Deployment

Deployment

Deployment is making your app available to the world. You have built it, tested it, and now it is time to share it. Modern platforms make this surprisingly easy.

Gone are the days of manually uploading files to servers. Today, you push to a repository and the platform handles everything else.

Deployment Options

You have several great choices for hosting React apps. Each has its strengths depending on your project needs.

// Vercel - Best for React/Next.js projects
// Automatic deployments, edge functions, great DX

// Netlify - Best for static sites and JAMstack
// Form handling, serverless functions, split testing

// GitHub Pages - Best for free hosting
// Simple setup, good for portfolios and docs

// AWS/Cloudflare - Best for enterprise
// Full control, global CDN, advanced features

For most React apps, Vercel or Netlify are the easiest starting points. They integrate directly with GitHub and deploy on every push.

Deploying to Vercel

Vercel is built by the creators of Next.js and offers the smoothest React deployment experience. Setup takes about two minutes.

# Install Vercel CLI
npm i -g vercel

# Login to your account
vercel login

# Deploy from your project directory
vercel

# Deploy to production
vercel --prod

Vercel automatically detects your framework, runs the build, and gives you a live URL. It also provides previews for every pull request, so your team can test changes before merging.

Custom Domains

A custom domain makes your app feel professional. myapp.com beats random-vercel-url.vercel.app every time.

# In Vercel dashboard
# 1. Go to your project settings
# 2. Click "Domains"
# 3. Enter your domain name
# 4. Follow the DNS configuration steps

# For Netlify
# 1. Go to Domain settings
# 2. Add custom domain
# 3. Update your DNS records
# 4. Enable HTTPS (automatic with Let's Encrypt)

Both platforms handle SSL certificates automatically. No more paying for or renewing certificates. Your site gets HTTPS by default.