INFRASTRUCTURE

What it needs

• Compute: verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)
• Postgres: verified (Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.)

PREREQUISITES

Before you start

• The Next.js source and its environment variable names and values
• next start bound to 0.0.0.0 on PORT (Vercel does not require this; Ample does)
• A component inventory: edge middleware, ISR, image optimization, cron and Vercel-specific integrations are not migrated by this recipe
• An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read and domains:write for cutover

TESTED CONFIGURATION

Exactly what was tested

• build: npm run build --if-present
• install: npm install
• runtime: node
• size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• start: npm run start
• template: node-22

STEP BY STEP

How to do it

1. 1

Inventory

List what the app uses on Vercel. Compute and environment variables are in scope; edge middleware, ISR revalidation, image optimization, cron jobs and Vercel integrations are out of scope and must be reviewed.

2. 2

Deploy to Ample in parallel

Deploy the same source with its environment variables; Vercel keeps serving production.

ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --env KEY=value

3. 3

Validate on the Ample URL

Run the app's smoke tests and the success checks; compare responses with production.

4. 4

Cut over DNS

Add the custom domain and set the documented DNS records; TLS is issued automatically. Keep Vercel until traffic is verified.

ample domain add <domain> --app <app-name>

5. 5

Rollback

Point DNS back to Vercel. Nothing on Vercel was changed by this recipe.

EXAMPLES

Tested examples

• Static export canary (tests/deploy-canaries/next-static-export): Vercel-style static export served with correct 404 handling.
• SSR canary (tests/deploy-canaries/next-basic-ssr): next build and next start.
• Next.js + pg canary (tests/deploy-canaries/next-postgres-basic): Database connection from a route handler with an auto-provisioned managed database.

SUCCESS CHECKS

How to know it worked

• page renders on the Ample URL (/ on the live URL, expect ample canary next basic ssr)
• database route reports a live connection (/api/db on the live URL, expect postgres=ok)

LIMITATIONS

Know the limits

• Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; other templates and sizes are not verified by this recipe.
• Region, compliance attestations and request-duration limits are unknown and not claimed.
• Apps auto-pause when idle and wake on the next request; always-on is an operator setting, not a plan feature.
• Managed PostgreSQL 16 only; extensions, connection limits and backup or restore procedures are not verified.
• Apps and their managed databases are placed together; cross-node shared databases are unsupported.
• Documentation only: the catalog does not execute the migration; each stage is a normal authenticated deploy or domain command.
• Edge middleware, ISR, image optimization, cron and Vercel integrations are not verified on Ample and are not migrated.
• Vercel-side changes and deletion are the user's separate actions.

COST

Cost estimate

Estimated 10.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision a1b8c38919e59cd035ebabaced73cf84ece24371).

• app server x1 s-1vcpu-1gb: 5.00 USD
• managed PostgreSQL database x1 s-1vcpu-1gb: 5.00 USD

Apps and managed databases auto-pause when idle; the estimate is the always-on monthly price of the tested sizes. Plan quotas and budgets apply.

EVIDENCE

Verification evidence

• canary_run on 2026-09-19T23:55:33Z at revision 1764076-tls-account-903d345: Next.js static export (Vercel-style output) was published and served, including a nested route and a correct 404. (expires 2027-03-18T23:55:33Z)
• canary_run on 2026-09-19T23:55:33Z at revision 1764076-tls-account-903d345: Next.js 15 SSR app (next build, next start) deployed on node-22; the page and an API route served correctly. (expires 2027-03-18T23:55:33Z)
• canary_run on 2026-09-20T01:42:25Z at revision 199ff1dfd52683832ae75d3f98b53a7a4bff7f96-dirty (CLI e3181f5): Next.js 15 route handler using pg with no DATABASE_URL supplied: Ample auto-provisioned a managed PostgreSQL database and /api/db reported postgres=ok. (expires 2027-03-19T01:42:25Z)

EXECUTION

Execution binding

No execution binding. This recipe is documentation only; nothing is executed automatically.

NEXT ACTIONS

Typed next actions

• Browse the catalog index (GET /v1/catalog on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (POST /v1/catalog/search on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (POST /v1/catalog/plan on the api origin; authentication required, approval not required)
• Read the existing agent authentication setup (GET /mcp/setup on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Vercel app (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/migration%3Avercel-app on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Next.js (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-next-js on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
• Browse Migrate compute (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Amigrate-compute on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)

Actions describe possible next steps. They are typed data, not commands, and grant no permission. Public discovery never provisions anything; planning requires your own authenticated token and approval happens in your client.