Deploy Modes

Each prompt in PromptDeploy has a deploy mode that controls how edits are written back to your GitHub repository.

Direct mode

deploy_mode: direct

Changes are committed directly to the default branch (usually main). This is the fastest workflow — edits go live immediately.

Best for: - Rapid iteration during development - Non-critical prompts where speed matters more than review - Solo developers or trusted editors

What happens when you save:

  1. PromptDeploy reads the current file SHA from GitHub
  2. Compares it to the SHA when you started editing (conflict detection)
  3. If no conflict, commits the change directly to the default branch
  4. The commit message includes the editor's name and the prompt name

PR mode

deploy_mode: pr

Changes create a pull request instead of committing directly. This lets developers review prompt changes before they go live.

Best for: - Production prompts that need review - Teams with non-technical editors - Regulated environments requiring change approval

What happens when you save:

  1. PromptDeploy creates a new branch (e.g. promptdeploy/system-prompt-1708345200)
  2. Commits the change to that branch
  3. Opens a pull request against the default branch
  4. The PR includes the editor's name, prompt name, and a diff summary

The PR can then be reviewed, discussed, and merged through your normal GitHub workflow.

Conflict detection

Both modes use SHA-based conflict detection. When you open a prompt for editing, PromptDeploy records the file's current SHA. When you save:

  • If the SHA still matches, the save proceeds
  • If the file has changed (someone else edited it), you'll see a conflict warning

This prevents silent overwrites regardless of deploy mode.

Changing deploy mode

You can change a prompt's deploy mode in two ways:

  1. Update deploy_mode in .promptdeploy.yml and sync
  2. Edit the prompt configuration in the UI (developers and admins only)
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