DEVOPS

Pre-release budget check on version tags with GitHub comment

When a release tag is pushed, queries Datadog for the service's remaining error budget and posts a go/no-go comment on the GitHub release with the budget number.

CategoryDevOps
Enginesim
Difficultyintermediate
Triggerevent
Steps4
Setup~15 min

How it runs

The automated pipeline, trigger to output.

  • TriggerRelease tag pushedGitHubGitHub
  • ActionRead remaining budget + burn from DatadogDatadogDatadog
  • LogicDecide go / caution / hold vs rollback reserve
  • OutputComment recommendation on GitHub releaseGitHubGitHub

What it does

Adds a budget sanity check to the moment you cut a release. On a version tag push it asks Datadog how much error budget the service has left, decides whether that is enough to safely absorb a bad rollout plus rollback, and annotates the GitHub release with a clear go or hold recommendation.

When to use it

Use it when releases are tagged manually or by CI and you want a budget-aware second opinion attached right where engineers cut the release. Lighter than a hard freeze when you prefer human judgment with data.

How it works

  1. 1A GitHub tag push matching your release pattern triggers the flow.
  2. 2The flow reads the service's remaining SLO budget and recent burn rate from Datadog.
  3. 3A logic step decides go, caution, or hold based on whether budget exceeds your rollback-cost reserve.
  4. 4It posts a comment on the corresponding GitHub release or tag with the recommendation and the budget figure.
  5. 5The release author sees the verdict inline before promoting the build.

Set it up

What you configure once, before turning it on.

  1. 1
    Connect GitHubRepos, issues, pull requests, actions.
  2. 2
    Connect DatadogMetrics, traces, log search.
  3. 3
    Set each agent's modelWe leave models unset so you pick the tier — fast + cheap, or top-quality.
  4. 4
    Tune it to your dataEdit the prompts, filters, and field mappings so it matches how your team works.
  5. 5
    Test, then turn it onRun once against a sample, confirm the output, then enable the trigger.

Run this workflow in your colony.

14-day trial. No DevOps. No Sales call. Provisioned in under a minute.