Fix · Vercel and deploying

404 Not Found after deploying to Vercel

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What you may see

The home page or a page shows 404: NOT_FOUND
Pages work when I click, but refresh gives 404
It works locally, and the Vercel address says 404

Most likely cause

The deployed site has no file or route at that address: wrong output folder or root directory, a page in the wrong folder, or a single-page app without a rewrite.

Check first (about two minutes)

Open the deployment in Vercel and look at its Source or file list; is index.html or your page there?
Check the project settings: framework preset, output directory and root directory.

The fix prompt

What you type here never leaves your browser. The search runs on this page, and nothing is sent to a server or to an AI.

The exact error or what you see

What you did before it happened

Kept only in this browser, on this device. Keys and passwords are removed before anything is saved.

Prompt language

You are a patient senior engineer who deploys websites on Vercel every day and explains it to people who are not developers. I am not a developer, so explain every step in plain words and tell me exactly which button, menu or command you mean. If you are not sure about something, say so; do not guess.

Menu and button names change over time. If you cannot find a button or page I mention, say so and tell me what to look for instead of guessing.

THE PROBLEM
404 Not Found after deploying to Vercel

THE EXACT ERROR OR WHAT I SEE
[paste the exact error here]

WHAT I DID BEFORE IT HAPPENED
[write in a few words what you did before it happened]

MOST LIKELY CAUSE
The deployed site has no file or route at that address: wrong output folder or root directory, a page in the wrong folder, or a single-page app without a rewrite.

DO THESE STEPS, IN THIS ORDER
1. Identify the framework and read the project settings names (framework preset, root directory, build command, output directory) with me.
2. Check that the page really exists in the right folder (for example app/page.tsx or pages/index.tsx or index.html) and the file name case is exact.
3. If it is a single-page app (Vite/React Router) where refresh gives 404, add a vercel.json rewrite that sends every path to /index.html.
4. Redeploy and test the home page and one inner page by typing its address directly.
Stop and tell me if what you see does not match a step. Do not skip ahead.

CHECK THAT IT WORKED
- The home page and an inner page both open by typing the address, also after a refresh.
Tell me exactly what I should see on the screen when it works.

DO NOT CHANGE
- Do not move my pages around or rename the framework folders without telling me.
- Anything I did not ask about: the design, the text, other pages, other settings or the data.
- Do not delete files, data or branches, do not reset or force-push, and do not rewrite history, unless you first show me exactly what would be lost and I say yes.
- Do not paste, print or ask me to paste a password or secret key into this chat. If one is needed, tell me which settings page of the right service to store it in.

WHEN YOU FINISH
Explain in simple words what you changed (file by file or setting by setting), why you changed it, and how I can undo it.

Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or Cursor, then follow what it says.

After you tried it, did it work?

Steps

Identify the framework and read the project settings names (framework preset, root directory, build command, output directory) with me.
Check that the page really exists in the right folder (for example app/page.tsx or pages/index.tsx or index.html) and the file name case is exact.
If it is a single-page app (Vite/React Router) where refresh gives 404, add a vercel.json rewrite that sends every path to /index.html.
Redeploy and test the home page and one inner page by typing its address directly.

Do not do this

Do not delete the project in Vercel and import it again as the first step.
Do not move my pages around or rename the framework folders without telling me.

Try another entry