Vercel Container Registry raises compressed layer limit to 2 GB
Vercel Container Registry now accepts compressed image layers of up to 2 GB, up from the previous limit of 500 MB. Larger layers can be pushed without splitting them, while the total image size limit stays at 15 GB.
- Vercel Container Registry now supports compressed image layers of up to 2 GB, up from 500 MB.
- Larger layers can be pushed without splitting them.
- The total image size limit remains 15 GB.
- Vercel names images with large toolchains or dependency sets as the main use case, such as custom Vercel Sandbox environments for coding-agent evaluations.
What changed in the registry
Vercel has increased the per-layer limit in its Container Registry. Each compressed image layer can now be up to 2 GB, compared with 500 MB before. According to Vercel, this means larger layers can be pushed as they are, without being split into smaller pieces first.
The cap on the total size of an image has not changed. It remains at 15 GB, so the update affects how an image can be structured rather than how large it can be overall.
Who benefits from larger layers
Vercel says the higher limit is useful for images with large toolchains or dependency sets. As an example, the company points to custom Vercel Sandbox environments for coding-agent evaluations. Such images often bundle many tools and libraries, which can produce single layers that were previously too big for the registry.
Until now, teams with layers above 500 MB had to restructure their builds to stay under the limit. With the new ceiling, a heavy dependency installation can sit in one layer as long as its compressed size stays within 2 GB.
How to push an image
Vercel outlines the workflow for users who have Docker and the Vercel CLI installed. The commands are run from the directory that contains the Dockerfile:
- vercel link to link the project
- vercel vcr login docker to authenticate Docker
- vercel vcr build docker . --push to build and push the image
In short, the steps are to link the project, authenticate Docker, then build and push the image. Vercel also points users to the Vercel Container Registry getting-started guide, which covers building, pushing and pulling a first container image.
What it means for users
For teams already using Vercel Container Registry, the change removes a constraint on how layers are organised, particularly for large environments such as those used in coding-agent evaluations. The 15 GB total limit still applies, so very large images remain bounded by that figure. The source does not mention any change to commands or setup beyond the higher layer limit.
