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Deploy on Vercel

Securely run Stagehand on Browserbase inside a Vercel Function. This guide shows a minimal, production-safe HTTP endpoint you can call directly or on a schedule.

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Short answer

  • Wrap your script as a Vercel Function (no Next.js needed)
  • Set environment variables
  • Deploy with Vercel

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1. Install Vercel CLI

To download and install Vercel CLI, run one of the following commands: 
pnpm i -g vercel

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2. Project layout

your-project/
  api/
    run.ts
  package.json
  tsconfig.json
  vercel.json
Create the structure with: 
mkdir -p api
touch api/run.ts package.json vercel.json tsconfig.json

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3. api/run.ts (Node.js runtime)

// api/run.ts
import type { VercelRequest, VercelResponse } from "@vercel/node";
import { Stagehand } from "@browserbasehq/stagehand";
import { z } from "zod";

export default async function handler(req: VercelRequest, res: VercelResponse): Promise<void> {
  try {
    const stagehand = new Stagehand({
      env: "BROWSERBASE",
      apiKey: process.env.BROWSERBASE_API_KEY!,
      projectId: process.env.BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID!,
      modelName: "google/gemini-2.5-flash",
      modelClientOptions: {
        apiKey: process.env.GOOGLE_API_KEY!,
      },
      // optional session params
      browserbaseSessionCreateParams: {
        projectId: process.env.BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID!,
        region: "us-west-2",
        browserSettings: {
          blockAds: true,
          viewport: { width: 1920, height: 1080 },
        },
      },
    });

    await stagehand.init();
    const page = stagehand.page;

    await page.goto("https://www.stagehand.dev/");
    await page.act("click the evals button");

    const { extraction } = await page.extract("extract the fastest model");
    const data = { model: extraction ?? "" };

    await stagehand.close();

    res.status(200).json({ ok: true, data: data.model });
  } catch (err: unknown) {
    const msg = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
    res.status(500).json({ ok: false, error: msg });
  }
}

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4. package.json

{
  "name": "bb-stagehand-on-vercel",
  "private": true,
  "type": "module",
  "engines": { "node": ">=18" },
  "dependencies": {
    "@browserbasehq/stagehand": "^2.4.3",
    "zod": "^3.23.8"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "typescript": "^5.6.0",
    "@types/node": "^20.12.12",
    "@vercel/node": "^3.2.20"
  },
  "scripts": {
    "build": "tsc -p tsconfig.json"
  }
}

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5. tsconfig.json

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "ES2022",
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "outDir": ".vercel/output/functions",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "types": ["node"]
  },
  "include": ["api/**/*.ts"]
}

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6. vercel.json

{
  "$schema": "https://openapi.vercel.sh/vercel.json",
  "functions": {
    "api/run.ts": {
      "runtime": "nodejs22.x",
      "maxDuration": 60
    }
  }
}
Increase maxDuration as your plan allows. See Vercel’s docs for up-to-date limits. Edge runtime may allow longer limits on Pro/Enterprise with Fluid compute. Link your local folder to a Vercel project before configuring environment variables: 
# authenticate if needed
vercel login

# link the current directory to a Vercel project (interactive)
vercel link

# or non-interactive if you know the project
# vercel link --project <PROJECT_NAME_OR_ID> --yes

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8. Environment variables

Do not commit .env in production. Add variables via Vercel CLI: 
vercel env add BROWSERBASE_API_KEY
vercel env add BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID
# (and your model key if needed)
vercel env add GOOGLE_API_KEY
See also: Browser Environment for details on required variables.

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Test locally (optional)

Replicate the Vercel environment locally to exercise your Function before deploying. Run from the project root. 
# ensure dependencies are installed
npm install

# start the local Vercel dev server
vercel dev
Useful options: 
# specify port
vercel dev --listen 5005

# skip interactive setup prompts
vercel dev --yes
If your framework’s dev server already supports Functions (e.g., next dev for Next.js), prefer that. For this non-framework “Other” project, vercel dev is recommended.

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9. Deploy

vercel
vercel --prod

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10. Call it

curl -X POST https://<your-deployment>/api/run

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Optional: Cron on Vercel

Hit the same endpoint on a schedule by extending vercel.json: 
{
  "$schema": "https://openapi.vercel.sh/vercel.json",
  "functions": {
    "api/run.ts": { "runtime": "nodejs22.x", "maxDuration": 60 }
  },
  "crons": [
    { "path": "/api/run", "schedule": "0 * * * *" }
  ]
}

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Notes that matter

  • No local browsers needed with env: "BROWSERBASE"; Browserbase provides the browsers.
  • Keep the function fast: Offload browser work to Browserbase and return JSON promptly.
  • Long-running tasks: Raise maxDuration and/or consider Edge runtime limits depending on plan.
  • Vercel recognizes /api/*.ts functions for non-framework projects—see Vercel Functions docs for behavior and limits.