managing-sst

name	managing-sst
description	Use when working with Sst — sST (Serverless Stack) application management. Covers stack deployment, live Lambda debugging, console access, resource binding, secret management, and multi-stage environments. Use when building full-stack serverless apps with SST, debugging Lambda functions live, managing secrets, or inspecting deployed infrastructure.
connection_type	sst
preload	false

SST Management Skill

Manage SST applications, deploy stacks, debug live Lambdas, and inspect bound resources.

MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

Always inspect SST project config and deployment status before operations.

Phase 1: Discovery

#!/bin/bash
echo "=== SST Version ==="
npx sst version 2>/dev/null || sst version 2>/dev/null

echo ""
echo "=== SST Config ==="
if [ -f sst.config.ts ]; then
  head -30 sst.config.ts
elif [ -f sst.config.js ]; then
  head -30 sst.config.js
fi

echo ""
echo "=== Stacks ==="
ls stacks/ 2>/dev/null || ls infra/ 2>/dev/null || echo "Check sst.config for stack definitions"

echo ""
echo "=== Secrets ==="
npx sst secrets list 2>/dev/null | head -15

Phase 2: Analysis

#!/bin/bash
STAGE="${1:-dev}"

echo "=== Stack Status (stage=$STAGE) ==="
npx sst diff --stage "$STAGE" 2>&1 | tail -25

echo ""
echo "=== Bound Resources ==="
npx sst bind -- printenv 2>/dev/null | grep SST_ | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Deployed Outputs ==="
aws cloudformation list-stacks --stack-status-filter CREATE_COMPLETE UPDATE_COMPLETE --query "StackSummaries[?contains(StackName, '-${STAGE}-')].{Name:StackName,Status:StackStatus,Updated:LastUpdatedTime}" --output table 2>/dev/null | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Functions ==="
aws lambda list-functions --query "Functions[?contains(FunctionName, '-${STAGE}-')].{Name:FunctionName,Runtime:Runtime,Memory:MemorySize}" --output table 2>/dev/null | head -15

Output Rules

• TOKEN EFFICIENCY: Target <=50 lines per output
• Show bound resource names and outputs, not full stack details
• Summarize function configurations concisely
• Redact secret values in output

Safety Rules

• NEVER run sst deploy to production without explicit stage confirmation
• Use sst diff before deploying to review changes
• Never expose secrets -- use sst secrets for secret management
• Use sst dev for local development with live debugging
• Review IAM changes in diff output before deploying

Output Format

Present results as a structured report:

Managing Sst Report
═══════════════════
Resources discovered: [count]

Resource       Status    Key Metric    Issues
──────────────────────────────────────────────
[name]         [ok/warn] [value]       [findings]

Summary: [total] resources | [ok] healthy | [warn] warnings | [crit] critical
Action Items: [list of prioritized findings]

Target ≤50 lines of output. Use tables for multi-resource comparisons.

Anti-Hallucination Rules

1. NEVER assume resource names — always discover via CLI/API in Phase 1 before referencing in Phase 2.
2. NEVER fabricate metric names or dimensions — verify against the service documentation or --help output.
3. NEVER mix CLI commands between service versions — confirm which version/API you are targeting.
4. ALWAYS use the discovery → verify → analyze chain — every resource referenced must have been discovered first.
5. ALWAYS handle empty results gracefully — an empty response is valid data, not an error to retry.

Counter-Rationalizations

Shortcut	Counter	Why
"I'll skip discovery and check known resources"	Always run Phase 1 discovery first	Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors
"The user only asked for a quick check"	Follow the full discovery → analysis flow	Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures
"Default configuration is probably fine"	Audit configuration explicitly	Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled
"Metrics aren't needed for this"	Always check relevant metrics when available	API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues
"I don't have access to that"	Try the command and report the actual error	Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative