This disclosure describes techniques and mechanisms for using a domain-specific language (DSL) to express and compile serverless network functions, and optimizing the deployment location for the serverless network functions on network devices. In some examples, the serverless network functions may be expressed entirely in the DSL (e.g., via a text-based editor, a graphics-based editor, etc.), where the DSL is a computer language specialized to a particular domain, such as a network function domain. In additional examples, the serverless network functions may be expressed and compiled using a DSL in combination with a general-purpose language (GSL). Once the serverless network function have been expressed and/or compiled, the techniques of this disclosure further include determining an optimized network component on which the serverless network function is to execute, and deploying the serverless function to the optimized network component.