3 · Connect Vercel and go live

Import your GitHub repo into Vercel, add your keys, and get your first live URL.

Vercel turns the code in your GitHub repo into a real, fast website — and rebuilds it every time you push a change. The free plan is plenty to launch.

Create a free Vercel account — sign in with GitHub.

Go to vercel.com/signup and choose Continue with GitHub. This links the two accounts so Vercel can see your repos. (One click, no extra password.)
Import your shop's repository.

In the Vercel dashboard: Add New… → Project. You'll see a list of your GitHub repos — find my-shop and click Import. If it's not listed, click Adjust GitHub App Permissions and give Vercel access to the repo.

From inside your shop folder:

npm i -g vercel
vercel link

Follow the prompts to create/link the Vercel project to this repo.

Add your environment variables (your keys and database).

Before the first build, Vercel needs a few values. In the import screen (or Project → Settings → Environment Variables), add at least:
- TURSO_DATABASE_URL and TURSO_AUTH_TOKEN — your production database. See Deployment → Turso to create one in two minutes (free tier).
- AUTH_SECRET — a random secret for logins. Generate one with openssl rand -hex 32 (or any 32+ character random string).
Optional keys can wait
Stripe, Anthropic, Gemini, Resend and the rest are optional — your shop runs without them and you can add them anytime in /admin/integrations or here in Vercel. The full list is in your project's .env.example.
Deploy.

Click Deploy (or it starts automatically after import). Vercel builds your shop — about a minute — and gives you a live URL like my-shop.vercel.app. That's your shop, on the internet. 🎉
Finish setup in the admin.

Open https://my-shop.vercel.app/admin/setup and walk the wizard (brand, theme, first products). See Go live for the launch checklist.

From now on, publishing is automatic

Vercel is now watching your GitHub repo. Every time you push a change to GitHub, Vercel rebuilds your live shop. The next page shows the safe, everyday way to make changes.

Next: Step 4 — The everyday loop.