Deployment Failure: Why Your AI‑Coded App Won’t Go Live (And How to Fix It)
Few moments deflate momentum like a failed deploy. Your vibe‑coded or no‑code app runs on your laptop, you push it to hosting, and the build breaks—or the site loads a blank screen, or a sign‑in loop traps new users. The gap between “it runs here” and “it runs for everyone” is where many AI‑generated apps stumble, especially on the first launch.
Modern AI app generation tools such as Cursor, Claude Code, Lovable, Bolt.new, Replit, and Vercel v0 make it easy to produce a convincing demo fast. The hand‑off to a live host (Vercel, Netlify, Render, or your cloud of choice) is where real‑world details matter, and where non‑technical founders feel the friction most.
Why it runs locally but not online
Local machines are forgiving. You might have credentials saved, tools installed, or background services running that your deployment environment doesn’t have. An AI app generator can produce a convincing demo without wiring every detail for production. When you deploy, those missing pieces show up as failures that look mysterious but are usually simple once you name them.
Common culprits include:
- Missing environment values (for example, no real keys for auth or email)
- Wrong URLs hard‑coded for development
- Build commands that work locally but fail in the cloud
- A database that doesn’t exist in production, or isn’t reachable
Each of these is solvable with a short checklist and a habit of testing a live link before you celebrate.
A plain‑English deployment checklist
Before you hit “Deploy,” write down three things: what must load first, what action a new user should complete, and how you’ll know it worked. Then line up the basics.
- Secrets and keys: add real values for sign‑in, email, and any external service
- URLs: use environment‑based URLs instead of hard‑coding local addresses
- Build settings: confirm the command and Node/Runtime versions your host expects
- Data: create the production database or set the live API credentials
Click through the app in production. Can a new person sign up and see the home screen? Can an existing person sign in, change a simple setting, and sign out? If those flows work, your foundation is ready.
Keep development and production in sync
Many failures come from differences between your laptop and the server. Reduce surprises by keeping a single source of truth for settings and using the same commands everywhere. If your host offers preview deployments, use them; they let you test changes on live infrastructure before you invite real users.
- Store configuration in environment variables, not in the code
- Keep a short file that lists required variables and example values
- Prefer one build command for all environments
- Try a preview URL for every change and click through key paths
What to do when a deploy fails
Treat a failed deploy as a learning step, not a disaster. Read the error message, even if it looks technical, and look for simple words like “missing,” “not found,” or “permission.” Copy a small part of the message into your next prompt and ask for a targeted fix. Then redeploy and test only the path that failed.
If the error isn’t clear, reduce the surface area: deploy a smaller change, or disable the new page and focus on making sign‑in and the home screen reliable. Shipping a stable core is better than waiting for a perfect release that never lands.
The quick path from demo to live link
Vibe‑coding lets you reach a demo fast. Production asks for a few extra steps: real credentials, consistent settings, and simple checks on the live site. Make those part of your habit and your deploys will start to feel routine.
If you’re blocked by a stubborn deployment issue and need outside help to steady the release, Spin by fryga can step in as a rescue partner—untangling configuration, wiring the last mile, and getting your link live.