TechPrufer
Get started
Vercel
Vercel logoVercel · Feature trail

Project and Git Integration Enhancements

8 posts · Sep 2019 – Dec 2020

What this trail covers

Vercel's platform allows for advanced project configuration and management, including improved Git repository importing with root directory specification, framework selection, and build command customization. Project settings can be fully adjusted post-deployment. The Vercel CLI also facilitates on-the-fly configuration during project setup and subsequent deployments. This enables deployment of non-JavaScript projects and projects located in subdirectories. Branch Domains allow assigning custom domains to specific branches, and the Deploy Summary integration provides automated previews of changed pages directly within pull and merge requests, including screenshots, direct links, deployment URLs, and commit SHAs. Persistent URLs for previews ensure that shared links remain valid even with subsequent commits, which is particularly useful for projects with login systems. This integration streamlines the code review process by providing immediate visual feedback on changes.

All Vercel trails
  1. Three Improvements to Project Creation & Git IntegrationIntroduced project-level Git connections, allowing multiple Git providers per Vercel account and per project. Updated the project creation flow to include searching for existing repositories and integrated the template library into the project creation flow.
  2. Set a custom production Git branch on VercelIntroduced the ability to set a custom production Git branch for Vercel Projects. New projects will default to the 'main' branch (or 'master' if 'main' is absent) instead of the repository's default branch. A new Project Setting allows users to select 'main', the repository's default branch, or any other custom branch for production deployments. This change provides greater flexibility in managing deployment workflows.
  3. New Git Integration SettingsIntroduced a new 'Git Integration' setting in Project Settings for managing Git connections and refined the 'Git Integrations' page in account settings to provide a clearer overview and editing capabilities for Git provider connections.
  4. Advanced Project Settings on VercelThis post introduces enhanced project import settings, allowing users to specify a Root Directory, select a Framework, and overwrite its default settings. It also details the ability to customize Project Settings post-deployment, including Build Command, Development Command, and Output Directory. The Vercel CLI is updated to allow on-the-fly configuration during project setup and subsequent deployments, enabling the deployment of non-JavaScript projects and projects within subdirectories.
  5. Branch DomainsIntroduces Branch Domains, a feature that allows users to assign a custom domain to a specific Git branch for preview deployments. This is achieved by linking a project to a Git repository and then configuring a domain to point to a chosen Git Branch. The domain will automatically update to the most recent deployment on that branch. The feature can also be configured via the Vercel REST API.
  7. Vercel for BitbucketThis post announces the first-class integration of Vercel with Bitbucket, enabling automatic deployments, built-in CI/CD, DNS, and TLS for Bitbucket projects. It details the process of connecting Bitbucket accounts, linking projects, and explains the workflow of automatic deployments for every git push, including preview deployments for feature branches and instant rollbacks on the default branch. This enhances the existing 'Project and Git Integration Enhancements' by specifically detailing the Bitbucket integration.
  8. Dashboard redesignThis post announces a significant redesign of the Vercel Dashboard, focusing on improving the developer experience for project management, code import, and deployment inspection. Key enhancements include a streamlined project overview with production and latest deployment status, Git repository connection, and links to production deployments. It introduces easier code import from GitHub and GitLab with automatic push-to-deploy configuration. The Projects section now displays screenshots of latest production deployments. The Project Overview highlights production and preview deployments, with preview deployments filterable by team member. The Deployment Overview now incorporates logs, filterable by serverless function or build output, and displays relevant Git commit information. Browser tab icons and titles are improved to reflect deployment status. Git integration is enhanced for automatic deployments on commit or pull request. Production domains can now be associated with projects, replacing the `alias` field in `vercel.json`. Mobile responsiveness is improved. Performance enhancements include preconnecting to origins, assigning higher browser priority to critical API calls, memoizing React components with `useMemo` and `useCallback`, adopting `ReactDOM.unstable_batchedUpdates` to reduce re-renders, and implementing SWR for real-time data updates.
  9. Deploy Summary IntegrationThis post introduces the Deploy Summary integration, which augments Vercel's GitHub and GitLab integrations. It analyzes pull/merge requests, detects changed pages, and provides detailed previews next to commits. These previews include screenshots, direct links to changed pages, the deployment URL, and the commit SHA. It also introduces the concept of persistent URLs for these previews, which do not change with new commits, simplifying collaboration for projects with login systems.