Preview Deployments

Understand how to use the Worker Dashboard to view, deploy, and share preview deployments.

Vercel automatically deploys every push to your worker branch, creating a unique preview URL. The Worker Dashboard provides buttons to view, trigger deployments, and notify customers about your work.

  1. Push to Your Branch

    When you push commits to your worker-[pseudonym] branch, Vercel automatically detects the changes.

  2. Build Triggered

    Vercel runs the build process, installing dependencies and compiling the code.

  3. Preview Deployed

    A new preview deployment is created. This typically takes 1-3 minutes.

  4. URL Available

    The preview URL becomes accessible via the "View Preview" button on the project page.

From the project page, find the Workers section. Your claim shows:

  • Your pseudonym and branch name – e.g., "worker-curious-fox"
  • View Preview button – Opens your latest Vercel deployment in a new tab
  • Deploy Preview button – Manually triggers a new deployment
  • Notify Customer button – Sends the preview to the client
Preview Not Available?

If no preview is available, you'll see a message. This happens when Vercel hasn't deployed your branch yet. Push a commit or click "Deploy Preview" to trigger a deployment.

Clicking Deploy Preview manually triggers a Vercel deployment for your branch:

  1. Click Deploy Preview

    A confirmation modal appears showing the branch name and latest commit SHA (if available).

  2. Confirm the Deployment

    Click "Deploy" to trigger the build.

  3. Wait for Build

    The deployment typically takes 1-3 minutes. You'll see a toast notification when complete.

When to Use Deploy Preview

Use this when you want to test without pushing a new commit, or if you need to redeploy after configuration changes.

When your work is ready for client review, click Notify Customer:

  1. Click Notify Customer

    A confirmation modal appears with branch and commit information.

  2. Confirm Notification

    Click "Notify Customer" to send.

  3. Email Sent

    The client receives an email with your preview URL. A toast confirms "Customer notified! Deployment triggered and email sent."

Only Notify When Ready

The Notify Customer button also triggers a deployment. Only use it when your work is ready for review, not for intermediate testing.

Before notifying the customer, thoroughly test your preview:

  • Cross-browser Testing – Test in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge
  • Mobile Testing – Use responsive design mode or actual mobile devices
  • Functionality – Test all features, forms, and interactions
  • Authentication – If using Firebase Auth, ensure sign-in/sign-up works
  • Data – Verify database reads and writes function correctly
  • Console Errors – Open DevTools (F12) and fix any JavaScript errors
Quick Actions

The project page also has Quick Actions in the hero section. Click "View Customer Preview" to see what the customer will see, or "Open GitHub" to access the repository.