Vercel fundamental concepts
Last updated January 29, 2026
The articles below explain core concepts that shape how Vercel works:
Request Lifecycle
Learn how requests flow through Vercel's global network, from user to response. Covers global load balancing, security layers, caching, and compute.
Build System
Learn how Vercel transforms your source code into optimized assets. Covers framework detection, build environments, and caching.
What is Compute?
Understand how Vercel manages building, rendering, and on-demand tasks. Covers servers, serverless, and Fluid compute.
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