Datadog Deployment Gate GitHub Action

Deployment Gates allow you to reduce the likelihood and impact of incidents caused by deployments. This action provides a simple way to integrate Datadog Deployment Gates into your CI/CD pipeline.

You can learn more in the Deployment Gates documentation: https://docs.datadoghq.com/deployment_gates/

Prerequisites

Before using this action, you need to:

1. Set up Deployment Gates in your Datadog account. If you have not, join the preview here: https://www.datadoghq.com/product-preview/deployment-gates/
2. Have a Datadog API key
3. Have a Datadog Application key with at least the deployment_gates_evaluate scope

Usage

Basic Example

This example evaluates a gate using an inline configuration file, without requiring any prior setup in Datadog.

name: Deploy with Datadog Deployment Gate

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v5

      - name: Deploy Canary
        run: |
          echo "Deploying canary release for service:'my-service' in 'production'. Version 1.0.1"
          # Your deployment commands here

      - name: Evaluate Deployment Gate
        uses: DataDog/[email protected]
        env:
          DD_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.DD_API_KEY }}
          DD_APP_KEY: ${{ secrets.DD_APP_KEY }}
        with:
          service: my-service
          env: production
          config: .github/gate-config.json
      
      - name: Deploy
        run: |
          echo "Deployment Gate passed, proceeding with deployment"
          # Your deployment commands here

With .github/gate-config.json:

{
  "dryRun": false,
  "rules": [
    {
      "type": "monitor",
      "name": "error rate monitors",
      "options": {
        "query": "service:payments-backend env:prod",
        "duration": 300
      }
    }
  ]
}

Example with pre-configured gate

This example evaluates a gate that has been created beforehand. The gate must exist in Datadog before running this workflow — it can be created via the Datadog UI, API, or Terraform.

name: Deploy with Datadog Deployment Gate

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v5

      - name: Deploy Canary
        run: |
          echo "Deploying canary release for service:'my-service' in 'production'. Version 1.0.1"
          # Your deployment commands here

      - name: Evaluate Deployment Gate
        uses: DataDog/[email protected]
        env:
          DD_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.DD_API_KEY }}
          DD_APP_KEY: ${{ secrets.DD_APP_KEY }}
        with:
          service: my-service
          env: production
          identifier: default
      
      - name: Deploy
        run: |
          echo "Deployment Gate passed, proceeding with deployment"
          # Your deployment commands here

Environment Variables

The following environment variables are required:

Variable	Description	Required
DD_API_KEY	Datadog API key	✅
DD_APP_KEY	Datadog application key	✅
DD_SITE	Datadog site (e.g., datadoghq.com, datadoghq.eu)	❌ (defaults to datadoghq.com)

Inputs

Input	Description	Required	Default
service	Name of the service being deployed	✅
env	Deployment environment (e.g., staging, production)	✅
version	Version being deployed (required for APM Faulty Deployment Detection rules)	❌
identifier	Custom identifier for the Deployment Gate evaluation	❌
apm-primary-tag	Primary tag to scope down APM analysis for APM Faulty Deployment Detection rules (e.g., region:us-central-1)	❌
timeout	Command timeout in seconds	❌
fail-on-error	When true, the script will consider the gate as failed when timeout is reached or unexpected errors occur calling the Datadog APIs.	❌	false
config	Path to a JSON file containing gate rule definitions. See the setup documentation for the expected format.	❌
datadog-ci-version	Version of datadog-ci to install. Use a major version like v5 to get the latest release within that major version, or a specific tag like v5.6.0 to pin.	❌	v5

Outputs

This action uses the native datadog-ci command which handles all output internally. The action will:

• ✅ Succeed if the Deployment Gate passes
• ❌ Fail if the Deployment Gate fails or encounters an error

This action provides detailed output in the logs, including:

• Gate evaluation status
• Individual rule results
• Links to view results in Datadog UI
• Evaluation timing and polling information

Error Handling

The action leverages the native datadog-ci error handling:

• ✅ Pass if the Deployment Gate evaluation succeeds
• ❌ Fail if the Deployment Gate evaluation fails
• ❌ Fail if there are authentication or configuration errors
• 🔄 Automatic polling until evaluation completes
• ⏱️ Built-in timeout handling with sensible defaults

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Authentication Errors

   • Verify your DD_API_KEY and DD_APP_KEY are correct
   • Ensure the Application Key have the necessary deployment_gates_evaluate permission
   • Ensure you have access to the Deployment Gates preview: https://app.datadoghq.com/ci/deployment-gates/getting-started

2. Gate Not Found

   • Verify the service name and environment match your Datadog configuration
   • Check that Deployment Gates are properly configured in Datadog

Contributing

To contribute to this project, see the CONTRIBUTING file.

License

This project is licensed under the Apache 2.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For issues related to:

• This GitHub Action: Open an issue in this repository
• Datadog Deployment Gates: Contact Datadog Support
• datadog-ci CLI: Check the datadog-ci repository