Beginner
How to implement rollback to previous deployment on Vercel
Quick Answer
You can rollback to a previous deployment on Vercel by accessing your project dashboard, viewing the deployments list, and promoting a previous deployment to production. This process takes just a few clicks and immediately reverts your live site to the selected previous version.
Prerequisites
- Vercel account with an existing project
- Previous deployments available in project history
- Admin or owner permissions for the Vercel project
- Basic understanding of deployment concepts
1
Access Your Vercel Project Dashboard
Log into your Vercel account and navigate to your project dashboard. Click on the project you want to rollback from your projects list. Once in the project dashboard, you'll see an overview of your current production deployment and recent activity.
Tip
Bookmark your project dashboard URL for quick access during emergencies.
2
Navigate to the Deployments Tab
Click on the Deployments tab in the project navigation menu. This will display a chronological list of all your deployments, including production and preview deployments. Each deployment shows the commit hash, branch, deployment time, and current status.
3
Identify the Target Deployment
Review the deployment history to find the version you want to rollback to. Look for deployments marked with a green Production badge to see previous production versions. You can click on any deployment to view its details, including the commit message and changes made.
Tip
Check the deployment timestamp and commit message to ensure you're selecting the correct version.
4
Open Deployment Actions Menu
Locate the deployment you want to rollback to and click the three-dot menu (...) icon next to it. This will open a dropdown menu with available actions for that specific deployment. You'll see options like Visit, Promote to Production, and Redeploy.
Tip
Use the 'Visit' option first to preview the deployment and confirm it's the correct version.
5
Promote Previous Deployment to Production
Click on Promote to Production from the dropdown menu. Vercel will display a confirmation dialog explaining that this action will make the selected deployment your new production version. Click Promote to confirm the rollback action.
6
Monitor the Promotion Process
Vercel will begin promoting the selected deployment to production. You'll see a progress indicator and notifications in the dashboard. The process typically takes 30-60 seconds depending on your project size. Once complete, the deployment will show a Production badge.
Tip
Keep the dashboard open during promotion to monitor for any potential issues.
7
Verify the Rollback Success
Visit your production domain to confirm the rollback was successful. Check that the expected version of your application is now live. You can also verify by looking at the Deployments tab where the promoted deployment should now display the Production badge.
Tip
Test critical functionality on your rolled-back deployment to ensure everything works as expected.
8
Update Your Git Branch (Optional)
If you want to continue development from the rolled-back state, consider updating your main branch to match the rolled-back deployment. Use
git reset --hard <commit-hash> or create a new branch from the rolled-back commit. This ensures your codebase aligns with your production deployment.Tip
Always create a backup branch before performing git reset operations on your main branch.
Troubleshooting
Promote to Production option is grayed out or missing
Ensure you have admin or owner permissions for the project. Only successful deployments can be promoted - check that the deployment completed without errors and shows a green status indicator.
Rollback completed but changes aren't visible on the live site
Clear your browser cache and try accessing your site in an incognito window. DNS propagation can take a few minutes, and CDN caching may show the previous version temporarily.
Deployment promotion fails or gets stuck
Check Vercel's status page for any ongoing issues. Try refreshing the page and attempting the promotion again. If the issue persists, contact Vercel support with your deployment ID.
Cannot find the deployment you want to rollback to
Use the date filter or search functionality in the deployments list. Deployments are paginated, so scroll down or use the Load More button to see older deployments. Check if you're looking in the correct project.
Ready to get started with Vercel?
Put this tutorial into practice. Visit Vercel and follow the steps above.
Visit Vercel →