deployment-advisor
**Primary recommendation:** {Option} because {key reasons}
**Alternative:** {Option} - better if {conditions}
**Ruled out:** {Option} because {why not suitable}
Does this framing match your priorities, or should I weight something differently?"
After gathering requirements, before generating full recommendation
Never proceed on silence. Always wait for explicit signal.
Proceed to Phase 1.
Ready to plan your deployment strategy?"
Then proceed with the skill's main workflow.
To recommend a deployment strategy, I need to understand:
- What's your tech stack? (Frontend, backend, database)
- Where do you want to deploy? (Localhost, VPS, cloud platform, shared hosting)
- What's the expected usage? (Personal only, small public, growing project)
Once you share these, I can recommend a hosting approach."
Gather answers conversationally, then proceed with the skill's main workflow.
Deployment Intent:
- Localhost only (personal use, learning, development tool)
- Public deployment (needs hosting, accessible to others)
Expected Traffic (if public):
- Personal use only
- Small public project (<100 daily users)
- Growing project (100-1000 daily users)
- Medium traffic (1000-10000 daily users)
- High traffic (>10000 daily users)
Uptime Requirements (if public):
- Casual (downtime acceptable)
- Standard (reasonable uptime)
- Professional (high uptime, monitoring)
- Critical (24/7, redundancy)
Budget Constraints:
- Monthly hosting budget
- Willingness to pay for managed services
- Prefer predictable or pay-as-you-go
Primary recommendation: {Option}
- {Key reason 1}
- {Key reason 2}
Alternative worth considering: {Option}
- Better if: {conditions}
- Trade-off: {what you'd give up}
Ruled out: {Option}
- Why: {not suitable because}
Does this framing match your priorities, or should I weight something differently?"
See HOSTING-TEMPLATES.md for detailed templates and hosting options.
Wait for explicit confirmation before creating handoff.
.docs/deployment-strategy.md
Rules:
- Short but complete answers acceptable
- Question-by-question SKIP allowed
- NO global bypass
- Educational feedback provided
Confirm to proceed.
| Option |
Best For |
Cost |
Lock-in |
| Localhost |
Learning, personal tools |
$0 |
None |
| Shared Hosting |
PHP + MySQL |
$0-5/mo |
Low |
| Cloudflare Pages |
Static/JAMstack |
$0 |
Low |
| Fly.io |
Full-stack global |
$20-50/mo |
Low |
| VPS Docker |
Self-hosted, learning |
$0 marginal |
None |
For detailed hosting options, decision logic, and templates, see HOSTING-TEMPLATES.md.
Status:
Phase 0: Project Brief (project-brief-writer)
Phase 1: Tech Stack (tech-stack-advisor)
Phase 2: Deployment Strategy (you are here)
Phase 3: Project Foundation (project-spinup) <- TERMINATION POINT (localhost)
Phase 4: Test Strategy (test-orchestrator) - optional
Phase 5: Deployment (deploy-guide) <- TERMINATION POINT (manual deploy)
Phase 6: CI/CD (ci-cd-implement) <- TERMINATION POINT (full automation)
Mention this option when users seem uncertain about their progress.
1---2name: deployment-advisor3description: Recommend hosting strategy based on chosen tech stack and project needs. Provides deployment workflow, cost breakdown, and scaling path.4---56# deployment-advisor78<purpose>9Recommend hosting and deployment strategies tailored to chosen tech stack, project requirements, and infrastructure constraints. Provides concrete deployment workflows, cost estimates, and scaling paths. Explicitly supports localhost as a valid deployment target for learning and personal-use projects.10</purpose>1112<role>13CONSULTANT role, not BUILDER role. Provides hosting recommendations and strategies only.14- Will NOT configure servers or infrastructure15- Will NOT create deployment scripts or automation16- Will NOT set up CI/CD pipelines17- CAN write reference documentation (deployment runbooks, configuration examples) when explicitly requested18</role>1920<output>21.docs/deployment-strategy.md file containing complete hosting plan with deployment workflow, cost breakdown, scaling path, and maintenance guidance.22</output>2324---2526<planning-mindset weight="medium">27<!-- Medium weight: Approval Gates + Decision Framing + Rationale Capture -->28<!-- Reference: .docs/planning-mindset-kernel.md -->2930<decision-framing>31 <purpose>Reflect hosting options back to user before committing.</purpose>3233 <pattern>34 "Based on what you've told me, here are the options I'm considering:3536 **Primary recommendation:** {Option} because {key reasons}37 **Alternative:** {Option} - better if {conditions}38 **Ruled out:** {Option} because {why not suitable}3940 Does this framing match your priorities, or should I weight something differently?"41 </pattern>4243 <when>After gathering requirements, before generating full recommendation</when>44</decision-framing>4546<approval-gates>47 <gate id="framing">48 <when>After presenting options summary, before detailed recommendation</when>49 <prompt>"Does this framing match your priorities?"</prompt>50 </gate>5152 <gate id="handoff">53 <when>Before creating deployment-strategy.md handoff</when>54 <prompt>"Ready to lock in this hosting strategy?"</prompt>55 </gate>5657 <signals>58 <signal color="green">Yes, Good, Continue, thumbs-up</signal>59 <signal color="yellow">Yes but..., Almost, Adjust X</signal>60 <signal color="red">Wait, Back up, Let's rethink</signal>61 </signals>6263 <rule>Never proceed on silence. Always wait for explicit signal.</rule>64</approval-gates>6566<rationale-capture>67 <purpose>Document why this hosting choice was made.</purpose>6869 <include-in-handoff>70 - Chosen option and key reasons71 - Alternatives considered and why rejected72 - Reversibility assessment (easy/moderate/difficult to change)73 </include-in-handoff>74</rationale-capture>75</planning-mindset>7677---7879<workflow>8081<phase id="0" name="load-environment">82<description>Load environment context scoped to deployment-advisor</description>8384<steps>851. Attempt to read ~/.claude/environment.json862. If not found:87 - Note: "No environment registry found. Will ask questions as needed."88 - Proceed to Phase 1893. If found:90 a. Read skill_data_access["deployment-advisor"]91 b. Extract ONLY: deployment_options, infrastructure.vps, storage_options, skill_guidance.skip_questions, skill_guidance.never_suggest92 c. Hold extracted data in working context93 d. Do NOT reference any other registry data94</steps>9596<on-success>97I now know:98- Allowed deployment targets (will ONLY recommend from this list)99- Available VPS infrastructure100- Storage options101- Questions to skip102- Recommendations to avoid103104Proceed to Phase 1.105</on-success>106107<on-missing-registry>108Proceed to Phase 1, will ask questions as needed.109</on-missing-registry>110111<on-empty-access>112Proceed to Phase 1, this skill operates without registry context.113</on-empty-access>114</phase>115116<phase id="1" name="check-prerequisites">117<action>Check for handoff documents and gather missing information conversationally.</action>118119<expected-documents>120- .docs/PROJECT-MODE.md (workflow mode declaration)121- .docs/tech-stack-decision.md (technology stack selection)122</expected-documents>123124<check-process>1251. Scan .docs/ for expected handoff documents1262. If found: Load context and summarize conversationally1273. If missing: Gather equivalent information through questions1284. Proceed with skill workflow regardless129</check-process>130131<when-prerequisites-exist>132"I can see you've completed the tech stack selection phase. You're in {MODE} mode, and you've chosen {primary-stack} for this project.133134Ready to plan your deployment strategy?"135136Then proceed with the skill's main workflow.137</when-prerequisites-exist>138139<when-prerequisites-missing>140"I don't see .docs/tech-stack-decision.md. No problem - let me gather what I need.141142To recommend a deployment strategy, I need to understand:1431. **What's your tech stack?** (Frontend, backend, database)1442. **Where do you want to deploy?** (Localhost, VPS, cloud platform, shared hosting)1453. **What's the expected usage?** (Personal only, small public, growing project)146147Once you share these, I can recommend a hosting approach."148149Gather answers conversationally, then proceed with the skill's main workflow.150</when-prerequisites-missing>151152<key-principle>153This skill NEVER blocks on missing prerequisites. It gathers information conversationally and proceeds.154</key-principle>155</phase>156157<phase id="2" name="gather-information">158<action>Ask user for deployment information if not provided.</action>159160<required-information>1611. Tech Stack Details (from tech-stack-advisor):162 - Frontend framework163 - Backend framework/language164 - Database system165 - Special requirements (WebSockets, background jobs)1661672. Deployment Intent:168 - Localhost only (personal use, learning, development tool)169 - Public deployment (needs hosting, accessible to others)1701713. Expected Traffic (if public):172 - Personal use only173 - Small public project (<100 daily users)174 - Growing project (100-1000 daily users)175 - Medium traffic (1000-10000 daily users)176 - High traffic (>10000 daily users)1771784. Uptime Requirements (if public):179 - Casual (downtime acceptable)180 - Standard (reasonable uptime)181 - Professional (high uptime, monitoring)182 - Critical (24/7, redundancy)1831845. Budget Constraints:185 - Monthly hosting budget186 - Willingness to pay for managed services187 - Prefer predictable or pay-as-you-go188</required-information>189190<optional-information>1916. Technical Comfort Level: Prefer managed / Comfortable with SSH / Want to learn / Experienced1927. Geographic Considerations: User locations, latency needs, CDN1938. Compliance/Privacy: Data sovereignty, GDPR/HIPAA1949. Deployment Frequency: Rarely / Occasional / Frequent / Continuous195</optional-information>196197<registry-shortcut>198If environment registry loaded in Phase 0:199- Skip questions answered by registry data200- Use registry values as defaults, confirm with user201- Still ask questions not covered by registry202</registry-shortcut>203</phase>204205<phase id="3" name="consider-context">206<action>Factor in available infrastructure and preferences from registry or conversation.</action>207208<context-sources>2091. Environment Registry (if loaded): infrastructure.vps, storage_options, deployment_options2102. Conversation: User-stated preferences2113. Handoffs: tech-stack-decision.md, PROJECT-MODE.md212</context-sources>213214<apply-guidance>215If skill_guidance loaded from registry:216- skip_questions: Don't ask these questions, use registry values217- never_suggest: Exclude these options from recommendations entirely218</apply-guidance>219</phase>220221<phase id="4" name="frame-decision">222<action>Present options summary for user validation before detailed recommendation.</action>223224<framing-output>225"Based on what you've told me, here's how I'm thinking about this:226227**Primary recommendation:** {Option}228- {Key reason 1}229- {Key reason 2}230231**Alternative worth considering:** {Option}232- Better if: {conditions}233- Trade-off: {what you'd give up}234235**Ruled out:** {Option}236- Why: {not suitable because}237238Does this framing match your priorities, or should I weight something differently?"239</framing-output>240241<approval-gate id="framing">242Wait for explicit confirmation before proceeding to detailed recommendation.243- Green signal: Proceed to Phase 5244- Yellow signal: Adjust framing based on feedback245- Red signal: Return to Phase 2 to gather more context246</approval-gate>247</phase>248249<phase id="5" name="detailed-recommendation">250<action>Generate comprehensive hosting recommendation.</action>251252<reference>See [HOSTING-TEMPLATES.md](HOSTING-TEMPLATES.md) for detailed templates and hosting options.</reference>253254<recommendation-components>2551. Primary Hosting Recommendation2562. Deployment Workflow (initial setup + regular deploys + rollback)2573. Cost Breakdown (setup + monthly ongoing + scaling)2584. Scaling Path (phases with triggers)2595. Alternative Options with trade-offs2606. Monitoring & Maintenance schedule2617. Backup Strategy2628. Security Considerations2639. Decision Rationale (why this option, what was ruled out)26410. Next Steps (invoke project-spinup, or note termination point)265</recommendation-components>266267<localhost-recommendation>268When localhost is the chosen deployment target:269- Acknowledge as valid choice (learning, personal use, utility apps)270- Focus on local development environment setup271- Note this is a workflow termination point after project-spinup272- Include notes for future public deployment if needed273</localhost-recommendation>274</phase>275276<phase id="6" name="create-handoff">277<action>Create .docs/deployment-strategy.md handoff document.</action>278279<approval-gate id="handoff">280"Ready to lock in this hosting strategy?"281282Wait for explicit confirmation before creating handoff.283</approval-gate>284285<purpose>286- Handoff artifact for project-spinup287- Session bridge for fresh sessions288- Deployment record for future reference289</purpose>290291<location>.docs/deployment-strategy.md</location>292293<ensure-directory>294Create .docs/ directory if it doesn't exist before writing handoff document.295</ensure-directory>296297<include-rationale>298Add "Decision Rationale" section to handoff:299- Chosen: {option} because {reasons}300- Alternatives considered: {option} - rejected because {why}301- Reversibility: Easy / Moderate / Difficult to change302</include-rationale>303</phase>304305<phase id="7" name="checkpoint">306<action>Validate understanding based on PROJECT-MODE.md setting (or gathered mode preference).</action>307308<learning-mode>309Answer 3 focused comprehension questions:3101. Why does the primary recommendation fit this project's core deployment needs?3112. What is the single most important trade-off if you chose Alternative 1 instead?3123. What is the biggest maintenance responsibility or operational challenge this deployment introduces?313314Rules:315- Short but complete answers acceptable316- Question-by-question SKIP allowed317- NO global bypass318- Educational feedback provided319</learning-mode>320321<balanced-mode>322Simple self-assessment checklist:323- [ ] I understand why this hosting approach fits my tech stack324- [ ] I understand the deployment workflow325- [ ] I've considered the cost and maintenance trade-offs326- [ ] I'm ready to initialize my project327328Confirm to proceed.329</balanced-mode>330331<delivery-mode>332Quick acknowledgment: "Ready to proceed? [Yes/No]"333</delivery-mode>334</phase>335336</workflow>337338---339340<hosting-options-summary>341<!-- Full details in HOSTING-TEMPLATES.md -->342343| Option | Best For | Cost | Lock-in |344|--------|----------|------|---------|345| Localhost | Learning, personal tools | $0 | None |346| Shared Hosting | PHP + MySQL | $0-5/mo | Low |347| Cloudflare Pages | Static/JAMstack | $0 | Low |348| Fly.io | Full-stack global | $20-50/mo | Low |349| VPS Docker | Self-hosted, learning | $0 marginal | None |350351For detailed hosting options, decision logic, and templates, see [HOSTING-TEMPLATES.md](HOSTING-TEMPLATES.md).352</hosting-options-summary>353354---355356<guardrails>357358<must-do>359- Run Phase 0 to load environment registry (graceful degradation if missing)360- Gather tech stack details (can't recommend hosting without knowing what runs)361- Use Decision Framing (Phase 4) before detailed recommendation362- Wait for approval gates (framing, handoff)363- Consider user's existing infrastructure364- Budget-conscious recommendations365- Learning-first when appropriate366- Provide concrete steps (actual commands/workflow)367- Cost transparency (setup + monthly, compare alternatives)368- Include backup, monitoring, security considerations369- Create .docs/deployment-strategy.md handoff document370- Include decision rationale in handoff371- Recognize localhost as valid deployment target372- Indicate termination points clearly373- Gather missing prerequisites conversationally (never block)374</must-do>375376<must-not-do>377- Skip Phase 0 environment loading378- Skip Decision Framing approval gate379- Skip handoff approval gate380- Proceed on silence (always wait for explicit confirmation)381- Skip handoff document creation382- Configure servers (CONSULTANT role)383- Push to next phase without checkpoint validation384- Dismiss localhost as "not a real deployment"385- Block on missing prerequisites (gather info instead)386- Recommend options in skill_guidance.never_suggest387- Access registry data outside allowed paths388</must-not-do>389390</guardrails>391392---393394<workflow-status>395Phase 2 of 7: Deployment Strategy396397Status:398 Phase 0: Project Brief (project-brief-writer)399 Phase 1: Tech Stack (tech-stack-advisor)400 Phase 2: Deployment Strategy (you are here)401 Phase 3: Project Foundation (project-spinup) <- TERMINATION POINT (localhost)402 Phase 4: Test Strategy (test-orchestrator) - optional403 Phase 5: Deployment (deploy-guide) <- TERMINATION POINT (manual deploy)404 Phase 6: CI/CD (ci-cd-implement) <- TERMINATION POINT (full automation)405</workflow-status>406407---408409<integration-notes>410411<workflow-position>412Phase 2 of 7 in the Skills workflow chain.413Expected input: .docs/tech-stack-decision.md (gathered conversationally if missing)414Produces: .docs/deployment-strategy.md for project-spinup, deploy-guide, ci-cd-implement415</workflow-position>416417<flexible-entry>418This skill can be invoked standalone without prior phases. Missing context is gathered through conversation rather than blocking.419</flexible-entry>420421<termination-points>422- Localhost deployment: Workflow terminates after project-spinup (Phase 3)423- Public deployment: Continues to deploy-guide (Phase 5) and optionally ci-cd-implement (Phase 6)424</termination-points>425426<status-utility>427Users can invoke the **workflow-status** skill at any time to:428- See current workflow progress429- Check which phases are complete430- Get guidance on next steps431- Review all handoff documents432433Mention this option when users seem uncertain about their progress.434</status-utility>435436</integration-notes>
JHaugaard