# Dev / Staging / Production — CI/CD

Source: https://www.geekswithgeeks.com/en/cicd/cicd-env-promotion

> A change earns its way to production through a chain of environments.

## The promotion flow

A typical flow: **dev** (fast, unstable, for developers), **staging** (a production-like copy for final checks), **production** (real users). A build is **promoted** from one to the next only after it proves itself.

## Gates between environments

Moving to the next environment is gated — automatically by passing tests and health checks, or manually by a required approval — so a bad build can't silently slide into production.

## Dress rehearsal

Staging is the dress rehearsal before opening night: same script, same set, same lighting as production — just no paying audience yet. If it goes wrong here, the real audience never sees it.