Markdesk is a standard Next.js app, so it can be deployed anywhere that supports Next.js.
Vercel (recommended)
The fastest way to deploy:
- Push your help center to a GitHub repository.
- Go to vercel.com and import the repository.
- Add your environment variables (e.g.
RESEND_API_KEY) in the Vercel dashboard under Settings → Environment Variables. - Deploy.
Vercel will automatically run npm run build, which generates the search index, content, beacon, and Next.js output.
Custom domain
After deploying, point your custom domain (e.g. help.example.com) to your hosting provider. Update siteUrl in markdesk.config.ts to match:
siteUrl: 'https://help.example.com',
This ensures the beacon, CORS headers, and metadata all use the correct URL.
Other platforms
Markdesk works on any platform that supports Next.js, including:
- Netlify — Use the Next.js adapter
- Railway — Deploy as a Node.js app
- Self-hosted — Run
npm run build && npm start
Environment variables
Make sure your production environment has the correct variables set for your email sender:
| Sender | Variables |
|---|---|
| Resend | RESEND_API_KEY |
| SendGrid | SENDGRID_API_KEY |
| Nodemailer | SMTP_HOST, SMTP_PORT, SMTP_USER, SMTP_PASS |