How to use Vercel templates

Vercel templates are pre-configured setups for web projects provided by Vercel, a platform for frontend frameworks and static sites. These templates offer a quick way to deploy projects using popular frameworks like Next.js, Nuxt, and others, with optimal configurations for performance and scalability.

What are Vercel templates?

Vercel templates are starting points for web development projects that include essential files and settings for specific frameworks. By using a template, developers can skip the initial setup phase and jump directly into writing code. Each template is optimized for Vercel's cloud environment, ensuring that projects are deployed with best practices for serverless execution, edge functions, and static site generation.

Why use Vercel templates?

Here are a few reasons why developers might choose to use Vercel templates:

• Speed up project setup: Templates eliminate the need to configure many aspects of a new project, such as linking to a repository and configuring deployment settings.
• Optimized configurations: Templates come with pre-configured settings that are optimized for performance on Vercel's platform.
• Best practices: They ensure that your project adheres to best practices in terms of security, scalability, and maintainability.
• Ease of use: They also provide a straightforward way to leverage advanced features of the Vercel platform, like edge functions and incremental static regeneration.

How to use a Vercel template

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to implement a Vercel template:

Step 1: Choose a template

First, visit the Vercel Templates page. Here you'll find a variety of templates tailored to different use cases and technologies. Choose one that best fits your project's needs.

Step 2: Set up your project

Once you select a template, you can set up your new project directly through the Vercel interface:

1. Clone the template: Click on the template and then on the "Use this template" button, which will prompt you to clone the repository using GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.
2. Configure your project: During the cloning process, you can configure project settings such as the project name and repository privacy.
3. Deploy: After configuration, Vercel automatically deploys your new project. You can then access your deployment URL instantly.

Step 3: Customize the template

After deploying the template you can then modify the code to meet your specific requirements.

For instance, if you’re using a Next.js blog template, you might start by updating the styling or adding new pages.

Step 4: Develop and redeploy

As you develop your project, you can redeploy changes by committing them to your repository:

git add .
git commit -m "Make changes to the project"
git push origin main

Vercel automatically detects changes pushed to your repository and triggers a redeployment.

Example: Deploying a Next.js blog template

Let's walk through deploying a Next.js blog using a Vercel template:

1. Select the Next.js blog template:

   • Go to the Vercel Templates page. This page lists multiple project templates designed to work seamlessly with Vercel’s hosting environment.
   • Look for a blog template that suits your needs. These templates are pre-configured with features beneficial for a blog, such as SEO optimization and dynamic routing.
   • Click on the template, and you’ll see an option to "Use this template". Selecting this will prompt you to connect your GitHub account if not already connected, as Vercel will set up the new project in a new GitHub repository.

2. Create a new GitHub repo from the template:

   • After connecting your GitHub account, you will be asked to provide a repository name for your new blog project. This name should be unique within your GitHub org.
   • Confirm the details, and Vercel will automatically fork the template into a new repository in your GitHub org. This step essentially clones the template and sets it up under your control, allowing you to modify it as needed.

3. Customize your blog:

   • Clone the repository to your local machine using git clone, followed by the URL of your newly created GitHub repository.
   • Navigate into your project directory. Inside, you will typically find a posts directory where the blog content is stored, usually in Markdown format (.md files).
   • To add new blog posts, create new Markdown files within this posts directory. Each file should include front matter (metadata like title, date, and author) along with the body of your post.
   • You can also modify styles and components by editing the corresponding CSS or JavaScript files in the styles or components directories, respectively.

4. Push changes to redeploy:

   • Open your terminal and navigate to the root directory of your project.
   • Use the following commands to add your changes to the staging area, commit them with a message, and push them to the main branch on GitHub:
     Terminal

     git add .
     git commit -m "Add new blog posts"
     git push origin main
     
     

   • Pushing changes to the main branch will automatically trigger a redeployment on Vercel. Vercel listens for changes on your GitHub repository and builds and deploys your site each time you push new changes, ensuring your blog is always up-to-date.

These steps will get your blog set up and publicly accessible on the web. Customize your template further by exploring different components and styles to make your blog stand out.

By following these steps, you can leverage Vercel templates to streamline the development process, allowing you to focus more on development and less on configuration.

For further reading see the official Vercel docs.