How to Deploy to Production
Complete checklist for deploying your web application to production safely and reliably.
What You'll Learn
This beginner-level guide walks you through how to deploy to production step by step. Estimated time: 12 min.
Step 1: Prepare your application
Run production builds, check environment variables, test database migrations, and verify all features work.
Step 2: Choose hosting platform
Select Vercel for Next.js, Railway for full-stack, or AWS/GCP for maximum control and scalability.
Step 3: Configure DNS and SSL
Point your domain to your hosting provider and ensure SSL certificates are properly configured.
Step 4: Set up monitoring
Configure error tracking with Sentry, uptime monitoring, and performance metrics for production visibility.
Step 5: Create rollback plan
Document how to rollback deployments quickly if issues are discovered after launching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vercel, Railway, or AWS?▾
Vercel for Next.js apps, Railway for full-stack with databases, AWS for complex architectures. Start simple and migrate to more control as needed.
What should I monitor in production?▾
Error rates, response times, uptime, database performance, and key business metrics. Set up alerts for anomalies in all of these.
How do I handle zero-downtime deployments?▾
Use blue-green deployments or rolling updates. Vercel and Railway handle this automatically. On AWS, use ECS or EKS with rolling update strategies.