# Release Gate

> Check deployment, staging, rollback, and health verification before release. Use for user-facing, infrastructure, CI/CD, integration, or high-risk changes.

- Skill: `wakqasahmed/release-gate` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add wakqasahmed/release-gate`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/wakqasahmed/release-gate/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- Author: wakqasahmed (https://skillmd.com/u/wakqasahmed)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/wakqasahmed/release-gate

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# Release Gate

Use this before staging or production release.

## Workflow

1. Confirm the reviewed commit or artifact being released.
2. Confirm environment and deployment mechanism.
3. Run the smallest deployment validation available.
4. Smoke-test the critical route or workflow.
5. Record rollback path.
6. Create a HITL issue if deployment needs missing human-held access.

## Scope & Exemption Rules

Apply this gate selectively based on risk level to prevent release gridlock:
- **Exempt (Skip this gate)**: Low-risk changes per `AI_ENGINEERING_WORKFLOW.md` (documentation-only edits, comments, minor styling/CSS tweaks, test-only additions, and narrow bug fixes with no business-rule change, data schema, auth, or infrastructure changes) skip the full staging/rollback release gate.
- **Mandatory (Do not skip)**: Medium and High-risk changes (user-facing features, business logic changes, migrations, authentication/permissions, deployment pipelines, and third-party integrations) must satisfy all checks below before release.

## Required For Medium/High Risk

- CI status
- Review status
- Target environment
- Smoke test command
- Rollback command or previous artifact
- Health check signal

## Guardrails

- Prefer deploying reviewed artifacts over rebuilding unreviewed source.
- Do not deploy production from unreviewed PRs.
- Do not silently work around missing secrets, DNS, or account permissions.
- Test database safety (disposable/dedicated storage, staging backup timing) follows `system-level/core.md` (Test Database Safety) — this gate does not relax it.