diff --git a/.github/workflows/ready.yml b/.github/workflows/ready.yml
index 79cddd0..d708ee8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ready.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ready.yml
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ jobs:
           repositories: ${{ github.event.repository.name }}
       # Only the merge uses this token, so existing push-triggered releases still run.
       # Only GitHub metadata is read. Never check out or execute PR code here.
-      - name: Require selected review and enable auto-merge
+      - name: Require selected review and publish CloudCannon changes
         uses: actions/github-script@ed597411d8f924073f98dfc5c65a23a2325f34cd # v8
         env:
           NETLIFY_CHECKS: ${{ inputs.netlify-checks }}
@@ -111,6 +111,14 @@ jobs:
                   : 'Waiting for CodeRabbit approval of this revision.',
                 target_url: pull.html_url});
               if (!reviewPassed) return;
+              // Agents own code merges so they can follow the production deployment.
+              // Keep the customer's CloudCannon Publish button automatic.
+              const isCloudCannonPublication = candidate => candidate.user?.type === 'Bot'
+                && candidate.user.login === 'cloudcannon[bot]'
+                && candidate.head.ref === 'preview'
+                && candidate.head.repo?.full_name === repository.full_name
+                && candidate.base.repo?.full_name === repository.full_name;
+              if (!isCloudCannonPublication(pull)) return core.info('Ready for the agent to merge and verify production.');
               // Workflow events can create jobs out of order. Compare the originating run first.
               // A skipped draft Check must never authorize automatic publication.
               const checks = await github.paginate(github.rest.checks.listForRef, {owner, repo, ref: sha, per_page: 100});
@@ -132,6 +140,7 @@ jobs:
               const final = await getPull();
               if (final.state !== 'open' || final.draft || final.base.ref !== pull.base.ref || final.head.sha !== sha
                 || final.labels.some(label => label.name === 'review-ready') !== selected) return;
+              if (!isCloudCannonPublication(final)) return;
               if (selected && (!await hasTrustedNotifier() || !await hasApproval())) {
                 await github.rest.repos.createCommitStatus({owner, repo, sha, context: 'Review',
                   state: 'pending', description: 'CodeRabbit approval changed; waiting for review.', target_url: pull.html_url});
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a2a0af9..188b3b6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ Callers pin a full commit SHA from `main` after the shared workflow PR is merged
 New projects take their callers from [astro-template](https://github.com/fulldotdev/astro-template) or [vite-template](https://github.com/fulldotdev/vite-template).
 
 - **Finalize (Prepare)** leaves a complete draft PR. Previews build; full checks wait for Ready.
-- **Dispatch (Release)** validates the affected behavior and marks the PR Ready, authorizing automatic merge once the required checks and previews pass. Choose `review-ready` before marking Ready when CodeRabbit approval is needed.
+- **Dispatch (Release)** validates the affected behavior and marks the PR Ready. After the required checks and previews pass, the agent merges the validated head and follows its production deployment. Choose `review-ready` before marking Ready when CodeRabbit approval is needed.
 - **Settle (Close)** follows production verification and preserves the result before closing the task.
 
 Organization rules require `Check / Check` and `Review`, without requiring synchronization with main. Netlify requirements are managed centrally for the repositories with those sites. Production keeps its scoped check and build. A skipped or outdated CodeRabbit review cannot satisfy a selected review.
+
+Keep repository auto-merge disabled except for CloudCannon publishers. CloudCannon's Publish button keeps automatic publication for same-repository `preview` PRs created by `cloudcannon[bot]`, with all required checks and previews. Code PRs are merged by their agent.
diff --git a/tests/ready.test.mjs b/tests/ready.test.mjs
index 5c3bd95..d698800 100644
--- a/tests/ready.test.mjs
+++ b/tests/ready.test.mjs
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ const source = readFileSync(new URL('../.github/workflows/ready.yml', import.met
 const execute = new (Object.getPrototypeOf(async function () {}).constructor)('github', 'context', 'core', 'process', 'fetch', source);
 
 async function scenario(options = {}) {
-  const pull = {number: 1, node_id: 'PR1', state: 'open', draft: false, head: {sha: 'head'},
-    base: {ref: 'main'}, labels: options.selected ? [{name: 'review-ready'}] : [], html_url: 'https://github.com/o/r/pull/1',
+  const pull = {number: 1, node_id: 'PR1', state: 'open', draft: false, head: {sha: 'head', ref: 'preview', repo: {full_name: 'o/r'}},
+    base: {ref: 'main', repo: {full_name: 'o/r'}}, user: {type: 'Bot', login: 'cloudcannon[bot]'}, labels: options.selected ? [{name: 'review-ready'}] : [], html_url: 'https://github.com/o/r/pull/1',
     ...options.pull};
   const pulls = options.pulls ?? [pull];
   const errors = [];
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ async function scenario(options = {}) {
     rest: {
       pulls: {get: async ({pull_number}) => ({data: ++reads >= 2 && options.changed ? {...pull, head: {sha: 'new'}} : pulls.find(candidate => candidate.number === pull_number)}),
         listReviews: 'reviews', list: 'pulls', merge: async args => { if (options.rejectPull === args.pull_number) throw Object.assign(new Error('Head changed'), {status: 409}); merges.push(args); }},
-      repos: {get: async () => ({data: {default_branch: 'main', allow_auto_merge: options.autoMerge !== false}}),
+      repos: {get: async () => ({data: {default_branch: 'main', full_name: 'o/r', allow_auto_merge: options.autoMerge !== false}}),
         getContent: async ({ref}) => {
           options.notifierRead?.();
           if (options.missingNotifier && ref.startsWith('refs/pull/')) throw Object.assign(new Error('Not found'), {status: 404});
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ async function scenario(options = {}) {
 
 const approval = {id: 1, user: {type: 'Bot', login: 'coderabbitai[bot]'}, state: 'APPROVED', commit_id: 'head'};
 
-test('Ready with real checks and no selected review enables auto-merge', async () => {
+test('CloudCannon publication with real checks and no selected review enables auto-merge', async () => {
   const result = await scenario();
   assert.equal(result.statuses[0].state, 'success');
   assert.equal(result.merges.length, 1);
@@ -113,14 +113,14 @@ test('successful Check workflow completion resumes the associated PR', async ()
 });
 test('already-green PR merges immediately with the validated SHA', async () => {
   const result = await scenario({pull: {mergeable_state: 'clean'}});
-  assert.deepEqual(result.merges, [{owner: 'o', repo: 'r', pull_number: 1, sha: 'head', merge_method: 'squash'}]);
+  assert.deepEqual(result.merges, [{owner: 'o', repo: 'r', pull_number: 1, sha: 'head', merge_method: 'merge'}]);
 });
 test('automatic merge is bound to the validated head', async () => {
-  assert.deepEqual((await scenario()).merges, [{id: 'PR1', sha: 'head', mergeMethod: 'SQUASH'}]);
+  assert.deepEqual((await scenario()).merges, [{id: 'PR1', sha: 'head', mergeMethod: 'MERGE'}]);
 });
 test('unrequired failures do not strand an otherwise eligible PR', async () => {
   const result = await scenario({pull: {mergeable_state: 'unstable'}});
-  assert.deepEqual(result.merges, [{owner: 'o', repo: 'r', pull_number: 1, sha: 'head', merge_method: 'squash'}]);
+  assert.deepEqual(result.merges, [{owner: 'o', repo: 'r', pull_number: 1, sha: 'head', merge_method: 'merge'}]);
   const denied = await scenario({pull: {mergeable_state: 'unstable'}, rejectPull: 1});
   assert.equal(denied.merges.length, 0);
   assert.match(denied.errors[0], /Head changed/);
@@ -147,13 +147,13 @@ test('selected review cannot remove or modify the trusted review notifier', asyn
 });
 test('every event reconciles other open PRs, even when concurrency coalesces events', async () => {
   const pulls = [1, 2].map(number => ({number, node_id: `PR${number}`, state: 'open', draft: false,
-    head: {sha: `head${number}`}, base: {ref: 'main'}, labels: [], html_url: `https://github.com/o/r/pull/${number}`}));
+    head: {sha: `head${number}`, ref: 'preview', repo: {full_name: 'o/r'}}, base: {ref: 'main', repo: {full_name: 'o/r'}}, user: {type: 'Bot', login: 'cloudcannon[bot]'}, labels: [], html_url: `https://github.com/o/r/pull/${number}`}));
   const result = await scenario({pulls, event: {pull_request: {number: 2}}});
   assert.deepEqual(result.merges.map(merge => merge.id), ['PR1', 'PR2']);
 });
 test('a rejected merge does not stop reconciliation of later PRs', async () => {
   const pulls = [1, 2].map(number => ({number, node_id: `PR${number}`, state: 'open', draft: false,
-    head: {sha: `head${number}`}, base: {ref: 'main'}, labels: [], mergeable_state: 'clean',
+    head: {sha: `head${number}`, ref: 'preview', repo: {full_name: 'o/r'}}, base: {ref: 'main', repo: {full_name: 'o/r'}}, user: {type: 'Bot', login: 'cloudcannon[bot]'}, labels: [], mergeable_state: 'clean',
     html_url: `https://github.com/o/r/pull/${number}`}));
   const result = await scenario({pulls, rejectPull: 1});
   assert.deepEqual(result.merges.map(merge => merge.pull_number), [2]);
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ test('release app handles only the merge while Review remains an Actions status'
     assert.equal(requests.length, 1);
     assert.equal(requests[0].options.headers.Authorization, 'Bearer synthetic-token');
     const body = JSON.parse(requests[0].options.body);
-    if (mergeable_state !== 'blocked') assert.deepEqual(body, {sha: 'head', merge_method: 'squash'});
-    else assert.deepEqual(body.variables, {id: 'PR1', sha: 'head', mergeMethod: 'SQUASH'});
+    if (mergeable_state !== 'blocked') assert.deepEqual(body, {sha: 'head', merge_method: 'merge'});
+    else assert.deepEqual(body.variables, {id: 'PR1', sha: 'head', mergeMethod: 'MERGE'});
   }
 });
 test('release app rejection is reported without treating the PR as merged', async () => {
@@ -241,3 +241,20 @@ test('mixed or absent workflow metadata cannot authorize an old successful resul
   assert.equal((await scenario({checks: [{id: 1, name: 'Check / Check', app: {id: 15368},
     conclusion: 'success', details_url: 'invalid'}]})).merges.length, 0);
 });
+
+
+test('ordinary Ready code PRs pass Review without any automatic merge', async () => {
+  for (const pull of [
+    {user: {type: 'User', login: 'silveltman'}},
+    {user: {type: 'Bot', login: 'dependabot[bot]'}},
+    {head: {sha: 'head', ref: 'feature/code', repo: {full_name: 'o/r'}}},
+    {head: {sha: 'head', ref: 'preview', repo: {full_name: 'fork/r'}}},
+    {head: {sha: 'head', ref: 'preview'}},
+  ]) {
+    for (const mergeable_state of ['clean', 'blocked', 'unstable']) {
+      const result = await scenario({pull: {...pull, mergeable_state}});
+      assert.equal(result.statuses[0].state, 'success');
+      assert.equal(result.merges.length, 0);
+    }
+  }
+});