How to Deploy AI-Generated Code: From Cursor to Production

Pre-Deployment Checklist

Before deploying AI-generated code, verify these essentials:

Method 1: Deploy to Vercel (Recommended for Next.js)

Vercel is the fastest way to deploy Next.js apps generated with Cursor or Claude.

Step 1: Connect Git Repository

# Initialize git if you haven't
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# Create GitHub repo and push
gh repo create my-app --public --source=. --remote=origin --push

Step 2: Deploy via Vercel CLI

# Install Vercel CLI
npm i -g vercel

# Deploy
vercel

# Follow prompts, then:
vercel --prod

Step 3: Configure Environment Variables

In Vercel Dashboard:

1. Go to Project Settings → Environment Variables
2. Add each variable from your .env
3. Select environments (Production, Preview, Development)
4. Redeploy to apply changes

Method 2: Deploy to Netlify

Netlify excels at static sites and works great with AI-generated frontends.

Netlify Agent Runners (New in 2026)

Netlify now lets you deploy directly from AI tools:

1. Share Netlify context with your AI (Cursor, Claude)
2. Prompt: "Deploy this to Netlify"
3. Get live preview instantly
4. Approve and deploy to production

Method 3: Google Cloud Run (For Containers)

For more complex AI-generated apps that need containers:

Automatic Deployment from GitHub

# 1. Create Dockerfile (AI can generate this)
# Ask Cursor: "Create a Dockerfile for this Next.js app"

# 2. Push to GitHub
git add Dockerfile && git commit -m "Add Docker support"
git push

# 3. Connect Cloud Run to GitHub
# Cloud Run will auto-deploy on every push

Deployment Best Practices

1. Use Environment-Specific Configs

// next.config.js
module.exports = {
  env: {
    API_URL: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production'
      ? 'https://api.myapp.com'
      : 'http://localhost:3001'
  }
}

2. Validate Environment Variables at Build

Catch missing env vars before deploy:

// lib/env.ts
const requiredEnvVars = [
  'DATABASE_URL',
  'NEXTAUTH_SECRET',
  'STRIPE_SECRET_KEY',
];

requiredEnvVars.forEach((varName) => {
  if (!process.env[varName]) {
    throw new Error(`Missing required env var: ${varName}`);
  }
});

3. Test in Preview Environments

Always test in a preview environment before production:

• Vercel: Automatic preview for every PR
• Netlify: Deploy previews with unique URLs
• Cloud Run: Create staging service

Common Deployment Issues (And Fixes)

Issue #1: Build Fails in Production

Symptom: Works locally but fails to build on Vercel/Netlify

Fixes:

• Check Node version matches locally and in production
• Ensure all dependencies are in dependencies not devDependencies
• Run npm run build locally to catch errors early

Issue #2: Environment Variables Not Working

Symptom: App works locally but fails in production with "undefined" env vars

Fixes:

• Double-check variable names (typos are common!)
• For Next.js, client-side vars need NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix
• Redeploy after adding env vars
• Check you added vars to correct environment (production vs preview)

Issue #3: Database Connection Errors

Symptom: Can't connect to database from deployed app

Fixes:

• Use connection pooling (Prisma Accelerate, PgBouncer)
• Check database allows connections from your host's IPs
• Use serverless-friendly connection strings
• Enable SSL for production database connections

Continuous Deployment Workflow

Set up automatic deployments for maximum speed:

Security Checklist for AI Code

AI-generated code can have security issues. Check these before deploying:

• □ No API keys or secrets in code
• □ Input validation on all user inputs
• □ SQL injection protection (use ORMs like Prisma)
• □ CORS configured properly
• □ Rate limiting on API routes
• □ Authentication on protected routes

Monitoring Your Deployed App

After deploying, monitor these metrics:

• Performance: Vercel Analytics, Web Vitals
• Errors: Sentry, LogRocket
• Uptime: UptimeRobot, Better Uptime
• Costs: Platform dashboards (Vercel, Netlify)

When to Get Deployment Help

Some deployments are complex. Get expert help when:

• Multi-service architectures (frontend + backend + database)
• Custom domain and SSL setup issues
• Performance optimization needed
• Database migration errors
• Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, etc.)

Conclusion: Deploy with Confidence

Deploying AI-generated code doesn't have to be scary. With proper testing, environment management, and the right platform, you can deploy in minutes.

Remember: The fastest way to improve is to deploy often. Every deployment teaches you something new. Don't wait for perfection—ship it, learn, iterate.