ci-cd

name	CI-CD
description	Automate builds, tests, and deployments across web, mobile, and backend applications.

When to Use

Trigger on: automated deployment, continuous integration, pipeline setup, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, build failing, deploy automatically, CI configuration, release automation.

Platform Selection

Stack	Recommended	Why
Web (Next.js, Nuxt, static)	Vercel, Netlify	Zero-config, auto-deploys, preview URLs
Mobile (iOS/Android/Flutter)	Codemagic, Bitrise + Fastlane	Pre-configured signing, app store upload
Backend/Docker	GitHub Actions, GitLab CI	Full control, self-hosted runners option
Monorepo	Nx/Turborepo + GHA	Affected detection, build caching

Decision tree: If platform handles deploy automatically (Vercel, Netlify) → skip custom CI. Only add GitHub Actions when you need tests, custom builds, or deploy to your own infra.

Quick Start Templates

For copy-paste workflows, see templates.md.

Common Pipeline Pitfalls

Mistake	Impact	Fix
Using latest image tags	Builds break randomly	Pin versions: node:20.11.0
Not caching dependencies	+5-10 min per build	Cache node_modules, .next/cache
Secrets in workflow files	Leaked in logs/PRs	Use platform secrets, OIDC for cloud
Missing timeout-minutes	Stuck jobs burn budget	Always set: timeout-minutes: 15
No concurrency control	Redundant runs on rapid pushes	Group by branch/PR
Building on every push	Wasted resources	Build on push to main, test on PRs

Mobile-Specific: Code Signing

The #1 pain point. iOS requires certificates + provisioning profiles. Android requires keystores.

The fix: Use Fastlane Match — stores certs/profiles in git repo, syncs across team and CI.

# One-time setup
fastlane match init
fastlane match appstore

# In CI
fastlane match appstore --readonly

For detailed mobile CI/CD patterns (iOS, Android, Flutter), see mobile.md.

Web-Specific: Build Caching

Next.js/Nuxt builds are slow without cache. The No Cache Detected warning = full rebuild.

# GitHub Actions: persist Next.js cache
- uses: actions/cache@v4
  with:
    path: .next/cache
    key: nextjs-${{ hashFiles('**/package-lock.json') }}

For framework-specific configs, see web.md.

Debugging Failed Builds

Error Pattern	Likely Cause	Check
Works locally, fails in CI	Environment drift	Node version, env vars, OS
Intermittent failures	Flaky tests, resource limits	Retry logic, increase timeout
ENOENT / file not found	Build order, missing artifact	Check needs: dependencies
Exit code 137	Out of memory	Use larger runner or optimize
Certificate/signing errors	Expired or mismatched creds	Regenerate with Match/Fastlane

What This Doesn't Cover

• Container orchestration (Kubernetes) → see k8s skill
• Server configuration → see server skill
• Monitoring and observability → see monitoring skill