
Inngest enables you to host your functions on Vercel using their [serverless functions platform](https://vercel.com/docs/concepts/functions/serverless-functions). This allows you to deploy your Inngest functions right alongside your existing website and API functions running on Vercel.

Inngest will call your functions securely via HTTP request on-demand, whether triggered by an event or on a schedule in the case of cron jobs.

## Hosting Inngest functions on Vercel

After you've written your functions using [Next.js](/docs/frameworks/nextjs?ref=docs-deploy-vercel) or Vercel's [Express-like](/docs/frameworks/express?ref=docs-deploy-vercel) functions within your project, you need to serve them via the `serve` handler. Using the `serve` handler, create a Vercel/Next.js function at the `/api/inngest` endpoint. Here's an example in a Next.js app:

```js
// ./pages/api/inngest.js
import { serve } from "inngest/next";
import firstFunction from "../../inngest/first";
import anotherFunction from "../../inngest/another";

export default serve("Your app's name", [ firstFunction, anotherFunction ]);
```

## Deploying to Vercel

Installing [Inngest's official Vercel integraiton](https://vercel.com/integrations/inngest) does 3 things:

1. Automatically sets the required `INNGEST_SIGNING_KEY` environment variable to securely communicate with Inngest's API
2. Automatically sets the `INNGEST_EVENT_KEY` environment variable to enable your application to send events ([docs](/docs/creating-an-event-key))
3. Automatically deploys new functions to Inngest every time you deploy updated code to Vercel - no need to change your existing workflow!

<a href="https://vercel.com/integrations/inngest" className="button button--primary" style={{ marginBottom: "1rem" }}>
  <img src="/assets/brand-logos/vercel-icon-light.svg" className="button-icon" />
  Install the Inngest Vercel integration
</a>

After you're installed, every new deploy to Vercel will update functions in [the Inngest dashboard](https://app.inngest.com/functions) within a few seconds!

---

### Manually registering functions

While we strongly recommend our Vercel integration, you can still use Inngest by manually telling Inngest that you've deployed updated functions. You can register your app [via the Inngest UI](/docs/deploy#registering-via-the-ui) or [via our API with a curl request](/docs/deploy#registering-via-the-api).

Vercel

Manually registering functions

Deploying to Vercel

Hosting Inngest functions on Vercel

Deploying

Deploying to your platform

Next up

Registering automatically

Registering via the UI

Registering via the API

Registering live functions with Inngest


“Event Keys” are unique keys that allow applications to send (aka publish) events to Inngest. When using Event Keys with the [Inngest SDK](/docs/events), you can configure the `Inngest` client in 2 ways:

1. Setting the key as an `INNGEST_EVENT_KEY` environment variable in your application*
2. Passing the key as an argument

```jsx
// Recommended: Set an INNGEST_EVENT_KEY environment variable for automatic configuration:
const inngest = new Inngest({ name: "Your app name" });

// Or you can pass the eventKey explicitly to the constructor:
const inngest = new Inngest({ name: "Your app name", eventKey: "xyz..." });

// With the Event Key, you're now ready to send data:
inngest.send(...)
```

\* Our [Vercel integration](/docs/deploy/vercel) automatically sets the `INNGEST_EVENT_KEY` as an environment variable for you

<aside>
  🙋 Event keys should be unique to a given <strong>environment</strong> (production, test) and a specific <strong>application</strong> (your API, your mobile app, etc.). You can easily create and manage your event keys from the Inngest Cloud dashboard.
</aside>

## Creating a new Event Key

From the Inngest Cloud dashboard, Event Keys are listed in the "Sources" tab:

1. Click on “Sources” ([direct link](https://app.inngest.com/sources))
2. Click the "+ Create an Event Key" button at the top right
3. Update the Event Key's name to something descriptive and click "Save changes"
4. Copy the newly created key using the “Copy” button:

![A newly created Event Key in the Inngest Cloud dashboard](/assets/docs/creating-an-event-key/new-event-key.png)

🎉 You can now use this event key with the Inngest SDK to send events directly from any codebase. You can also:

- Rename your source at any time using the “Name” field so you and your team can identify it later
- Delete the source when your key is no longer needed
- Filter events by name or IP addresses for increased control and security

## Best practices

1. We recommend creating a unique key per source and per environment (production/test - Tip: use the environment "test mode" toggle on the sidebar)
2. For client-side sources where the event key may be visible in the browser, we recommend filtering events by name (e.g. `website/page.viewed` or pattern `website/*`) to discourage spam events from being sent to your Inngest Cloud account.

Creating an Event Key

Best practices

Creating a new Event Key