create-a-backend

Picking where the server side of an app should actually run — ordinary request-and-response code, a background job, a long multi-step task and a Postgres or Redis database all belong somewhere different — and settling that before any of it is written.

This is a saved copy of the skill's SKILL.md instructions. It may differ from the upstream file or the version you install.

In this document (5)

Create a Backend

Help the user create a backend by choosing an architecture before reaching for implementation details. Start from the workload, not the programming language. Vercel runs complex backend applications, not just frontends.

Product map

Need	Vercel product
HTTP APIs, webhooks, streaming, or framework server code	Vercel Functions with Fluid compute
Bidirectional realtime connections (WebSockets)	Vercel Functions with Fluid compute; no separate realtime service required
A frontend and one or more backends (API endpoints) that deploy together	Vercel Services
An existing Dockerfile, custom runtime, or system dependencies	Container images on Vercel Functions, optionally composed with Services
Durable multi-step work with retries, sleeps, or external events	Vercel Workflows
Background jobs, buffering, fan-out, or direct message routing	Vercel Queues
Scheduled HTTP work	Vercel Cron Jobs; use Workflow when the job itself must be durable
Postgres, Redis, NoSQL, vector, or other application data	Storage integrations from the Vercel Marketplace
Files and user uploads	Vercel Blob
Global, read-heavy configuration	Global Config

Use Functions for the normal request/response backend. Use Services when independently built components should share one deployment, routing layer, preview URL, and rollback. Use separate Vercel projects when components need independent release cycles.

Prefer a native Functions runtime for supported frameworks. Use container images when the application already has a Dockerfile or requires a custom runtime or system dependencies. They run as autoscaling, stateless Functions rather than always-on container hosts.

Choose Queues for background jobs, buffering, fan-out, and message routing. Choose Workflow for durable multi-step business logic.

Databases and data stores

Provision data stores through the Marketplace so credentials are injected into the project and environments stay connected. Check the current catalog before choosing a provider.

Postgres: Neon, Supabase, AWS/Aurora, Nile, Prisma
MySQL: AWS/Aurora
Redis and key-value: Upstash, Redis
Document and NoSQL: MongoDB Atlas, AWS
SQLite: Turso
Realtime application backend: Convex
Analytics: MotherDuck

Keep the database close to the Functions region and use a serverless-compatible connection or pool.

Backend frameworks

Vercel provides first-class backend examples and integrations for these frameworks:

Node.js and TypeScript: Elysia, Express, Fastify, H3, Hono, Koa, NestJS, Nitro, and xmcp. Next.js Route Handlers are the natural choice when the backend belongs to a Next.js application.
Python: FastAPI, Flask, and Django. Other WSGI or ASGI applications can run when they export a compatible app, with additional configuration as needed.
Go: supported as a Vercel Functions runtime.

Frontend and backend combinations, for example a Next.js/Vite/SvelteKit frontend with a FastAPI/Flask/Express/Go backend, can be deployed together in one project using Services.

Prefer the user's existing framework. For a new project, choose based on ecosystem and application needs.

Work sequence

Identify synchronous requests, asynchronous work, persistent data, and independently deployed components.
Select the products from the map, then select the framework.
Load the focused skill for implementation: vercel-functions, vercel-services, workflow, vercel-storage, or marketplace.
Confirm function limits, regions, environment variables, observability, and current product availability in the official docs before deployment.

This skill ships inside the Vercel Plugin. Listed package contents include 4 slash commands, 3 agents, hooks and an MCP server. Installed components and skill versions may vary by AI tool.

Install just this skill

Run this outside your AI tool, using Node.js 22.20.0 or newer. Skills CLI 1.7.2 skips skill selection; prompts cancel installation without an interactive terminal. If choosing Project when asked about installation scope, open your project's folder before running this.

Install checklist

Check selected tools if a picker appears; Claude Code may be unchecked under Additional agents. ↑/↓ moves, Space toggles selections, Enter confirms.
Without a tool picker, check Installing to: for your intended tool. Stop if it names a different tool.
If asked, choose Symlink (Recommended) for shared files or Copy to all agents for separate copies; review the summary before confirming installation.
Install the find-skills skill? defaults to Yes, adding another skill for all projects. Choose No if you don't want that extra installation.

Skills CLI 1.7.2 sends install data to skills.sh by default, including the source, skill names, target tools and file details; GitHub sources are reported only when GitHub confirms the repository is public, while other remote sources can also be reported. Confirmed-public GitHub sources also trigger a security-audit request. Before installing, set the environment variable DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 to disable both.

npx skills add vercel/vercel-plugin --skill "create-a-backend" --full-depth

After installing for Claude Code, open it in the installation project if you chose Project; Global makes the skill available across projects on this computer. Once Claude Code loads the skill, its description helps Claude decide when to use it.

If installation created a top-level skills folder that did not exist when your Claude Code session started, run /reload-skills in that session. Run it again after later changes in that folder.

Install the whole plugin

This route installs the Vercel Plugin package selected for your AI tool.

Run this command in a terminal

npx plugins add vercel/vercel-plugin

Plugins CLI 1.3.4 sends an install report by default, including the source exactly as entered, plugin names, target tools and scope; it does not check whether repositories are public or private. Before installing, set the environment variable DO_NOT_TRACK=1 or DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 to disable this report. For data sent by an installed plugin, check that plugin's documentation.

Open plugin page ↗

What's inside

Files included with this skill.

View on GitHub

Create a Backend

Product map

Databases and data stores

Backend frameworks

Work sequence

Account or credentials required

Install just this skill

Install the whole plugin

Run this command in a terminal

What's inside

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