Edge Functions (serverless functions)
Small cloud programs that run only when someone requests them, with no server left running all day.
What are Edge Functions, and why do they mean I do not need my own server?
An Edge Function is a piece of code that lives in a provider's cloud and runs when a request comes in, for example to confirm a payment or log an analytics event. They are called "edge" functions because many providers run them at points on their network close to whoever made the request.
They are part of what is known as serverless architecture: the provider handles turning them on and off based on demand, and you pay only for what you use.
Why it matters to your business
A server of your own has to be maintained and paid for even when nobody is using it at three in the morning. With functions that wake up on demand, a small business pays very little while traffic is low, and sensitive logic, like validating a payment, runs on the server, out of reach of the browser.
How we use this at Damorus
URG Technology runs 13 Edge Functions in Deno on top of Supabase. One of them receives Mercado Pago's notification, verifies where it came from, checks the payment's real status, deducts the stock, and fires off the emails, always replying "received" so the payment gateway does not resend the notification. La Roca uses a couple of functions on Vercel: one receives each analytics event and stores it in Postgres, and the other aggregates the numbers for the dashboard.
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