run-preview

Goal

Run a preview build to test before an actual deploy, covering build, start server, test, verify, and share preview

Scope

Use for all kinds of preview, both a local preview server and a deployment preview (Vercel, Cloudflare, Netlify), before an actual deploy

Execute

Pre-Run: Always run /deep-review first — run-* must be reviewed/assessed before the main work, never skip; if findings are blockers, fix or report before running (preview)

1. Build Preview

Goal: Build Preview

Create a preview build for testing

Run /run-build to create the preview build
Set the build mode to preview, not production
Check the build output for errors
For Vite: use bun run build then bun run preview
For Next.js: use bun run build then bun run start
For Nuxt: use bun run build then bun run preview
For Vercel: use bunx vercel preview for a deployment preview
For Cloudflare: use bunx wrangler pages dev for a local preview

2. Start Preview Server

Goal: Start Preview Server

Run the preview server per the framework

Run the preview server command per the framework in use
Check that the server is running by watching the console output
Record the preview URL (local or deployment URL)
For a deployment preview, wait until the URL is ready

3. Test Preview

Goal: Test Preview

Test the preview in the browser

Open the preview URL in the browser
Run /watch-browser fix to continuously check the page
Test the key features that changed recently
Check the console errors and warnings
Run /run-test for detailed testing

4. Verify Preview

Goal: Verify Preview

Verify the correctness of the preview

Check that every page loads correctly
Check that assets and static files all load
Test the critical user flows
Check the responsive design across multiple screen sizes
Check that the API endpoints work correctly (if any)
Check that the environment variables are correct for the preview

5. Report Issues

Goal: Report Issues

Report the issues found in a table

Run /report to format a table
Create a table with columns: Category, Issue, Severity, Location, Action Required
Categories: Build, Pages, Assets, API, Console Errors, Responsive
Order the issues by severity (critical, high, medium, low)

6. Share Preview

Goal: Share Preview

Share the preview with the team and collect feedback

Share the preview URL with the team
Collect feedback and record the issues found
If there are issues, run /resolve-errors then rebuild the preview
If everything passes, run /run-deploy for the actual deploy

Rules

Use the preview build mode, not production
Set separate environment variables for preview from production
Use a preview or staging database if needed
Test the most recently changed features first
Always test the critical user flows
Test the responsive design across multiple screen sizes
Use /watch-browser fix for continuous checking
Use /run-test for detailed testing
Use /report to report issues
Stop the preview server when not in use
Periodically delete old preview builds
Use preview URLs temporarily; never use them as production
If there are issues, fix them before the actual deploy
For a deployment preview, wait until the URL is ready before testing

Common Mistakes

Using a production build instead of a preview build
Not setting environment variables for preview
Testing only the changed pages and not the critical flows
Not checking the console errors
Forgetting to stop the preview server when not in use
Using a preview URL as production

Anti-Patterns

Deploying for real without going through a preview first
Using a production database for preview
Skipping responsive design testing
Not reporting the issues found in the preview
Skipping API testing in the preview
Use /run-dev if needed
Use /run-review if needed

Expected Outcome

The preview build succeeds with no errors
The preview server works
Features work correctly in the preview
The console has no errors or warnings
The responsive design works on every screen size
Issues are identified, reported in a table, and fixed before deploy
Team feedback is collected
Ready for /run-deploy for the actual deploy