vercel.json redirects and Next.js middleware path conflicts

Routing Priority in Production Deployments

Vercel allows routing configuration via the vercel.json file using redirects and rewrites. Simultaneously, Next.js applications often implement middleware.ts to handle dynamic request routing, authentication, or localization.

A configuration that functions as expected during local development with vercel dev may behave differently in production. Specifically, when a path pattern is defined in both the vercel.json configuration and the Next.js middleware, the execution order and priority of these two layers can lead to unexpected 308 permanent redirects or 404 errors that do not manifest in the local emulation environment.

What is the definitive precedence order between vercel.json redirects and Next.js middleware in a production runtime? Does the Vercel edge network evaluate the static configuration before the middleware function is invoked?