-nextjs-template.vercel.app. Visit it — your template is live!

Step 4: Add a Custom Domain (Optional)

Go to your Vercel dashboard → Project → Settings → Domains.
Add your domain (e.g., mywebsite.com).
Update your domain’s DNS settings to point to Vercel.

Step 5: Continuous Deployment

Every time you push updates to your GitHub repo, Vercel automatically rebuilds and redeploys your site. No extra steps needed.

Common Issues & Fixes

Build failed? Check your package.json has "build": "next build".
API routes not working? Ensure you’re using /api/* paths.
Environment variables? Set them in Vercel → Project Settings → Environment Variables.