Deployment Environments - Dev Kit for AI

The Starter Kit operates in project mode, which configures it as an end-user application connected to the Cloud API.

Project mode configuration

Your Starter Kit always uses DEVKIT4AI_MODE=project:

.env.local

DEVKIT4AI_MODE=project
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.vibecoding.ad
DEVKIT4AI_DEVELOPER_KEY=dk_your_developer_key
DEVKIT4AI_PROJECT_ID=your-project-uuid
DEVKIT4AI_PROJECT_KEY=ak_your_project_api_key

Environment tiers

Deploy your application across multiple environments:

Local development

Purpose: Testing and development on your machine Configuration:

.env.local

DEVKIT4AI_MODE=project
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.vibecoding.ad
DEVKIT4AI_DEVELOPER_KEY=dk_dev_...
DEVKIT4AI_PROJECT_ID=...
DEVKIT4AI_PROJECT_KEY=ak_dev_...
ENVIRONMENT=local
NODE_ENV=development

Access: http://localhost:3004

Staging

Purpose: Pre-production testing with production-like setup Configuration:

DEVKIT4AI_MODE=project
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.vibecoding.ad
DEVKIT4AI_DEVELOPER_KEY=dk_staging_...
DEVKIT4AI_PROJECT_ID=...
DEVKIT4AI_PROJECT_KEY=ak_staging_...
ENVIRONMENT=staging
NODE_ENV=production

Access: Your staging URL (e.g., staging.yourapp.com)

Create a separate project in Cloud Admin for staging to isolate data.

Production

Purpose: Live application serving real users Configuration: Set via your hosting provider’s environment variable system:

DEVKIT4AI_MODE=project
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URL=https://api.vibecoding.ad
DEVKIT4AI_DEVELOPER_KEY=dk_prod_...
DEVKIT4AI_PROJECT_ID=...
DEVKIT4AI_PROJECT_KEY=pk_prod_...
ENVIRONMENT=production
NODE_ENV=production

Access: Your production domain (e.g., yourapp.com)

Never commit production credentials to version control.

Environment-specific features

Development mode features

if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'development') {
  // Enable debug logging
  console.log('Debug:', data)
  
  // Show development-only UI
  return <DevTools />
}

Production optimizations

if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') {
  // Enable production features
  - Error tracking (Sentry, etc.)
  - Analytics (Vercel Analytics)
  - Performance monitoring
  - Aggressive caching
}

Configuration validation

The Starter Kit validates environment configuration on startup:

lib/deployment-mode.ts

export async function hydrateDeploymentMode() {
  const issues: ConfigIssue[] = []
  
  // Mode must be "project"
  if (process.env.DEVKIT4AI_MODE !== 'project') {
    issues.push({
      severity: 'error',
      message: 'DEVKIT4AI_MODE must be "project" for Starter Kit'
    })
  }
  
  // Validate required credentials
  if (!process.env.DEVKIT4AI_DEVELOPER_KEY) {
    issues.push({
      severity: 'error',
      message: 'DEVKIT4AI_DEVELOPER_KEY is required'
    })
  }
  
  return {
    mode: 'project',
    issues,
    isReady: issues.filter(i => i.severity === 'error').length === 0
  }
}

Deployment checklist

Create environment-specific project

In Cloud Admin, create a project for each environment:

my-app-dev
my-app-staging
my-app-prod

Generate API keys

Generate and copy API keys for each project. Store securely.

Configure hosting provider

Set environment variables in Vercel, Netlify, or your chosen platform.

Deploy and test

Deploy to each environment and verify:

Authentication works
API calls succeed
Data is isolated between environments

Environment isolation

Each environment should have: Separate projects in Cloud Admin

Prevents test data mixing with production
Allows independent API key rotation
Enables environment-specific permissions

Different API keys

Development: Unrestricted testing
Staging: Production-like restrictions
Production: Strict rate limits and security

Isolated user data

Register test users in dev/staging
Never use production data in testing

Next steps

Environment Variables

Complete variable reference

Deployment Guides

Deploy to hosting platforms

​Project mode configuration

​Environment tiers

​Local development

​Staging

​Production

​Environment-specific features

​Development mode features

​Production optimizations

​Configuration validation

​Deployment checklist

​Environment isolation

​Next steps

Environment Variables

Deployment Guides

Project mode configuration

Environment tiers

Local development

Staging

Production

Environment-specific features

Development mode features

Production optimizations

Configuration validation

Deployment checklist

Environment isolation

Next steps