Vercel deployments have more SSL surface
than one domain per client.
Next.js agencies deploying on Vercel give each client a production domain, a preview deployment URL pattern, and often a custom subdomain per edge function or API route. CNAME delegations to Vercel drift silently after client nameserver migrations. SSL certificates on custom domains reprovision on Vercel's schedule, not yours. Merlonix monitors the full SSL and DNS layer across every client domain and environment.
No credit card either way — start free, or trial the full workspace.
- Check cadence (Agency)
- 1 min
- SSL pre-expiry alert
- 30 days
- Encrypted DNS lookups
- DoH
- Vendors watched
- 11
Where Next.js agencies get caught out
Three failure modes specific to Next.js client deployments.
Next.js agencies deploying on Vercel manage SSL and DNS surface across production, staging, and preview environments for each client. Standard uptime monitoring tracks HTTP response codes — it does not track CNAME integrity, certificate chain validity, or domain registration expiry.
Vercel custom domain CNAME drift
Client nameserver migrations break Vercel custom domain CNAME delegations silently
Next.js agencies configure Vercel custom domains by adding a CNAME record in the client's DNS zone pointing to cname.vercel-dns.com or a Vercel project-specific endpoint. When a client migrates their domain to a new registrar, moves DNS management to Cloudflare, or switches IT providers, the CNAME record is frequently dropped or misconfigured during the migration. Vercel cannot detect the broken CNAME from the platform side — the custom domain configuration appears valid in the Vercel dashboard while the DNS record at the client's registrar is pointing nowhere. The production URL shows a Vercel 404 or certificate error until someone manually investigates the DNS configuration.
SSL reprovisioning gaps
Vercel SSL certificates reprovision on platform schedule, not yours
Vercel provisions SSL certificates for custom domains automatically via Let's Encrypt. When a client CNAME breaks — nameserver migration, registrar change, accidental record deletion — Vercel cannot renew the certificate at the next renewal window because the CNAME validation fails. The existing certificate continues to show as valid until expiry, then the domain goes HTTPS-broken with no advance warning. For certificates that were recently provisioned, this can create a silent gap of weeks between the CNAME breaking and the certificate expiring — the window during which standard uptime monitoring shows the site as "up" while the DNS layer is already broken.
Preview and staging subdomain coverage
Vercel preview deployments and staging subdomains need independent SSL monitoring
Next.js agencies often configure client-facing staging environments on custom subdomains — staging.clientdomain.com or preview.clientdomain.com — with their own Vercel project links and CNAME delegations separate from production. Clients use these environments for stakeholder review, UAT, and content sign-off. A broken CNAME on a staging subdomain blocks client UAT sessions and creates the impression that the agency's delivery process is unreliable, even when the production site is completely healthy. Standard uptime monitoring watches one URL per client — it does not monitor staging environments unless explicitly configured for each one.
How it works
SSL and DNS monitoring designed for Vercel-deployed Next.js portfolios.
Merlonix is built for agencies managing client portfolios where each client has production, staging, and preview environments — all with independent CNAME delegations to Vercel that need continuous monitoring.
01
Add production and staging domains per client
Verify ownership with a DNS TXT record on the apex domain. Production and all staging subdomains are added without additional verification steps. Under two minutes per client, full coverage from the start — including subdomains you add later.
02
CNAME integrity monitoring for Vercel delegations
A DNS-over-HTTPS resolver checks every CNAME delegation to Vercel on every monitoring interval. When a client nameserver migration drops the Vercel CNAME, the alert fires within minutes — before the existing SSL certificate expires and the production URL breaks completely.
03
Full SSL chain validation and expiry tracking
Complete certificate chain validation on every check, not just expiry dates. If a Vercel certificate reprovisions with an incomplete intermediate chain, or if a CDN in front of Vercel reconfigures its certificate bundle, the alert fires before any visitor encounters a browser security warning.
04
Vercel and Cloudflare vendor status monitoring
Merlonix monitors Vercel and Cloudflare platform status alongside client SSL and DNS. When a Vercel edge network incident causes latency across your entire Next.js client portfolio, you see the vendor event correlated with client-side symptoms before clients start filing support tickets.
What the numbers mean for Next.js agencies
Monitoring built for multi-environment Vercel deployments.
Next.js agencies on Vercel deal with platform-managed SSL, CNAME-based custom domain configuration, and preview environments that create monitoring surface standard tools don't cover. Merlonix gives Next.js agencies the DNS and SSL visibility to catch Vercel CNAME drift before certificates expire.
< 10 min
Time from DNS change to alert — catches Vercel CNAME drift before the SSL certificate hits its next renewal window
30 days
SSL expiry warning lead time — enough time to restore a broken Vercel CNAME before the certificate cannot be renewed
11 vendors
Upstream services monitored — Vercel and Cloudflare included for cross-client incident correlation on Next.js portfolios
250 assets
Maximum monitored domains on the Agency plan — covers production, staging, and preview environments across a full Next.js client roster
Pricing
Flat monthly fee. Every domain and environment included.
No per-domain charges. No per-environment fees. Pick the tier that fits your Next.js client count and scale without billing surprises.
Starter
For individual Next.js developers managing a small client portfolio.
$19/ month
- 15 monitored assets
- 3 seats
- 5 min check cadence
- SSL + DNS + vendor monitoring
- Email + Slack alerts
Team
For Next.js agencies with production and staging environments per client.
$79/ month
- 60 monitored assets
- 10 seats
- 1 min check cadence
- SSL + DNS + vendor monitoring
- Email + Slack alerts
Agency
For agencies with a full Vercel-deployed Next.js client roster including all environments.
$199/ month
- 250 monitored assets
- Unlimited seats
- 1 min check cadence
- SSL + DNS + vendor monitoring
- Email + Slack alerts
Compliance
For regulated-vertical teams that need continuous, audit-ready evidence.
$699/ month
- 500 monitored assets
- Unlimited seats
- 1 min check cadence
- SSL + DNS + vendor monitoring
- Email + Slack alerts
Beyond uptime
More than a 200 OK on every client site
The same account also watches the infrastructure and reputation layers a standard uptime check never reaches — each a live check you can turn on.
Turn monitoring into revenue
Resell client-ready reports as your own
Monitoring doesn’t have to be a cost line. Package the branded report and white-label status page as a deliverable in your retainer — the tooling underneath stays invisible, so to the client the work is yours.
Reports under your brand
Hand each client a polished SSL, DNS, and security report carrying your agency’s name and logo — not ours.
Status pages on their domain
Publish a live status page at status.theirbrand.com with automatic TLS and no “Powered by Merlonix” badge.
Your margin to keep
You pay one add-on cost and package it into the retainer you already bill. The markup — and the margin — are yours.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need DNS or registrar access to my clients’ domains to monitor them?
No. Merlonix monitors from the outside in — it probes each domain’s public SSL certificate, DNS records, WHOIS/registration data, and HTTP responses the same way a browser or DNS resolver would. You add an asset by its hostname; no access to the client’s registrar, DNS provider, or servers is required.
What does Merlonix actually check on each site?
Every monitored asset gets continuous SSL-certificate (expiry, issuer, and chain changes), DNS-record, domain-registration/expiry, and uptime monitoring by default. You can also enable infrastructure and reputation checks a standard uptime monitor never reaches — security headers, DNSSEC/DANE, domain-hijack/registrar-lock, blocklist, and cron/heartbeat monitoring — each a live check you turn on per asset.
How often does it check, and how do alerts reach me?
Checks run on your plan’s cadence — as often as every 1 min on Team and above, and every 5 min on Starter. When a certificate, DNS record, registration, or response changes, you get an alert by email and Slack. Alerts fire on real state changes between definitive checks, not on a transient blip.
How much does it cost, and is there a free option?
Yes — there is a free $0 plan (no credit card) to watch a small number of assets, and paid plans start at $19/mo (Starter). You can also start a 14-day full-workspace trial with no card. See the pricing grid above for the assets, seats, and check cadence on each tier.
Know when a Vercel CNAME breaks before the client notices.
Add your first Next.js client domain in under two minutes. Every environment is covered from the start. 14-day trial, no card required.