Utilizing Vercel Services — Databases, Scheduled Tasks, Email Delivery

Introduction

Vercel might seem like just a "site publishing service."
But actually, it also provides databases, scheduled execution, and email delivery—features needed for applications.

This article introduces useful applications beyond site publishing, focusing on Vercel's Storage features.
If you're building small to mid-sized apps, this can simplify your stack a lot.

What is Vercel Storage?

Vercel's Storage feature is a data storage and processing service directly accessible from Vercel's dashboard.
That convenience is a big win when you want to move fast.

Using these, you can implement certain functionality without contracting a separate database server.
For many teams, that's a practical way to reduce early complexity.

Database Features (KV, Postgres)

Vercel KV (Key-Value)

Good for simple data storage. Use cases include "storing this setting" or "temporarily caching data."

Tell Claude Code "write code that saves data using Vercel KV" and it suggests appropriate implementation.

Vercel Postgres (Relational)

For more serious data management, Postgres is available. It's suitable for managing user information, product data, order history—data with relationships.

Scheduled Execution (QStash)

QStash lets you execute processes at set times—essentially "cron" functionality.

Use Cases

• Generate report and send email every morning at 9am
• Fetch data from external API every hour
• Execute monthly aggregation on the 1st of each month

Tell Claude Code "I want to run this process every day at 9am" and it suggests QStash implementation.

Email Delivery (Resend)

Resend is an email delivery service. Can be integrated from Vercel's dashboard.

Use Cases

• Auto-reply from contact form
• Registration completion notification
• Password reset email

Tell Claude Code "I want to send email after form submission" and it suggests Resend implementation.

Speed Insight (Performance Analysis)

Speed Insight measures and analyzes site performance. It costs around $10/month extra but helps with site improvement.

Metrics Available

Using for Improvement

When Speed Insight identifies issues, you can pass that information to Claude Code for improvements.

Speed Insight shows LCP at 3.2 seconds.
Please investigate what can be improved and fix it.

Claude Code suggests specific improvements like image optimization, lazy loading, cache settings.

When Settings Are Unclear

If you're stuck on setting up these services, there are several approaches:

Have Claude Code Write Procedures

Instruct "write Vercel KV setup procedures to a file" and it outputs steps as text.

Reference Official Documentation

Vercel's official documentation is comprehensive. "Docs" links are available from each service.

Ask ChatGPT or Other AI

Asking while showing screenshots like "what should I do next?" is often effective.

Notes

Free Tier Limits

Each service has a free tier with limitations.

Free tiers are often sufficient for small projects.
As scale grows, you'll want to consider paid plans.

Integration Complexity

Combining these services can make systems complex. Starting simple and adding features as needed is recommended.

Summary

• Vercel Storage adds database functionality
• QStash enables scheduled execution
• Resend implements email delivery
• Speed Insight for performance improvement
• Consult Claude Code or ChatGPT when settings are unclear

Vercel can be used as a platform supporting entire applications, not just "publishing sites." Gradually adding needed features expands what you can do.