launch-runbook
Plan and execute a launch runbook covering pre-launch verification, go-live procedures, DNS cutover, post-launch monitoring, and rollback procedures. Use this skill whenever the user is preparing to launch a website or product, planning a DNS cutover, building a go-live checklist, or executing a launch day. Triggers on launch runbook, go-live, launch day, DNS cutover, deploy to production, site launch, product launch, cutover plan, launch checklist, deployment procedure. Also triggers when a launch is approaching and the team needs structured coordination, even if 'runbook' is not explicitly stated.
- Installs
- 273
- Last 24h
- —
- Trending rank
- —
- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/rampstackco/claude-skills --skill launch-runbook- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads launch-runbook automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Launch Runbook
Plan and execute the launch of a website, product, or major release. The runbook is the document everyone uses on launch day. Stack-agnostic.
This skill is for the launch event. For pre-launch QA, use qa-testing. For post-launch incident handling, use incident-response.
When to use
- Launching a new website or major redesign
- Migrating from one platform to another
- Releasing a major product or feature
- Coordinating cross-team launches
- Building a runbook for a recurring deploy
When NOT to use
- Pre-launch testing (use
qa-testing) - Post-launch incident response (use
incident-response) - After-launch retrospective (use
after-action-report)
Required inputs
- The launch scope (what's being launched)
- The launch window (date, time, duration)
- The team (roles, on-call rotation)
- The rollback criteria (when to abort)
- The communication plan (who tells whom what, when)
The framework: 4 phases
A launch has four phases. The runbook covers all four.
Phase 1: Pre-launch (T-30 days to T-1 hour)
Verify everything is ready before the launch window.
T-30 days:
- Final scope locked
- Cross-team commitments confirmed
- Pre-launch QA scheduled
- Comms plan drafted
T-7 days:
- Pre-launch QA complete
- All critical and major issues resolved
- Performance baseline measured
- Rollback procedures documented and tested
- DNS TTL lowered (if DNS change is part of launch)
T-1 day:
- Final go/no-go meeting
- Roles confirmed
- Communication channels set up
- Backup of current production state
T-1 hour:
- Team assembled in shared communication channel
- Tools and access verified
- Final smoke test on staging
Phase 2: Cutover (T-0)
The actual launch. Sequenced steps with owners and verifications.
Standard cutover steps:
- Announce start to internal team
- Enable maintenance mode (if applicable)
- Run final database migrations (if applicable)
- Deploy code to production
- Verify deploy completed without errors
- Run smoke tests on production
- DNS cutover (if applicable)
- Verify DNS propagation
- Disable maintenance mode
- Run full smoke tests on production
- Announce launch to internal team
- Begin monitoring window
Each step has:
- Owner
- Pre-conditions
- Action
- Verification
- Time estimate
- Rollback procedure
Phase 3: Verification (T+0 to T+24 hours)
Confirm the launch is healthy.
Within first hour:
- Critical user flows working (checkout, signup, login)
- No spike in error rates
- Performance within expected ranges
- Analytics tracking firing
- Email and notifications working
Within first 24 hours:
- No regression in key business metrics
- No accumulating error patterns
- Core Web Vitals stable
- Search Console showing no critical issues (if SEO-relevant)
Phase 4: Stabilization (T+24 hours to T+7 days)
Monitor the long tail.
- Track error rates day over day
- Track performance day over day
- Track key business metrics vs baseline
- Address any non-blocking issues identified
- Plan the AAR (after-action report)
Roles and responsibilities
A launch has clear role assignments. Ambiguity here is the most common cause of launch chaos.
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Launch lead | Owns the runbook. Calls go/no-go. Calls rollback. |
| Deploy operator | Executes the technical deploy steps. |
| QA lead | Runs verification tests and confirms each milestone. |
| Comms lead | Posts internal updates, manages external messaging. |
| On-call engineer | Available for issues during and after launch. |
| Stakeholder rep | Approves on behalf of business stakeholders. |
For small teams, one person may fill multiple roles. Each role's responsibilities should still be explicit.
Rollback criteria
Define before the launch. Decisions are easier to make pre-emptively than under pressure.
Automatic rollback triggers:
- Error rate exceeds X percent of normal
- Critical user flow (defined) is broken
- Database integrity issue
- Security vulnerability discovered post-deploy
Discretionary rollback triggers:
- Performance degradation beyond Y percent
- Significant degradation in key business metric
- Customer-facing error patterns
Decision authority: The launch lead calls rollback. Pre-define who acts as deputy if launch lead is unavailable.
Communication plan
Internal channels
- Primary launch channel: Real-time chat for the launch team only
- Status channel: Broader internal updates
- War room: Optional video call for high-stakes launches
Update cadence during launch
- Every 15 minutes during cutover
- Every hour during verification phase
- Daily during stabilization phase
External communication
- Customer-facing announcement: Pre-drafted, scheduled to publish at confirmed-success milestone
- Status page: Updated proactively if any user impact
- Support team: Briefed in advance on what's launching, common questions, escalation path
Workflow
- Build the runbook 30 days out. Scope, sequence, roles, rollback criteria, comms plan.
- Test the rollback procedure. Untested rollback is hope, not procedure.
- Run a tabletop exercise. Walk through the runbook with the full team. Find gaps.
- Lower DNS TTL 48 to 72 hours before launch (if DNS change is part of launch).
- Day-of: Run the runbook step by step. Verify each step before moving to next.
- Monitor. First hour, first day, first week. Document anything noteworthy.
- Schedule the AAR within 1 to 2 weeks of launch.
Failure patterns
- Runbook written by one person, not reviewed. Single perspective misses scenarios.
- No tested rollback. Discovering rollback is broken at the moment you need it.
- Vague step descriptions. "Deploy to production" without specifying which tool, which command, which environment.
- No verification step after each action. Errors propagate.
- Communication gaps. Team doesn't know launch is happening, or doesn't know it succeeded.
- Launching at end of day Friday. Or before a holiday. Reduce the time available to respond.
- Skipping pre-launch QA to hit a date. The bugs appear on launch day instead.
- Launch fatigue. Long launches without breaks lead to errors. Plan rest cycles for multi-day launches.
- No on-call for first 24 hours. Someone must be reachable.
Output format
Default output: a markdown runbook at launch-runbook-[project].md plus supporting checklists.
Structure:
- Launch metadata (what, when, who)
- Roles and responsibilities
- Pre-launch checklist (T-30, T-7, T-1, T-1hr)
- Cutover sequence (numbered steps, owners, verifications)
- Rollback procedure
- Rollback criteria (automatic and discretionary)
- Communication plan
- Verification checklist (first hour, first day)
- Stabilization plan (first week)
- Contacts (escalation paths, on-call)
Reference files
references/runbook-template.md- Fillable runbook template with example cutover sequences.
FAQ
What does the launch-runbook skill do?
Plan and execute a launch runbook covering pre-launch verification, go-live procedures, DNS cutover, post-launch monitoring, and rollback procedures. Use this skill whenever the user is preparing to launch a website or product, planning a DNS cutover, building a go-live checklist, or executing a launch day. Triggers on launch runbook, go-live, launch day, DNS cutover, deploy to production, site launch, product launch, cutover plan, launch checklist, deployment procedure. Also triggers when a launch is approaching and the team needs structured coordination, even if 'runbook' is not explicitly stated.
How do I install launch-runbook?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/rampstackco/claude-skills --skill launch-runbook in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/launch-runbook/ (personal) or .claude/skills/launch-runbook/ (project).
Which AI agents can use launch-runbook?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is launch-runbook safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains launch-runbook?
It is published by rampstackco in rampstackco/claude-skills. It has 273 recorded installs.
More from rampstackco/claude-skills
art-direction
rampstackco/claude-skills
Direct visual and creative work for campaigns, photography, illustration, video, and branded experiences. Use this skill whenever the user wants to brief a photographer, direct illustrators, plan a creative campaign, develop visual concepts, or evaluate creative work for fit. Triggers on art direction, photo brief, photography brief, illustration brief, campaign concept, creative concept, visual direction, mood board, look and feel, visual treatment, video direction. Also triggers when the user has approved brand identity but needs to extend it into specific creative deliverables. Use creative-direction instead when the ask is the project-wide aesthetic brief that this skill consumes as input.
brand-identity
rampstackco/claude-skills
Design or evaluate a brand visual identity system covering logo, color, typography, imagery direction, iconography, and motion principles. Use this skill whenever the user wants to design a logo, build a visual identity, define brand colors, choose brand typography, develop iconography, plan brand imagery, or evaluate an existing identity for cohesion. Triggers on logo design, brand identity, visual identity, brand mark, wordmark, monogram, color palette, brand colors, brand typography, type system, iconography, brand imagery, motion design, brand system, identity system. Also triggers when the user has a brand direction approved and now needs the visual artifacts that express it.
creative-direction
rampstackco/claude-skills
Walk the user through four directional axes (tone register, aesthetic philosophy, audience relationship, sensory ambition) and produce a structured aesthetic brief that downstream content, copy, design, and art-direction skills consume as required input. The aesthetic depth layer, distinct from creative-brief (operational kickoff: scope, audience, deliverables, constraints). Use when a project needs aesthetic coherence across many small decisions and the user has only a vague feeling, or when multiple downstream aesthetic-producing skills need a shared brief. Triggers on creative direction, aesthetic direction, set the aesthetic, define the visual direction, what's the vibe, what's the tone, the four axes. Does NOT fire for a general kickoff brief (use creative-brief), tactical single-piece work, already-documented direction, purely functional output, or locked production-stage work.
brand-style-guide
rampstackco/claude-skills
Open the skill to read its SKILL.md instructions.
landing-page-copy
rampstackco/claude-skills
Write landing page copy with attention to the hero, value proposition, social proof, objection handling, and conversion-focused CTAs. Use this skill whenever the user wants to write a landing page, sales page, hero section, or any conversion-focused web copy. Triggers on landing page, sales page, hero copy, value proposition, headline, subheadline, hero section, CTA copy, conversion copy, opt-in page, squeeze page. Also triggers when the user has a marketing campaign or product launch needing dedicated conversion copy. Use cro-optimization instead when the page already exists and the ask is to lift its conversion rate through testing rather than to write the copy.
Popular marketing & seo skills
reddit-automation
flowkit-labs/skills
Find Reddit threads where people are genuinely asking for what you offer, then draft short, genuinely helpful replies — disclosing your affiliation honestly and naming your product only when it truly answers the question. Two moves: discovery — scan the right subreddits for real needs (recommendation asks, expressed pain, competitor mentions) and rank the few threads where you can actually help; drafting — write from real experience, respect each community's self-promo rules, and keep a human in the loop to review and post. This markets on Reddit the honest way: contribute value, disclose who you are, never astroturf. Distilled from the playbook behind doany.ai's Reddit agent. Triggers on "find reddit opportunities", "reddit marketing", "reddit automation", "reply on reddit for my product", "reddit community engagement", "reddit lead gen", or any ask to turn Reddit threads into genuine, disclosed marketing replies.
twitter-automation
101-skills/superpowers
Automate Twitter/X with posting, engagement, and user management via inference.sh CLI. Apps: x/post-tweet, x/post-create (with media), x/post-like, x/post-retweet, x/dm-send, x/user-follow. Capabilities: post tweets, schedule content, like posts, retweet, send DMs, follow users, get profiles. Use for: social media automation, content scheduling, engagement bots, audience growth, X API. Triggers: twitter api, x api, tweet automation, post to twitter, twitter bot, social media automation, x automation, tweet scheduler, twitter integration, post tweet, twitter post, x post, send tweet
twitter-automation
magentosh/superpowers
Automate Twitter/X with posting, engagement, and user management via inference.sh CLI. Apps: x/post-tweet, x/post-create (with media), x/post-like, x/post-retweet, x/dm-send, x/user-follow. Capabilities: post tweets, schedule content, like posts, retweet, send DMs, follow users, get profiles. Use for: social media automation, content scheduling, engagement bots, audience growth, X API. Triggers: twitter api, x api, tweet automation, post to twitter, twitter bot, social media automation, x automation, tweet scheduler, twitter integration, post tweet, twitter post, x post, send tweet
twitter-automation
qu-skills/superpowers
Automate Twitter/X with posting, engagement, and user management via inference.sh CLI. Apps: x/post-tweet, x/post-create (with media), x/post-like, x/post-retweet, x/dm-send, x/user-follow. Capabilities: post tweets, schedule content, like posts, retweet, send DMs, follow users, get profiles. Use for: social media automation, content scheduling, engagement bots, audience growth, X API. Triggers: twitter api, x api, tweet automation, post to twitter, twitter bot, social media automation, x automation, tweet scheduler, twitter integration, post tweet, twitter post, x post, send tweet
product-launch-video
heygen-com/hyperframes
Turn a product or marketing URL, pasted script, or brief into a product launch / promo video — SaaS promos, feature reveals, product demos, app and company launches. Use when the user wants to market, launch, promote, or reveal a product; the default for any commercial URL. Site tours / showcases of a website route here too — the brief carries the show-it-as-is intent. Unclear → /hyperframes.
twitter-automation
skills-shell/superpowers
Automate Twitter/X with posting, engagement, and user management via inference.sh CLI. Apps: x/post-tweet, x/post-create (with media), x/post-like, x/post-retweet, x/dm-send, x/user-follow. Capabilities: post tweets, schedule content, like posts, retweet, send DMs, follow users, get profiles. Use for: social media automation, content scheduling, engagement bots, audience growth, X API. Triggers: twitter api, x api, tweet automation, post to twitter, twitter bot, social media automation, x automation, tweet scheduler, twitter integration, post tweet, twitter post, x post, send tweet