How to use the Replica Deploy agent skill: install and run it

What is an agent skill, and what does replica-deploy do?

An agent skill is a packaged set of instructions that an AI agent reads when a request matches what the skill is for. The replica-deploy skill covers the path from a working app clone to a live site.

It first runs a preflight gate: the end-to-end tests, the parity must-haves check, the rebrand sweep, the store listing lint if you are shipping to stores, and the production build. If any check fails, the deploy stops and the agent says which check failed and why. Once the gate passes, the agent works through production database and environment variables, the hosting setup, DNS records for the domain and email, Stripe live mode, OAuth redirects, monitoring, and mobile builds.

• Writes its results to replica/deploy.md using the checklist in preflight.md
• Asks for your go-ahead before anything goes live
• Writes the exact DNS records, environment variable names and commands for you

Install the replica-deploy skill

Download the ZIP from the replica-deploy page on this directory and unzip it. There are two places to put the folder, depending on how you want to use it.

For all your projects, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. To use it in one project only, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload the skill in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.

The skill's own files are SKILL.md and preflight.md. The preflight checks call other skills in the same pack, such as replica-diff, replica-brand and replica-launch, so install the pack as a whole rather than this one folder alone.

• Option A: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
• Option B: unzip into your project's .claude/skills/
• Option C: upload in the Claude apps under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills

What you need before you start

The skill assumes you have already built an app clone, ideally with the related replica skills, and that the app is rebranded. It runs real checks, so the tools they depend on must be present.

Services depend on what your app uses. The skill is written around a hosting account, a domain registrar account and an email sending provider, plus Stripe, an OAuth provider and a database account if the app uses them. Mobile builds need an Apple Developer account and a Google Play account.

• Node.js and npm, for npx playwright test and npm run build
• Python 3, for the parity and brand sweep scripts
• A Playwright test setup
• A hosting account such as Vercel, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, Fly or Render
• A domain registrar account and an email sending provider
• Stripe, OAuth provider and database accounts, if the app uses them
• Apple Developer ($99 a year) and Google Play ($25 once) accounts, for mobile builds

Trigger the skill with natural requests

You do not need a special command. The skill is meant to load when you ask for something close to its job. The description lists phrases such as deploy it, ship it, put it live, connect my domain, go to production and publish the app. It also loads after the replica-launch step.

Be specific about the domain and the stores if you have them. The more context you give, the fewer questions the agent asks back.

• "Deploy it to my domain, example.com, once the tests are green."
• "Connect my domain and write the DNS records I need."
• "Ship the app live. Show me the preflight results first."
• "Put it live and tell me what to watch in the first week."

Safety: scripts, network and what stays with you

This skill runs scripts and uses the network. The preflight step runs npx playwright test, npm run build and Python scripts from the pack, and it works against your project. Read the commands it proposes before you approve them, and keep the skill on a project you trust.

The skill is built so that you do the sensitive steps. The agent never buys a domain, enters a card, types a password or pastes a live key. It writes the records and names; you do the account work. Nothing goes live without your go-ahead.

Legal and privacy pages are on the checklist for a reason. Privacy policy and terms must be live and list every processor, and an EU or UK cookie banner may be needed if you use non-essential cookies. The skill does not replace legal advice.

• Read proposed commands before approving them
• Keep live keys and passwords out of the chat
• Check the DNS values against your host's settings yourself

Tips for a smooth launch

Run the preflight early and often. Failures in the rebrand sweep or the tests are cheaper to fix before you touch DNS.

Use a separate production database, never the development one, and keep backups on. Add the production domain to every OAuth provider's redirect URIs, and verify your email sending domain before you rely on confirmation emails.

Set DMARC to p=none first, then tighten it to quarantine once the reports are clean. Without SPF, DKIM and DMARC, confirmation emails can end up in spam.

• Test one real Stripe purchase in live mode, then refund it
• Ask someone to run the core flow on their phone
• Pick one canonical host, either apex or www, and redirect the other