Conciseness

The ~35-line body is dense with project-specific rules Claude could not derive elsewhere — 'Precedence: `.env` (committed defaults) → `.env.local` (git-ignored) → ...', 'always `--frozen-lockfile` in CI', the full Cache-Control table — with zero padding or explanation of concepts Claude already knows. Every token earns its place.

Actionability

Guidance is copy-paste ready: exact header values ('public, max-age=31536000, immutable'), an executable verification command ('curl -sI https://example.com | grep -E 'HTTP|Strict''), a concrete auth rule ('return 401 unless the `authorization` header equals `Bearer ${process.env.CRON_SECRET}`'), and specific rollback mechanics ('git revert', on a branch). Common cases are covered with concrete values rather than vague direction.

Workflow Clarity

Sequences are explicit and ordered: CI 'Stages in order: install → lint → test → production build → deploy', release gated on 'lint + test + build all exiting 0 and no draft PRs', and rollback has a defined error-recovery path ('rolled back immediately, not patched forward: ... platform's instant rollback ... first, then a revert PR') with a re-validation loop ('Re-run the `curl -sI` check before calling it resolved'). Validation checkpoints are explicit for the risky release/rollback operations, so no cap applies.

Progressive Disclosure

The skill is under 50 lines with no bundle files (references/, scripts/, assets/ are absent) and no need for them; it is a well-organized overview with clear sections. Its external pointers are one level deep and clearly signaled: the project doc ('See `.opencastle/stack/deployment-config.md`, when the project has one') and cross-skill handoffs ('Load **security-hardening** skill', 'the **technical-writing** format').

Specificity

The description enumerates several specific areas — 'Deployment pipelines, environment variables, cron routes, caching headers, releases and rollback' — with broad coverage of the domain. It falls just below the 5 anchor because most items are domain topics rather than concrete action verbs (only 'releases and rollback' read as actions), matching 'Lists several specific actions; minor gaps in coverage' rather than the fully action-anchored 5 example.

Completeness

Both halves are explicit: the 'what' is the opening inventory ('Deployment pipelines, environment variables, cron routes, caching headers, releases and rollback') and the 'when' is a concrete trigger clause ('Use when changing CI/CD or platform deploy config (Docker, Vercel, AWS, nginx), env vars or cache headers, or rolling back a release'), matching the top anchor exactly.

Trigger Term Quality

Comprehensive natural-language coverage with synonyms and platform names users actually say: 'CI/CD', 'deploy config', 'Docker, Vercel, AWS, nginx', 'env vars' (plus 'environment variables'), 'cache headers', 'rolling back a release' (plus 'rollback'). A user needing this skill would naturally use these exact terms.

Distinctiveness Conflict Risk

The niche is clear and most triggers (CI/CD, Docker, Vercel, nginx, rollback) are distinct, but the generic terms 'env vars or cache headers' could plausibly fire for a backend-config or caching-specific skill in the same bundle — minor overlap risk with closely related skills rather than the minimal-conflict 5 anchor.