When this matters
Deploy matters when you want a preview link, a public launch, a staging environment, or a production release. It also matters every time you ship a fix, because deployment is where code meets environment variables, domains, builds, and runtime differences.
Small example
A simple deployment path might look like this: commit code, push branch, build on the hosting platform, then receive a preview or production URL.
1. Push code
2. Hosting platform runs the build
3. Environment variables are loaded
4. App is served at a public URLCommon mistake or lookout
Assuming deploy just means “push to GitHub.” In practice it also includes build output, runtime settings, environment variables, domain routing, and whatever your platform needs to serve the app correctly.
Why this matters for vibe coders
Vibe coders can generate surprisingly polished local demos, but deployment is the moment of truth. That is where broken env vars, missing build steps, and domain weirdness stop being abstract and start blocking users.