Infrastructure Guide

Deployment workflows, git conventions, testing tools, and credential requirements for sempers.com.

Environments

Network Stack: Cloudflare (free tier) sits in front of SiteGround hosting. See CLOUDFLARE_SETUP_INSTRUCTIONS.md for Cloudflare configuration details.

Git Workflow

Branch Naming & Auto-Deploy Triggers

Rules:

• Never commit directly to master (see CLAUDE.md)
• Create descriptive branch names like feature/description or fix/description
• Commit after each logical change with descriptive messages

Workflow A: Normal Changes (Bug Fixes, Content Updates)

Branch ──> Local Tests ──> Merge to master ──> QA Tests ──> PROD Deploy
              must pass                         must pass

1. Create short-lived branch from master (e.g., fix/contact-form-validation)
2. Make changes, run local tests
3. If tests pass, merge to master
4. Push triggers automatic QA deployment
5. Run regression tests on QA
6. If tests pass, manually deploy to production

Workflow B: Big Changes (Refactors, Redesigns)

Branch ──> Local Tests ──> ENG Deploy ──> ENG Tests ──> Merge to master ──> QA Tests ──> PROD Deploy
              must pass                    must pass                          must pass

1. Create feature/refactor branch from master
2. Make changes, run local tests
3. Deploy to ENG (auto-deploys for refactor/* branches)
4. Run regression tests on ENG
5. If tests pass, merge to master
6. Push triggers automatic QA deployment
7. Run regression tests on QA
8. If tests pass, manually deploy to production

CI/CD Pipelines (GitHub Actions)

Deploy to ENG – .github/workflows/deploy-eng.yml

Trigger: Auto on push to refactor/** branches, or manual.

Deploy to QA – .github/workflows/ci.yml

Trigger: Auto on push to master.

Deploy to Production – .github/workflows/deploy-production.yml

Trigger: Manual only (type “deploy” to confirm).

# Deploy to production from command line
gh workflow run deploy-production.yml -f confirm=deploy

# Monitor deployments
gh run list --limit 3

All three workflows: build with Eleventy, run local tests, rsync to server, run regression tests against the deployed environment.

SSH & Server Details

GitHub Actions SSH secrets (QA_SSH_HOST, PROD_SSH_HOST) must use SiteGround’s direct IP, not the domain name (which resolves to Cloudflare).

Credential Requirements

GitHub Secrets

Required in: Repository > Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions

Local Credential Files

All credential files are gitignored. Passwords must never be visible in terminal output, logs, or command history.

Access Model

Each user has separate credentials – no shared accounts.

Testing Tools

See CLAUDE.md for the full list of test commands. Quick reference:

Playwright Tests

npm test                 # Run all tests
npm run test:qa          # Test QA environment
npm run test:prod        # Test production
npm run test:eng         # Test ENG environment
npm run test:mobile      # Mobile devices only
npm run test:headed      # Run with visible browser
npm run test:debug       # Debug mode

Visual Comparison (QA vs Production)

npm run visual-compare       # Smart default -- only changed pages
npm run visual-compare:all   # Full sweep -- all pages

Report: tests/visual-comparison-results/report.html

Running Tests with QA Auth

eval $(grep -E '^QA_' .web-config) && export QA_USER QA_PASS && npm run test:qa

Note: QA_PASS contains special characters. Use eval as shown above – do not use plain source or cut.

Local Development

npx @11ty/eleventy --serve --port 3333
# View at http://localhost:3333

Source files are in /src/ – Eleventy compiles them to /public_html/.

Quick Deploy Checklist

• [ ] Changes committed and pushed to master
• [ ] CI/CD pipeline passed (check GitHub Actions)
• [ ] QA site reviewed at qa.sempers.com
• [ ] gh workflow run deploy-production.yml -f confirm=deploy
• [ ] Production tests pass