Start here
Start here

Get your Vercel token for Claude Code

Step by step, with screenshots: create a free Vercel account, make an access token, and hand it to Claude Code so it can put your website live.

Updated 3 min read

Claude Code can build you a website in minutes. To put it live on the internet, it needs permission to deploy to your Vercel account. That permission is a token: a long, password-like key you create once and hand to Claude Code.

This takes about 5 minutes. Do it before class.

You need: a laptop with Claude Code installed, a phone that can receive texts, and a GitHub account (free at github.com if you don't have one).

1. Sign up with GitHub

Go to vercel.com/signup and click Continue with GitHub. Approve the GitHub screen that follows.

Vercel sign-up page with Continue with GitHub highlighted

2. Verify your phone

Vercel may ask for a phone number. Enter yours, click Continue, then type the code it texts you.

Phone verification screen with the phone field and Continue highlighted

3. Pick the free plan

Choose I'm working on personal projects. That's the Hobby plan, which is free. Type your name and click Continue.

Choose a Plan screen with the personal projects option, name field and Continue highlighted

4. Open your account settings

On your dashboard, click your name in the bottom-left corner, then the gear icon at the top of the menu that opens.

Account menu open, with your name at the bottom left and the gear icon highlighted

5. Go to Tokens

In the left sidebar, click Tokens. You can also go straight to vercel.com/account/settings/tokens.

Account settings sidebar with Tokens highlighted

6. Create the token

Fill in the Create Token form:

  1. Token name: claude-code
  2. Scope: click it, choose your account name, then All Projects
  3. Expiration: 1 Year
  4. Click Create

Create Token form filled in: name claude-code, scope set to the account, expiration 1 Year, Create highlighted

7. Copy it right away

Click the copy icon next to the token. Vercel shows it only once. If you close this box before copying, delete the token and make a new one.

Token Created dialog with the token blurred and the copy icon highlighted

8. Give it to Claude Code

Open Claude Code in your course folder and paste this, with your token in place of <PASTE TOKEN>:

text
Here is my Vercel token: <PASTE TOKEN>. Save it as VERCEL_TOKEN in a .env file in
my course folder, add .env to .gitignore so it never goes to GitHub, then install
the Vercel CLI and confirm the token works by running: vercel whoami

You're done when Claude Code shows your Vercel username from vercel whoami.

If something goes wrong

  • Lost the token, or pasted it somewhere public? Go back to the Tokens page, open the ⋯ menu on that token, click Delete, and create a new one.
  • vercel whoami fails? The token was probably copied with a missing character. Make a new one and paste it again.
  • No text from Vercel? Check the number and country code, then click Back and try again.