Command failed with exit code 1. — Build exited with code 137 (Killed).
appears when:In the Vercel build step; the summary card shows 'Build failed' but no stack trace.
Vercel build failed with no clear error
The summary card shows 'Build failed' with nothing else. The real error is in the full log — usually a Node version mismatch, an OOM kill at exit code 137, or a build-time dep stuck in devDependencies. Fix in one deploy.
A Vercel build failed with no error almost always means the log summary is hiding the real line. Open the full log, grep for the first error, and check the exit code. Exit 137 is OOM — bump memory. Cannot find module means a build-time dep is in devDependencies. Pin the Node version, move the dep, redeploy.
Quick fix for Vercel build failed with no error
01// package.json — pin Node, keep install deterministic02{03 "engines": { "node": "20.x" },04 "scripts": {05 "build": "next build",06 "postinstall": "echo Node $(node -v) | npm -v"07 }08}09 10# Vercel → Settings → Environment Variables (Build scope)11# NODE_VERSION=2012# NODE_OPTIONS=--max-old-space-size=409613 14# Project settings → Install Command15# npm ci (NOT npm install — lockfile must match)Deeper fixes when the quick fix fails
01 · Switch the install command to npm ci
npm install mutates the lockfile and can pick up different versions than your laptop. npm ci fails loudly if package-lock.json does not match package.json — which is what you want in CI.
01# Install Command02npm ci03 04# NOT05npm install02 · Stop suppressing TypeScript errors
ignoreBuildErrors: true hides the real error and often breaks the build in a different way. Turn it off, fix the TS, leave it off.
01import type { NextConfig } from "next";02 03const config: NextConfig = {04 typescript: {05 // BAD: ignoreBuildErrors: true,06 // Let TS errors fail the build — they're almost always the cause.07 ignoreBuildErrors: false,08 },09 eslint: {10 ignoreDuringBuilds: false,11 },12};13 14export default config;03 · Ship an env schema so missing vars fail the build
Build-time env vars (NEXT_PUBLIC_*) are baked into the bundle. Missing ones crash the build with a cryptic Cannot read properties of undefined.
01import { z } from "zod";02 03const EnvSchema = z.object({04 NEXT_PUBLIC_SITE_URL: z.string().url(),05 NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL: z.string().url(),06 NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY: z.string().min(10),07 DATABASE_URL: z.string().url(),08});09 10export const env = EnvSchema.parse(process.env);Why AI-built apps hit Vercel build failed with no error
Lovable, Bolt, and Cursor generate package.json files that conflate runtime and build-time packages. Packages like typescript, @types/react, tailwindcss, and postcss end up in devDependenciesbecause that is where example projects place them. Vercel’s default install uses npm ci or npm installwith the production flag, which may skip devDependencies depending on Vercel’s detection. The build then fails because a compile-time transform cannot find its plugin. The log shows a generic Cannot find modulenear the bottom and an unhelpful “Build failed” at the summary level.
The second pattern is Node version drift. AI generators write code that relies on modern features (Array.prototype.toSorted, the using declaration, native fetch) without specifying the Node version. Vercel defaults to its own Node release, which may lag or lead what the generator assumed. The build runs until a feature is unavailable and then dies with a SyntaxError that looks identical to a parser bug.
The third pattern is memory. Next.js static-site generation with many pages, or monorepo tooling like Turborepo running multiple parallel builds, can push the default 8 GB build resource to its limit. The process is killed by the OS with exit code 137 and a single word in the log: Killed. No stack trace, no warning. Founders often spend hours hunting a code bug when the actual fix is a memory bump in Vercel settings.
Vercel build failed with no error by AI builder
How often each AI builder ships this error and the pattern that produces it.
| Builder | Frequency | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Lovable | High | TypeScript and tailwindcss in devDependencies; prod install skips them |
| Bolt.new | Medium | No engines field in package.json; Node version drifts between laptop and Vercel |
| v0 | Medium | Large static export blows past 8 GB on SSG; exit 137 with Killed |
| Cursor | Medium | ignoreBuildErrors: true left in next.config.ts hides the real TS error |
| Claude Code | Low | Usually pins Node correctly; occasionally forgets to commit package-lock.json |
Related errors we fix
Stop Vercel build failed with no error recurring in AI-built apps
- →Pin Node in package.json engines + NODE_VERSION so laptop and CI agree.
- →Keep typescript, tailwindcss, postcss, autoprefixer, and @prisma/client in dependencies.
- →Use npm ci (not npm install) as the Vercel install command — deterministic by lockfile.
- →Ship a zod env schema at module load so a missing NEXT_PUBLIC_* fails the build.
- →Turn ignoreBuildErrors off. Ship real TS. Let the build fail loudly when it should.
Still stuck with Vercel build failed with no error?
When local builds succeed but Vercel fails on the same commit, or the build keeps flaking, a fixed-price engagement unblocks you this week:
- →Build failed on Vercel — succeeded on your laptop
- →The log is 2 MB and you cannot find the first error
- →Build flakes — passes on retry without code changes
- →You need the deploy gate rebuilt so this cannot ship again
Vercel build failed with no error questions
Why does Vercel show 'Build failed' with no clear error message?+
How do I fix a Node version mismatch when Vercel build failed with no error?+
How do I diagnose an out-of-memory Vercel build failed with no error?+
Why does my build fail on Vercel with no error but succeed on my laptop?+
What does exit code 1 mean when Vercel build failed with no error message?+
Ship the fix. Keep the fix.
Emergency Triage restores service in 48 hours. Break the Fix Loop rebuilds CI so this error cannot ship again.
Hyder Shah leads Afterbuild Labs, shipping production rescues for apps built in Lovable, Bolt.new, Cursor, Replit, v0, and Base44. our rescue methodology.
Vercel build failed with no error experts
If this problem keeps coming back, you probably need ongoing expertise in the underlying stack.