# CI quality-gate orchestration

`config/ci/gates.json` is the executable registry for all 26 gates. The Gitea
adapter runs each gate as an independent matrix check with full fan-out and no
soft-fail wiring.

The dependency graph is:

```text
MERGE_READY
  -> RELEASE_READY
    -> PROD_PROMOTION_READY
      -> FIELD_SLO_READY

DOCUMENTATION_READY (off-chain)
```

Pull requests and `develop` pushes evaluate merge readiness. Version tags
evaluate merge then release readiness. Production and field evaluation require
an explicit workflow dispatch. The field tier cannot pass until the 28-day
sample threshold decision is recorded. Documentation readiness consumes the
canonical project-note evidence in which both scoped diagrams already received
100/100 `PASS_SCOPED`; the repo ledger preserves the evidence scope and
canonical digests.

All jobs upload the shared `artifacts/` tree even after failure. Numeric
retention remains an organization/provider decision; the workflow intentionally
does not invent `retention-days`. The relative minimums are recorded in the
registry: merge evidence through the PR decision, coherent release evidence
through the next release promotion, drill evidence through the next production
promotion, and field evidence through aggregation.

Browser-backed merge gates install and execute the pinned Chromium, Firefox,
and WebKit engines. This makes route behavior, reflow, native dialog semantics,
theme persistence, and automated accessibility a cross-engine contract rather
than a Chromium-only smoke check.

Repository variables required by higher tiers:

- `HOSTING_BASE_URL` for live header verification
- `FIELD_WEB_VITALS_INPUT` for the privacy-approved field sample document
- `MIN_ELIGIBLE_SAMPLES` after the baseline decision

Branch protection must mark each `FE-GATE-* / <name>` check required for its
declared tier. This repository cannot configure server-side protection by
committing a file.