Deploy Files | Vercel for Platforms

Server action for programmatically deploying files to Vercel, enabling platforms to create deployments on behalf of users

import { deployFiles } from "@/components/vercel-platform/actions/deploy-files";

const example = async () => {
  await deployFiles([], { domain: "test.com" });
};

export default example;

import { deployFiles } from "@/components/vercel-platform/actions/deploy-files";const example = async () => {  await deployFiles([], { domain: "test.com" });};export default example;

Overview

The Deploy Files action is a server-side utility that allows platforms to programmatically deploy files to Vercel. This is the core functionality behind platforms like Mintlify and Hashnode that create Vercel deployments for their users without requiring direct Vercel account access.

Installation

npx @vercel/platforms@latest add deploy-files

Features

Programmatic deployment: Deploy files directly to Vercel using the SDK
Custom domain support: Automatically configure custom domains for deployments
Project configuration: Pass custom build settings and environment variables
SSO protection handling: Optionally make preview deployments public
Unique deployment naming: Automatic UUID generation for deployment identification

Usage

deploy-files.ts

import { deployFiles } from "@/actions/deploy-files"
import type { InlinedFile } from "@vercel/sdk/models/createdeploymentop"

// Example: Deploy a simple HTML site
const files: InlinedFile[] = [
  {
    file: "index.html",
    data: "<html><body><h1>Hello from my platform!</h1></body></html>"
  },
  {
    file: "package.json",
    data: JSON.stringify({
      name: "my-deployment",
      version: "1.0.0"
    })
  }
]

await deployFiles(files, {
  domain: "customer-site.com",
  deploymentName: "customer-deployment-1",
  projectId: "existing-project-id", // Optional: use existing project
  config: {
    framework: "nextjs",
    buildCommand: "npm run build",
    outputDirectory: ".next"
  }
})

Parameters

`files`

Array of files to deploy. Can be either:

InlinedFile: File content provided directly as a string
UploadedFile: File content uploaded separately and referenced by SHA

`args`

Configuration object with the following options:

Prop

Type

Advanced Example

deploy-files.ts

import { deployFiles } from "@/actions/deploy-files"
import type { InlinedFile, ProjectSettings } from "@vercel/sdk/models/createdeploymentop"

// Deploy a Next.js application with custom configuration
const files: InlinedFile[] = [
  // Your application files here
]

const config: ProjectSettings = {
  framework: "nextjs",
  buildCommand: "npm run build",
  outputDirectory: ".next",
  installCommand: "npm install",
  devCommand: "npm run dev",
  env: {
    API_KEY: "your-api-key",
    DATABASE_URL: "your-database-url"
  },
  buildEnv: {
    NODE_ENV: "production"
  }
}

const deployment = await deployFiles(files, {
  deploymentName: `deployment-${Date.now()}`,
  config,
  domain: "app.customer-domain.com"
})

Integration with Claim Deployment

After creating a deployment with this action, you typically show the Claim Deployment component to allow users to take ownership:

deploy-files.tsx

// 1. Deploy files server-side
const deployment = await deployFiles(files, { domain })

// 2. Show claim interface client-side
<ClaimDeployment
  url={deployment.url}
  onClaimClick={handleTransferOwnership}
/>

Security Considerations

This action requires Vercel API credentials with deployment permissions
Always validate and sanitize file contents before deployment
Consider implementing rate limiting to prevent abuse
Store API credentials securely using environment variables