Dry-run deployments with Vercel CLI
By Steven Van ·
Vercel CLI's new `--dry` flag previews a deployment's framework and file manifest, with JSON output for scripts and agents.
The Vercel CLI can now preview a deployment before it happens. Running vercel deploy --dry from a linked project shows the detected framework preset, the files that would be included and ignored, and the largest files by size, without uploading anything or creating a deployment.
Adding --format=json returns a complete file manifest for automation: detected framework, included and ignored paths, directory size distribution, largest files, file modes, and content hashes. Piped or otherwise non-TTY output switches to JSON automatically. Vercel says agents can use the manifest as a pre-deployment check, confirming framework detection, catching unexpected or missing files, flagging oversized assets or unusual file modes, and updating .vercelignore or project configuration, then rerunning the check until the manifest matches the intended deployment.
The feature requires Vercel CLI v54.17.2 or later.