FollowUpAI

🚀 Simple Deployment Guide: Render & Vercel

This guide provides a simplified deployment strategy using Render for the Backend/Database and Vercel for the Frontend. This approach bypasses local Docker issues by letting the cloud platforms build your application.

📋 Prerequisites

  1. Code on GitHub: Ensure your latest code is pushed to your GitHub repository: Aisenh037/FollowUpAI.
  2. Accounts:

🛠️ Part 1: Backend Deployment (Render)

We will deploy the Database, Redis, and the API Service.

Step 1: Create PostgreSQL Database

  1. On the Render Dashboard, click New + -> PostgreSQL.
  2. Name: followup-db
  3. Region: Oregon (US West) (or closest to you).
  4. Free Tier: Select “Free”.
  5. Click Create Database.
  6. Wait for it to be created.
  7. Copy the Internal Database URL (we’ll use this later).

Step 2: Create Redis (For Background Tasks)

  1. Click New + -> Redis.
  2. Name: followup-redis
  3. Region: Same as Database (Oregon).
  4. Free Tier: Select “Free”.
  5. Click Create Redis.
  6. Copy the Internal Redis URL (e.g., redis://red-xxxx:6379).

Step 3: Create Web Service (The Python API)

  1. Click New + -> Web Service.
  2. Connect your GitHub repository (Aisenh037/FollowUpAI).
  3. Name: followup-backend
  4. Root Directory: backend (⚠️ Important!)
  5. Environment: Python 3
  6. Region: Same as Database (Oregon).
  7. Build Command: pip install -r requirements.txt
  8. Start Command: uvicorn main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port $PORT
  9. Free Tier: Select “Free”.

Step 4: Environment Variables

Scroll down to “Environment Variables” and add these keys:

Key Value Notes
PYTHON_VERSION 3.11.5 Ensures compatibility.
ENV production  
DATABASE_URL (Paste Internal DB URL) From Step 1.
REDIS_URL (Paste Internal Redis URL) From Step 2.
SECRET_KEY (Any long random string) Required for security.
GROQ_API_KEY (Your Groq Key) Required for AI.
RESEND_API_KEY (Your Resend Key) Required for Emails.
RESEND_FROM_EMAIL FollowUpAI <onboarding@resend.dev> Or your verified domain.

(Optional keys if you have them: TAVILY_API_KEY, WHATSAPP_ACCESS_TOKEN, etc.)

  1. Click Create Web Service.
  2. Wait for the build to finish. Once you see “Your service is live”, copy the Service URL (e.g., https://followup-backend.onrender.com).

🎨 Part 2: Frontend Deployment (Vercel)

Now we connect the User Interface.

  1. Go to the Vercel Dashboard and click Add New… -> Project.
  2. Import your GitHub repository (FollowUpAI).
  3. Framework Preset: It should auto-detect Next.js.
  4. Root Directory: Click “Edit” and select frontend.
  5. Environment Variables:
    • Name: NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL
    • Value: (Paste your Render Backend URL from Part 1)
      • ⚠️ Important: Remove any trailing slash / at the end.
      • Example: https://followup-backend.onrender.com
  6. Click Deploy.

✅ Part 3: Final Verification

  1. Open your Vercel App URL (e.g., https://followup-ai.vercel.app).
  2. Try to Login/Register. This checks if the Frontend can talk to the Backend and the Backend can talk to the Database.
  3. Check the Render Logs if anything fails.

🎉 You are now deployed!