Deploy

Goal

This snapshot advances Meridian Notes by teaching you to deploy Meridian Notes to Vercel with Neon PostgreSQL.

Every numbered folder is a complete application. Run this stage on its own, then compare it with the previous snapshot to isolate the new responsibility.

Prerequisites

Use Node.js 20 or newer, npm, and a terminal. You should be comfortable with JavaScript functions, objects, modules, and basic HTML forms.

The development server uses port 3000. Data-backed snapshots use PostgreSQL on host port 5433 and keep their data in a database unique to that folder.

• Node.js and npm installed
• A code editor and terminal
• Docker from part 4 onward

Concepts

Vercel runs the Next.js build while Neon provides managed PostgreSQL. Production secrets belong in environment settings, schema changes run through Prisma, and local uploads need object storage.

Keep the server boundary visible: Server Components may read trusted data directly, while Server Actions and route handlers must validate all incoming values and re-check authorization.

Walkthrough

Create Neon and Vercel projects, configure pooled DATABASE_URL, AUTH_SECRET, and trusted host settings, deploy the schema, then verify account and note flows.

Trace the example from request to rendered result, then inspect the matching snapshot for its surrounding types, validation, error handling, and configuration.

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://...neon.tech/meridian?sslmode=require"
AUTH_SECRET="a-long-random-value"
AUTH_TRUST_HOST=true

Run and verify

Enter 12-Deploy, install its dependencies, and copy .env.example when the snapshot includes one.

Open http://localhost:3000. Keep the terminal visible so framework, Prisma, and authentication errors can be matched to the browser action that caused them.

git clone https://github.com/michaeldunga1/fcc-nextjs-blog.git
cd fcc-nextjs-blog/12-Deploy
npm install
cp .env.example .env
docker compose -f ../docker-compose.yml up -d
npm run db:migrate
npm run db:seed
npm run dev

Troubleshooting

A successful build can still fail at runtime when variables are scoped incorrectly, the database requires SSL, or the schema was never deployed.

A missing-module error usually means npm ran in another snapshot. Database errors often mean Docker is stopped, the environment file is missing, or this folder points at the wrong numbered database.

• Read the first error first
• Restart after environment changes
• Never commit .env or node_modules

Try this

Deploy, sign in from a private window, create a note, and complete a password reset.

Test one expected path and one invalid or unauthorized path. A production-minded app gives useful feedback without exposing secrets or stack traces.

• Make one focused change
• Verify it in the browser
• Continue only after this snapshot works