Field Guide
Ship With CI/CD
Let automation catch the boring mistakes before deployment.
A clear introduction to GitHub workflow concepts, lint, build and test checks, branch discipline, deployment gates, and the Vercel flow.
Steps from the workbench
Make local scripts reliable
CI should run the same commands you can run locally. Start with scripts for lint, build, and tests when tests exist.
What to check
A fresh checkout can install dependencies and run the checks without hidden manual steps.
Run checks on every pull request
A pull request should prove the project still builds before it is merged.
What to check
Broken builds are visible before changes reach the main branch.
Keep secrets out of CI logs
Use GitHub or Vercel environment variable storage for secrets. Never print tokens or private keys.
What to check
CI output can be shared without exposing credentials.
Use preview deployments
Preview deployments let you review UI, routes, forms, and mobile behavior before production changes.
What to check
Each meaningful change can be clicked through before it goes live.
Treat deployment as a gate, not a finish line
After deployment, check logs, key pages, forms, and feedback. Shipping includes watching.
What to check
Every release has a short post-deploy inspection habit.
Prompts to adapt
Draft a CI workflow
Draft a GitHub Actions workflow for a Next.js app that installs dependencies, runs lint, runs tests if present, and builds. Explain each step for a beginner.
Review release risk
Review this change as a release manager. What checks should pass before merge, what should be manually tested in preview, and what should be watched after deploy?