# Vercel Anti-Charge/Anti-Ban Guide (Five Key Strategies)
"TLDR: This article provides a detailed overview of five common issues you may encounter when using the Vercel platform, along with their solutions, including middleware configuration, image optimization, dynamic rendering handling, preloading settings, and the use of official plugins. Through specific countermeasures, it helps users avoid unnecessary costs and account risks."
The Middleware Trap (Middleware) — Severity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Problem: middleware.ts intercepts all requests by default (images, CSS, favicons). Every static resource load becomes a code execution.
Consequence: Edge Requests explode (tens of thousands per day), slowing down image loading.
Solution: You must configure a matcher to exclude static files.
The Image Component Trap (Image Optimization) — Severity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Problem: Using <Image /> by default invokes Vercel's image processing service.
Consequence: The free tier only includes 1,000 original images per month. Resource-heavy sites can easily exceed this limit, causing images to return 402 errors.
Solution:
- Configure
unoptimized: trueglobally (recommended). - Convert PNG to WebP locally and serve static files directly.
The Dynamic Rendering Trap (SSR/404) — Severity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Problem: Pages are regenerated on every visit (0% cache). In particular, if the 404 page is dynamic, crawlers can hammer it relentlessly.
Consequence: Fast Origin Transfer (bandwidth) gets exhausted, and Serverless Function execution time exceeds limits.
Solution:
- Dynamic pages (e.g., detail pages) must use ISR (
revalidate+generateStaticParams). - The 404 page must be a purely static component.
The Prefetch Trap (Link Prefetch) — Severity: ⭐⭐⭐
Problem: Any <Link /> on a list page triggers a request as soon as it appears on screen.
Consequence: A large number of Edge Requests are generated out of nowhere, even when the user hasn't clicked anything.
Solution: Add prefetch={false} to links in dense lists.
The Official Plugin Trap (Analytics) — Severity: ⭐⭐
Problem: Enabling Speed Insights / Web Analytics.
Consequence: Each visitor automatically generates additional analytics requests, which add up over time.
Solution: Disable both features in the Vercel dashboard and switch to Google Analytics or Umami instead.