Definition
Continuous deployment is a software development practice where code changes are automatically released to production after passing automated tests. This process ensures that every change that passes all stages of the production pipeline is released to customers. It enables organizations to deliver new features and bug fixes to users more rapidly and reliably. For instance, a web application might automatically update its user interface whenever a developer commits new code that meets predefined quality standards. This differs from continuous delivery, which stops short of automatically deploying to production and requires a manual approval step. Continuous deployment is a key concept in modern DevOps practices and is frequently tested on cloud and security certification exams like CCSP and AWS SAA.