v0
deployment
Vercel Environment Variables Not Loading in Deployment
Your application builds successfully but environment variables aren't available at runtime in Vercel. Features depending on env vars fail in production, though they work in local development.
Environment variables don't load in Vercel when they're not properly configured in project settings, use incorrect naming conventions, or are set for wrong deployment environments.
Error Messages You Might See
Environment variable is undefined
process.env.VAR_NAME is undefined
API_URL not set
Missing environment configuration
Common Causes
- Environment variables not added to Vercel project settings (must be set in UI, not just .env)
- Variables set for wrong environment (e.g., production-only but accessing in preview deployment)
- Using .env file instead of Vercel Settings, and .env not committed (ignored by git)
- Variable names not prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_ for client-side access
- Redeployment not triggered after changing env vars, using cached build
How to Fix It
Set in Vercel UI: Go to Project Settings > Environment Variables. Add each variable for Production, Preview, Development as needed.
Restart deployment: After changing env vars, trigger new deployment: push to git or click 'Redeploy' button in Vercel.
Client-side vars: Prefix with NEXT_PUBLIC_: NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.example.com
Server secrets: Don't prefix secrets: DATABASE_URL=postgres://... keeps them server-only.
Real developers can help you.
Milan Surelia
Milan Surelia is a Mobile App Developer with 5+ years of experience crafting scalable, cross-platform apps at 7Span and Meticha. At 7Span, he engineers feature-rich Flutter apps with smooth performance and modern UI. As the Co-Founder of Meticha, he builds open-source tools and developer-focused products that solve real-world problems.
Expertise:
š” Developing cross-platform apps using Flutter, Dart, and Jetpack Compose for Android, iOS, and Web.
šļø Sharing insights through technical writing, blogging, and open-source contributions.
š¤ Collaborating closely with designers, PMs, and developers to build seamless mobile experiences.
Notable Achievements:
šÆ Revamped the Vepaar app into Vepaar Store & CRM with a 2x performance boost and smoother UX.
š Launched Compose101 ā a Jetpack Compose starter kit to speed up Android development.
š Open source contributions on Github & StackOverflow for Flutter & Dart
šļø Worked on improving app performance and user experience with smart solutions.
Milan is always happy to connect, work on new ideas, and explore the latest in technology.
hanson1014
Full-stack developer experienced in fixing and deploying AI-generated apps from Lovable, Bolt.new, Cursor, and Replit. I specialize in debugging Supabase integration issues (auth flows, RLS policies, database connections), fixing broken deployments, resolving routing/blank screen problems, and cleaning up messy React/Vite codebases. I also build production apps with the Claude API and have shipped a Mac desktop dev tool (Nexterm from scratch. Based in Hong Kong, fast turnaround.
Jacek Rozanski
Senior PHP/Symfony developer and DevOps engineer with 20+ years of professional experience, running opcode.pl (web development agency, est. 2004).
Day job: I'm the sole backend developer at merketing company where I own and maintain 11 PHP/Symfony microservices on AWS (ECS Fargate, RDS, S3, CloudFront), handle the full CI/CD pipeline (Bitbucket Pipelines, Docker), and manage monitoring with Sentry and CloudWatch. These services handle high request volumes in production every month.
What I bring to AI-built apps:
- I audit and fix security issues (OWASP methodology), performance bottlenecks, and architectural problems in codebases generated by Cursor, Claude Code, Lovable, Bolt, and v0
- I refactor AI-generated prototypes into production-grade applications with proper error handling, testing, and clean architecture (SOLID, DDD, hexagonal architecture)
- I set up the infrastructure AI tools don't touch: AWS hosting, CI/CD pipelines, automated deployments, database optimization, monitoring, and alerting
- I integrate external services: payment providers, email systems, partner APIs, SSO/auth
Tech stack: PHP 8.x, Symfony, React, Next.js, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Docker, AWS (ECS, RDS, S3, SQS/SNS, CloudFront), Terraform, Supabase. I also use AI tools daily (Claude Code, Cursor) in my own workflow, so I understand both the strengths and the gaps in AI-generated code.
Based in Poland (CET timezone). Available for async work and calls during EU/US business hours.
rayush33
JavaScript (React.js, React Native, Node.js) Developer with demonstrated industry experience of 4+ years, actively looking for opportunities to hone my skills as well as help small-scale business owners with solutions to technical problems
Richard McSorley
Full-Stack Software Engineer with 8+ years building high-performance applications for enterprise clients. Shipped production systems at Walmart (4,000+ stores), Cigna (20M+ users), and Arkansas Blue Cross. 5 patents in retail/supply chain tech. Currently focused on AI integrations, automation tools, and TypeScript-first architectures.
Jared Hasson
Full time lead founding dev at a cyber security saas startup, with 10 yoe and a bachelor's in CS. Building & debugging software products is what I've spent my time on for forever
Prakash Prajapati
Iām a Senior Python Developer specializing in building secure, scalable, and highly available systems. I work primarily with Python, Django, FastAPI, Docker, PostgreSQL, and modern AI tooling such as PydanticAI, focusing on clean architecture, strong design principles, and reliable DevOps practices. I enjoy solving complex engineering problems and designing systems that are maintainable, resilient, and built to scale.
PawelPloszaj
I'm fronted developer with 10+ years of experience with big projects. I have small backend background too
Costea Adrian
Embedded Engineer specilizing in perception systems. Latest project was a adas camera calibration system.
Jen Jacobsen
Iām a Full-Stack Developer with over 10 years of experience building modern web and mobile applications. I enjoy working across the full product lifecycle ā turning ideas into real, well-built products that are intuitive for users and scalable for businesses.
I particularly enjoy building mobile apps, modern web platforms, and solving complex technical problems in a way that keeps systems clean, reliable, and easy to maintain.
You don't need to be technical. Just describe what's wrong and a verified developer will handle the rest.
Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
How do I add environment variables in Vercel?
Go to project > Settings > Environment Variables. Add each variable, select which environments (Production, Preview, Development) it applies to.
Should I commit .env file to git?
Never commit secrets. Commit .env.example with placeholder values. Use Vercel UI for actual secrets.
Why is API_KEY undefined in production?
Check 1) Variable set in Vercel Settings 2) Correct environment selected (Production vs Preview) 3) Deployment restarted after adding variable.