What to check when a CLI command works locally but fails in CI

When a CLI command works locally but fails in CI, compare the execution environment before changing the command itself.

The local terminal usually carries invisible context: current directory, shell profile, cached credentials, installed binaries, path order, locale, file permissions, and untracked files. CI starts cleaner and often stricter. That difference is the first suspect when the same command behaves differently.

Check the working directory and file paths first. A relative path that works locally may point somewhere else in CI. Then check runtime versions: Node, Python, package manager, OS image, and any compiled tool. A minor version difference can change lockfile behavior, TLS defaults, or command output. Record the version output in the failing log rather than relying on memory.

Next, compare environment variables and secrets without printing secret values. Verify that required keys exist, optional flags have the expected defaults, and feature flags are not inverted. If the command uses network access, check DNS, proxy, registry, and rate-limit behavior.

Finally, make the failure smaller. Run the command with verbose output, then split install, build, test, and upload steps so the log shows which boundary failed. The goal is to turn “works on my machine” into a specific mismatch the next developer can verify.

What to check when a CLI command works locally but fails in CI

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