/google-agents-cli-deploy

name: google-agents-cli-deploy
description: >
  This skill should be used when the user wants to "deploy an agent",
  "deploy my ADK agent", "set up CI/CD", "configure secrets",
  "troubleshoot a deployment", or needs guidance on Agent Runtime,
  Cloud Run, or GKE deployment targets, or binding an agent to an Agent Gateway.
  Covers deployment workflows, service accounts, rollback, and production infrastructure.
  Applies to any framework agents-cli deploys (ADK, LangChain, ...).
  Part of the agents-cli skills suite.
  Do NOT use for agent API code patterns (ADK: use google-agents-cli-adk-code), evaluation
  (use google-agents-cli-eval), or project scaffolding (use google-agents-cli-scaffold).
metadata:
  author: Google
  license: Apache-2.0
  version: 1.13.0
  requires:
    bins:
      - agents-cli
    install: "uv tool install google-agents-cli"

Deployment Guide

> **Requires:** `agents-cli` (`uv tool install google-agents-cli`) — [install uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/index.md) first if needed.

> Prefer using the `agents-cli` commands throughout this guide — they wrap Terraform, Docker, and deployment into a tested pipeline. If your project isn't scaffolded yet, see `/google-agents-cli-scaffold` to add deployment support first.

Reference Files

For deeper details, consult these reference files in `references/`:

• **`cloud-run.md`** — Scaling defaults, Dockerfile, session types, networking
• **`agent-runtime.md`** — container-based deploy, unified FastAPI app, the `/api` passthrough, Terraform resource, deployment metadata, CI/CD differences
• **`gke.md`** — GKE Autopilot cluster, Kubernetes manifests, Workload Identity, session types, networking
• **`terraform-patterns.md`** — Custom infrastructure, IAM, state management, importing resources
• **`batch-inference.md`** — BigQuery Remote Function trigger; for Pub/Sub / Eventarc on ADK see `/google-agents-cli-adk-code`
• **`cicd-pipeline.md`** — Full CI/CD pipeline setup, `infra cicd` flags, runner comparison, WIF auth, pipeline stages
• **`testing-deployed-agents.md`** — Testing instructions per deployment target, curl examples, load tests
• **`cmek.md`** — Customer-managed encryption keys on Agent Runtime in Gemini platform: key grants, `deploy --key` for dev, Terraform edits for staging/prod

> **Observability:** See the `/google-agents-cli-observability` skill for Cloud Trace, prompt-response logging, BigQuery Analytics, and third-party integrations.

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Deployment Target Decision Matrix

Choose the right deployment target based on your requirements:

| Criteria | Agent Runtime | Cloud Run | GKE | |----------|-------------|-----------|-----| | **Scaling** | Managed auto-scaling (configurable min/max, concurrency) | Fully configurable (min/max instances, concurrency, CPU allocation) | Full Kubernetes scaling (HPA, VPA, node auto-provisioning) | | **Networking** | VPC-SC and PSC-I supported (private VPC connectivity via network attachments) | Full VPC support, direct VPC egress, IAP, ingress rules | Full Kubernetes networking | | **Session state** | Sessions in Gemini platform (ADK wires `VertexAiSessionService` automatically) | In-memory (dev), Cloud SQL, or a managed sessions backend | In-memory (dev), Cloud SQL, or a managed sessions backend | | **Batch/event processing** | Trigger endpoints reachable via the Agent Runtime `/api` passthrough | Native trigger endpoints (Pub/Sub, Eventarc); ADK: see `/google-agents-cli-adk-code` | Custom (Kubernetes Jobs, Pub/Sub) | | **Cost model** | vCPU-hours + memory-hours (not billed when idle) | Per-instance-second + min instance costs | Node pool costs (always-on or auto-provisioned) | | **Setup complexity** | Lower (managed, purpose-built for agents) | Medium (Dockerfile, Terraform, networking) | Higher (Kubernetes expertise required) | | **Best for** | Managed infrastructure, minimal ops | Custom infra, full networking control | Full Kubernetes control |

**Ask the user** which deployment target fits their needs. Each is a valid production choice with different trade-offs.

All three targets are container-based, so any language works.

> **Product name mapping:** users may say "Agent Engine", "Vertex AI Agent Engine", or "Agent Runtime"; all mean Agent Runtime. Use `--deployment-target agent_runtime`.

> **Ambient / scheduled / event-driven agents (ADK projects):** ADK's `trigger_sources` registers `/apps/{app}/trigger/*` endpoints on the same FastAPI app for **all** targets. On **Cloud Run** / **GKE** these are public HTTP routes you point a Pub/Sub push subscription or Eventarc trigger at; on **Agent Runtime** the same routes are reachable through its `/api` passthrough (e.g. `.../reasoningEngines/v1/{resource}/api/apps/{app}/trigger/pubsub`). Cloud Run remains the simplest target for unauthenticated trigger sources. See `/google-agents-cli-adk-code` (`references/adk-python.md`, section "12. Event-Driven / Ambient Agents") for the `trigger_sources` pattern.

> **OAuth / user consent agents:** Use **Agent Runtime**, registered with Gemini, for agents that need OAuth 2.0 user consent (e.g., accessing Google Drive, Calendar, or other user-scoped APIs). Cloud Run does not currently support managed OAuth flows. For a worked ADK example, look up OAuth user consent in the topic index in `/google-agents-cli-adk-code` → `references/recipes.md`.

> **Live and voice agents:** pass **`--timeout 3600`** on Cloud Run so a session outlives the 300s default, and **`--min-instances 1`** on Cloud Run or Agent Runtime so the first caller after idle does not hear a cold start. GKE sizes pods in Terraform. URL shapes and session caps: `/google-agents-cli-adk-code` (`references/adk-python-live.md`).

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Deploying to Dev

Deploy Workflow

**Task tracking:** Deployment involves multiple sequential steps (infra setup, CI/CD configuration, deploy, verification). Use a task list to track progress through these steps — skipping one often causes failures in