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  •   about 1 month ago

Is using AWS from the Vercel marketplace a defining factor?

My app isn't just a frontend connecting to a database - it has a functioning backend that connects / uses an AWS Aurora Postgres DB. Does it still count as a valid submission, or must I use the Vercel marketplace as my DB connector?

  • 4 comments

  •   •   about 1 month ago

    Could I get a response to this please, it’s imperative I know how to move forward with building my app for this hackathon

  • Manager   •   about 1 month ago

    Great news: the Vercel marketplace integration is not required. The rules state that projects "must use one of three designated Amazon Web Services Databases (Aurora, Aurora DSQL, or DynamoDB) as the primary back end and deploy their front end on Vercel or v0.app." How you connect to that database is up to you.

    The Vercel marketplace integration is a new offering that makes it easier to connect AWS databases to your Vercel project with minimal setup — it's what this hackathon is helping to promote — but it's not a requirement. A backend that connects directly to Aurora Postgres is perfectly valid. As long as one of the three AWS databases is your primary back end and your front end is deployed on Vercel, you're good to go.

    Good luck!

  •   •   30 days ago

    Thanks for the feedback.

  • Manager   •   27 days ago

    Hi there,

    The rules don't prescribe how your application connects to your AWS database internally — what they require is that one of the three designated AWS databases (Aurora, Aurora DSQL, or DynamoDB) serves as the primary back end, and that your front end is deployed on Vercel or v0.app. As long as your architecture meets that bar, the internal connection pattern is up to you.
    That said, make sure your submission meets all the requirements in the Official Rules, which state your submission must include:

    A demonstration video that "should explain the AWS Database(s) used in the submission"
    An Architecture Diagram that "shows how the project application connects to back-end components"
    A Storage Configuration screenshot to "prove AWS Database usage"

    Those materials are where you'll want to make your database integration legible to judges — especially if the connection is indirect.
    When in doubt, the Official Rules are your source of truth.

    Good luck!

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