Watch Rollout

Watch Rollout

Watch a post-merge GitHub Actions deploy to staging, then smoke-test the change once it lands — the generic, GitHub-Actions-based cousin of /watch-release (which is hardwired to letterbox's kubectl/CircleCI/Flux stack). Built for client repos with extensive CD workflows.

Chains naturally after /ready-to-merge: merge → watch the deploy job → confirm the change is live.

Usage

/watch-rollout                 # deploy of latest origin/main commit, smoke staging
/watch-rollout 6790            # resolve via PR number (uses its merge commit)
/watch-rollout            # specific commit
/watch-rollout --run 28440286944   # specific workflow run id
/watch-rollout --prod          # allow a read-only prod smoke (safety-gated, see below)
/watch-rollout --no-smoke      # watch the deploy only, skip the smoke test

Procedure

Phase 0 — Load config (optional)

Read .claude/rollout.yaml at the repo root if present. Recognised keys (all optional):

workflow:    CMS Pages                                   # deploy workflow name to watch
gating_job:  Deploy blc-uk                               # substring of the job that gates the target env
staging_url: https://legacy.staging.bluelightcard.co.uk
prod_url:    https://www.bluelightcard.co.uk
smoke: |
  Load /en logged-out, capture the first Amplitude "Page Viewed" request,
  assert login_state=logged_out is in the event user properties.

Anything missing is inferred or asked for below. Never require the file — it's a convenience for repos you watch repeatedly.

Phase 1 — Resolve the commit and run

Determine the target commit (first match wins): --run id (skip to job listing) → PR number's merge commit (gh pr view {n} --json mergeCommit --jq .mergeCommit.oid) → explicit sha → latest default-branch commit:

~/.claude/skills/watch-rollout/scripts/default-head-sha.sh        # fetches origin/main, prints its sha

Fallback if the script is unavailable — run as two steps, never && (each stays prefix-matchable):

git fetch origin main -q
git rev-parse origin/main

List runs on that commit and pick the deploy workflow:

gh run list --commit {sha} --limit 20 --json databaseId,name,status,conclusion,workflowName,event

Choose the run by config workflow, else by name heuristic (deploy/release/cd/publish), else ask via AskUserQuestion when more than one plausible candidate exists. Don't guess silently across ambiguous workflows.

Phase 2 — Identify the gating job

~/.claude/skills/watch-rollout/scripts/run-jobs.sh {run_id}

Emits a JSON object: {status, conclusion, jobs: [{name, status, conclusion}]}. Fallback if the script is unavailable: gh run view {run_id} --json status,conclusion,jobs (read the raw JSON).

A deploy run is often a matrix (per brand / per region). Watch the one job that gates the env you care about — the others don't block your target (e.g. Deploy blc-uk [preview] gates BLC-UK staging; au/dds/prod jobs are irrelevant to it). Pick it by config gating_job, else infer from the branch/PR context, else ask which job(s) gate the target. If tests gate the deploy job and the deploy job isn't spawned yet, note that — a test failure means the deploy never starts.

Phase 3 — Derive the smoke test (derive + confirm)

Skip entirely if --no-smoke. Otherwise assemble a candidate smoke from, in order: config smoke, /ready-to-merge's post-merge follow-up note (if this session just merged), the PR description, and the Jira AC. Classify the change:

• UI change → browser smoke (Chrome MCP): a staging URL + what to observe (screenshot, a network

request, a console signal).

• Read-only API change → an HTTP GET + the expected status/payload assertion.
• Neither / unclear → present what you found and ask the user to supply the check.

Present the candidate (target URL + assertion) and let the user confirm or tweak before the watch starts. Don't run a derived smoke unconfirmed.

Phase 4 — Watch the deploy (compose /loop)

Hand a self-contained dynamic-loop prompt to /loop — it must carry the run id, gating-job name, smoke spec, and target URL, since each wake re-runs the prompt from scratch:

/loop Watch GitHub Actions run {run_id} ({workflow} on {sha}).
Run: ~/.claude/skills/watch-rollout/scripts/run-jobs.sh {run_id}.
While the gating job "{gating_job}" is in_progress (or not yet started), reschedule ~240s.
On gating-job success → run the smoke test: {smoke spec, with URL}. Report pass/fail with captured evidence.
On gating-job failure → report which job failed and stop. Stop the loop once the smoke is done or the deploy failed.

~240s keeps each wake inside the prompt-cache window and catches completion promptly. The loop is goal-terminating — it ends when the smoke completes or the deploy fails, not at end of day. Polling is unattended; the smoke step (Phase 5) may need you present for a browser permission prompt.

Phase 5 — Smoke test (the loop's terminal tick)

When the gating job is green:

• Browser (UI): drive a browser to the staging URL and capture per the spec — screenshot, a

specific network request, or a console signal. Pick the driver to fit the check:

• Chrome MCP (mcp__claude-in-chrome__*) — when you want it in the user's visible Chrome

session (shared cookies/auth, watching it happen). /browser-screenshot covers the screenshot case. Captures network via read_network_requests, console via read_console_messages.

• Playwright MCP (mcp__playwright__*) — when a clean, headless, scriptable check suits better

(no visible session needed, deterministic network capture via browser_network_requests). Read-only navigation only with either driver — no form submits, clicks, or actions that mutate state; never trigger a JS dialog.

• API: curl/gh api a GET and assert the status code / payload field.

Report pass/fail with the captured evidence (the screenshot path, the network payload, the status code), then stop the loop.

Phase 6 — Offer to save config

If config was inferred (not loaded from .claude/rollout.yaml) and the run went cleanly, offer to write the resolved workflow, gating_job, URL, and smoke to .claude/rollout.yaml so the next run is one command. Only on explicit yes.

Safety rules

• Staging by default. Smoke prod only with --prod and only for strictly read-only checks

(GET / navigation). Never issue writes (POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE), submit forms, or perform auth-mutating actions against prod. If a derived prod smoke isn't clearly read-only, refuse it and ask.

• Watch only. Never re-trigger, cancel, re-run, or approve a workflow; never deploy. This skill

observes a rollout, it doesn't drive one.

• Don't thrash. If a browser permission is denied or a fetch fails twice, stop and report — don't

retry in a loop.

Failure modes

• No deploy workflow on the commit → report it and stop (the merge may not trigger a deploy, or

the workflow runs on a tag/schedule instead).

• Gating job never spawns (gated behind failing tests/lint) → detect the upstream failure, report

which job failed, stop.

• Ambiguous workflow or gating job → ask; never guess across candidates.
• Browser blocked (bot detection, auth wall, permission denied) → stop and report what was

reached, rather than retrying.

Notes

• Goal-terminating, so unlike /watch-prs and /watch-release it does not take a stop-hour.
• For letterbox's own kubectl/Flux rollouts use /watch-release / /release-status instead — this

skill is for GitHub-Actions-deployed repos.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: flurdy
• Source: flurdy/agent-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.