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Deploying a Website on Vercel: From GitHub to a Secure Custom Domain

A practical walkthrough of GitHub previews and production deployments on Vercel, custom-domain DNS choices, and HTTPS certificate validation.
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To deploy a website from GitHub on Vercel, import the repository as a Vercel project, test a preview deployment, and merge changes to the branch configured for production. Then add your custom domain in the project’s domain settings, create the DNS records Vercel specifies at your chosen DNS provider, and wait for domain validation before checking HTTPS. The exact DNS values can vary by project, so use Vercel’s instructions for your domain rather than copying a generic example.

How GitHub deployments work on Vercel

Connect or import your GitHub repository when creating a Vercel project. Confirm which repository branch is configured as the production branch. With Git integration enabled, pushes and pull requests can produce preview deployments, each with its own URL; merging to the configured production branch starts a production deployment. Vercel documents this automatic workflow for connected repositories in its Git deployment guide and GitHub project setup guide.

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  1. In Vercel, create a project by importing the GitHub repository and complete the project setup.
  2. Check the project’s production branch setting so you know which merge will trigger the production deployment.
  3. Push a change or open a pull request to create a preview. Review the preview URL and deployment result before merging.
  4. Merge to the configured production branch, then confirm the resulting production deployment is successful.

Vercel assigns a URL to each deployment. A custom domain can be attached to the project’s production deployment; Git integration is not the only deployment method, but it is the route that provides the branch and pull-request preview workflow described here.

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Choose the domain form and DNS manager

You can use an apex domain such as example.com, a subdomain such as www.example.com, or both. If both resolve to the site, decide which URL should be canonical and configure the other to redirect to it. You can register a domain through Vercel or a third party; if you already own one, you can keep it with its current registrar and DNS provider.

Choice What it means What to consider
Keep external DNS Continue managing DNS records at your current provider and add the records Vercel displays for the project. Keeps DNS management where your other domain records are already managed.
Use Vercel DNS Change the domain’s nameservers to Vercel and manage its DNS records there. Before switching, recreate any existing records you still need, such as records for other services.
Apex domain The root domain, such as example.com. A typical setup uses an A record, but use the value shown by Vercel for your project.
Subdomain A name below the root, such as www.example.com. A typical setup uses a CNAME record; use Vercel’s displayed target rather than a generic value.

Vercel’s domain overview covers domain options. Its custom-domain setup guide explains that the required records may differ from general examples. DNS record types above describe common configurations, not guaranteed values for every project.

Add the domain and configure its DNS records

  1. Open the project in Vercel and go to Settings > Domains. Add the apex domain, the subdomain, or both, depending on the URL plan you chose.
  2. Inspect the DNS instructions Vercel shows for each domain. If it asks for ownership verification, add the specified TXT record at the current DNS provider and follow the verification status shown in Vercel.
  3. At the DNS provider that currently manages the domain, create or update the records exactly as Vercel specifies. For an external provider, make these changes there. If you are using Vercel nameservers, manage the records in Vercel DNS.
  4. Return to the project’s domain settings and check the domain status again. Allow time for DNS changes to propagate; a record may not be visible everywhere immediately.
  5. If you added both apex and subdomain forms, set the intended canonical destination and configure the alternate domain to redirect to it.

Do not assume that a generic A-record address or CNAME target found in an example applies to your project. The project’s domain inspection is the place to confirm the current values. Vercel’s DNS setup instructions also distinguish adding records with an external DNS provider from using Vercel’s nameservers.

How HTTPS certificates are issued

Vercel attempts to provision an SSL certificate automatically, but certificate issuance depends on successful DNS validation. DNS must point and resolve as required before domain validation can complete; certificate provisioning follows that validation rather than the Git merge itself. Vercel documents that non-wildcard domains use Let’s Encrypt and HTTP-01 validation in its SSL certificate guide. The documentation does not promise one universal issuance time, so do not treat a pending certificate immediately after a DNS change as proof of a failed deployment.

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After DNS verification succeeds, inspect the domain and certificate status in Vercel, then open the production domain over HTTPS. If the certificate remains pending or HTTPS does not work, verify the records at the authoritative DNS provider and check whether they have propagated before investigating the application deployment.

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What to check when the domain or deployment is not working

  • The domain is not verified: Compare each live DNS record with the exact value Vercel displays. If Vercel requests a TXT ownership record, ensure it is present at the provider managing DNS.
  • HTTPS is pending: Check DNS resolution and domain verification first. Certificate provisioning depends on successful validation, and DNS propagation is not instantaneous.
  • The expected site is not on the domain: Confirm the domain is assigned to the intended Vercel project and that a successful production deployment exists.
  • A preview appears, but production does not: Check the configured production branch and ensure the change was merged to that branch. A preview deployment is separate from production.
  • The domain is associated with another project or account: Follow Vercel’s domain verification process to establish control; do not bypass an ownership check without confirming access to the domain.
  • You moved nameservers and other services stopped working: Recreate the DNS records those services require in the new DNS zone.

For domains assigned to a particular branch, verify that the project’s branch and domain assignment match the deployment you expect; Vercel’s branch-domain guidance explains that relationship.

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