Vercel CLI now lets developers deploy without an account
Vercel has added a way to deploy apps with Vercel CLI without having an account. According to the company, developers can share a prototype through a live URL first and sign in later to claim the project.
- Vercel CLI can now deploy without a Vercel account using the --temporary flag.
- Both whole projects and single files, such as prototype.html, can be deployed.
- Temporary deployments use the tmp.now domain, separate from vercel.app.
- They expire after one hour unless claimed through the link in the CLI output.
- Vercel says the claim link should be kept private.
How temporary deployments work
The feature is built around a new flag, --temporary, for the vercel deploy command. It is meant to be run from a project directory that is not yet linked to Vercel. Running vercel deploy --temporary deploys the current project.
Vercel says the CLI builds the project locally when needed and then returns a deployment URL that can be shared. The aim, in the company's words, is to help developers "share prototypes faster with a live URL before signing in to claim your project."
Deploying a single file
The command is not limited to full projects. A single file can be deployed the same way, for example with vercel deploy --temporary prototype.html. This suits quick demos or one-page prototypes, where setting up an account and linking a project would otherwise come before anyone could see the result.
- Whole project: vercel deploy --temporary
- Single file: vercel deploy --temporary prototype.html
Domain, expiry and claiming
Temporary deployments run on the dedicated tmp.now domain, which is separate from vercel.app. According to Vercel, they expire after one hour unless they are claimed.
To keep a project live, the developer opens the claim link shown in the CLI output and signs in or creates an account. Vercel states that this link should be kept private, which suggests it is the means of taking ownership of the deployment, so it should not be passed around along with the public URL.
What it means for developers
The change lowers the first step for anyone who wants to try Vercel or show a piece of work quickly. A prototype can get a public address from the command line, and the decision to create an account can come after the result is already online. The one-hour limit means the deployments are meant as short-lived previews, and anything meant to last needs to be claimed.
Vercel points developers to the Vercel CLI documentation to get started.
Vercel: Deploy without an account using Vercel CLI
