IT Error Decoder
Vercel

How to Fix Vercel build failed (generic)

Last reviewed

Error message

Build failed: <reason>. Vercel deployment exited with a non-zero status.

The most useful thing about a failed Vercel build is the log itself. The bottom of the log almost always names the file and line that broke.

What this error means

Your build script returned a non-zero exit code, so Vercel marked the deployment as failed and kept the previous deployment live.

Why this happens

Anything that breaks `next build` locally will break it on Vercel: type errors, missing env vars at build time, missing dependencies, or a script step that fails.

Quick fix (for end users)

  • Open the failed deployment on Vercel and scroll to the bottom of the build log.
  • Reproduce locally with the same command and Node version Vercel uses.

Admin / engineer fix

  • Reproduce locally cleanly.

    command
    rm -rf node_modules .next && npm ci && npm run build

  • Match Node and package versions to Vercel's. Add an `engines` block to package.json if you haven't.

    command
    // package.json
"engines": { "node": "20.x" }

  • If a build step needs an env var, make sure the var exists in Vercel for the right environment (Production/Preview).

Step-by-step fix

  1. Read the bottom of the Vercel build log.

  2. Reproduce locally with `npm ci && npm run build`.

  3. Fix the underlying error and push.

Affected products

Vercel · Next.js

Common variations of this error

People also see these phrasings of the same problem:

  • Vercel deployment failed
  • Build error on Vercel

Still broken? Try these

  • Compare local and Vercel Node versions.
  • Check that no required env var is missing at build time (Vercel logs which vars are available at the start of the build).
  • If using a monorepo, set the correct Root Directory in project settings.

Related errors

Related searches

  • vercel build failed log
  • vercel deployment error

Frequently asked questions

Why does it work locally but fail on Vercel?

Almost always one of: different Node version, missing env var, case-sensitive imports failing on Linux, or `devDependencies` being stripped in production install.

Browse more errors in Vercel: Fix Vercel deployment errors. Build failures, missing output directories, exceeded build duration, missing env vars, and module resolution issues. Or paste your own error into the error decoder tool to find a match. You can also go back to the homepage to browse common errors by topic.