Vercel not deploying latest GitHub commit (Next.js App Router) — what am I missing?

[paidterms]

Body

I’m building a Next.js App Router project (Stripe + Supabase) and I’m stuck on what feels like a basic but confusing deployment issue.

What I’m trying to achieve:
I want my production site on Vercel to always reflect the latest commit on my GitHub main branch. When I push code, Vercel should automatically build and deploy that exact commit.

What works:

The app works locally

API routes work locally

Stripe webhooks fire correctly locally

Git commits and pushes appear correctly on GitHub

The problem:
Vercel is not deploying the latest commit from GitHub.
Production is serving older code, and routes that exist locally (e.g. /api/version, new GET handlers) return 404 / 405 in production.

In Vercel:

The build logs don’t show the latest GitHub commit hash

The deployed version seems tied to an earlier commit

I’m not sure if Vercel is watching the wrong branch, wrong repo, or wrong project root

What I’m confused about:

Whether Vercel is actually linked to the correct GitHub repo + branch

Whether my App Router API routes are structured incorrectly for production

How to force Vercel to deploy a specific commit or resync with GitHub

What I’m hoping to understand:

How to confirm which branch + commit Vercel is deploying

Common reasons Vercel serves stale builds

The correct way to force a fresh production deployment from main

If anyone’s hit this before or can sanity-check my mental model, I’d really appreciate it.

Optional comment you can add (if people ask “what have you tried?”)

Manual redeploy from Vercel dashboard

Verified commits exist on GitHub

Confirmed local build works

Checked API route paths for App Router (app/api/**/route.ts)

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[tmilost]

hi, @paidterms
It's tricky to give an answer, go through all the steps, something is wrong somewhere.

1. Confirm Vercel is linked to the correct GitHub repository and branch:

   • In your Vercel dashboard, go to your project → Settings → Git.
   • Make sure the “Git Repository” and “Production Branch” exactly match your intended repo and branch (usually main).
   • If they don't, re-link the correct repo or adjust the branch.

2. Check what commit and branch are deployed:

   • Each Vercel deployment shows the commit SHA and branch used (visible in your Deployments list).
   • Match this commit SHA to your latest GitHub commit in main.
   • If mismatched, it's likely the wrong branch/repo is connected or triggers aren’t firing properly.

3. Common reasons for stale builds:

   • Wrong branch set as production in Vercel.
   • Repo or branch has disconnected (reauthenticate if needed).
   • Project’s root directory in Vercel is misconfigured (should match your Next.js app folder).
   • Pushes not triggering re-deploy due to missing Git integration or webhooks.
   • Build caching or errors preventing fresh build.

4. Forcing deployment of the latest commit:

   • From the Vercel dashboard, trigger a manual “Redeploy” from the latest commit in main.
   • Alternatively, make a trivial commit (e.g., add a space) and push again.
   • Check Vercel’s webhook settings for your repo—ensure push events trigger builds.

5. App Router API structure:

   • For Next.js App Router, API routes should be under app/api/yourroute/route.ts (not pages/api).
   • Double-check production build paths match local paths.
   • Use Vercel’s “Functions” tab to see if API routes are recognized and deployable.

6. If routes work locally but not in production:

   • Check your Vercel project’s root directory (Settings → General → Root Directory).
   • If using monorepo, Vercel may deploy from the wrong subfolder.

7. Troubleshooting steps:

   • Re-link GitHub repo or disconnect/reconnect it in Vercel.
   • Manually select the latest commit SHA for deployment (if available in Vercel).
   • Clear Vercel’s build cache and redeploy.
   • Ensure Vercel’s integration permissions are up-to-date.

Summary: Make sure Vercel is connected to the right repo and branch, pushes trigger deployments, and your project root and API structure are correct. Use Vercel’s dashboard to check deployed commit SHAs and manually redeploy if needed.

[jashwinsingh11]

Vercel where production doesn’t seem to reflect the latest commits on my GitHub main branch. Locally everything works as expected (including App Router API routes and Stripe webhooks), and the latest commits are visible on GitHub, but in production Vercel is serving older code: newly added routes return 404/405 and the build logs don’t show the most recent commit hash. I’ve tried manual redeploys from the Vercel dashboard, verified that the commits exist on GitHub, and confirmed that the local build succeeds, which makes me unsure whether Vercel is linked to the correct repository, branch, or project root, or if there’s something about App Router API route structure that behaves differently in production. I’d really appreciate any guidance on how to confirm which branch and commit Vercel is actually deploying, common reasons Vercel might serve stale builds, or the proper way to force a fresh production deployment from main.

[MazenShalaby]

This behavior almost always means Vercel is not deploying the same Git ref you think it is, not that Next.js or App Router is broken.

Here’s the mental model that helped me debug this class of issues:

🔍 How Vercel actually decides what code to serve

Vercel deploys a specific commit SHA, not “whatever is on GitHub”

“Production” is just a label pointing to one deployment

If that deployment wasn’t triggered by the latest main commit, you’ll see:

Missing App Router API routes

404 / 405 for handlers that exist locally

Build logs showing an older SHA

🧠 Why App Router makes this feel confusing

App Router API routes are:

Tree-shaken at build time

Fully static in output
So if Vercel builds an older commit:

Those routes literally do not exist in the deployed artifact
→ hence 404 instead of runtime errors

That’s why this never reproduces locally.

🚨 The 3 real-world causes I’ve seen (in order of frequency)

Production branch mismatch

Project still pointing to master or a preview branch

Wrong project root

Build succeeds, but from an older directory layout

Repo drift

Vercel linked to a fork / old repo / renamed repo

✅ How to prove it (not guess)

Open the current production deployment

Copy the commit SHA

Compare it to:

git rev-parse origin/main

If they differ → mystery solved.

🔁 Nuclear reset (when in doubt)

Disconnect GitHub from the Vercel project

Re-link the correct repo

Set production branch explicitly

Trigger a fresh deploy

This isn’t about “forcing” Vercel — it’s about ensuring the deployment trigger → commit → build artifact chain is aligned.

Once that chain is correct, App Router + Stripe + Supabase behave exactly as expected.