Sentry CI Integration

Overview

Sentry releases connect errors to the code that caused them. Automating release creation in CI/CD ensures every deploy has commit association (suspect commits), source maps for readable stack traces, and deployment tracking across environments. This skill covers sentry-cli commands, the official GitHub Action, build tool plugins (@sentry/webpack-plugin, @sentry/vite-plugin, @sentry/esbuild-plugin), and multi-platform CI configurations.

Prerequisites

• Sentry account with a project at sentry.io
• SENTRYAUTHTOKEN — generate at sentry.io/settings/auth-tokens/ with scopes project:releases and org:read
• SENTRYORG and SENTRYPROJECT environment variables matching your organization and project slugs
• Source maps generated during your build step (devtool: 'source-map' in webpack, build.sourcemap: true in Vite)
• Git integration installed in Sentry (sentry.io/settings/integrations/ — GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket) for commit association
• sentry-cli available via npm install -g @sentry/cli, npx @sentry/cli, or the getsentry/sentry-cli Docker image

Instructions

Step 1 — Configure Environment Variables and Auth Token

Set up the three required environment variables in your CI platform. Every sentry-cli command reads these automatically.

# GitHub Actions — add as repository secrets:
#   Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions > New repository secret
SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN=sntrys_eyJ...     # Internal integration token from sentry.io/settings/auth-tokens/
SENTRY_ORG=my-org                    # Organization slug (visible in sentry.io URL)
SENTRY_PROJECT=my-project            # Project slug (Settings > Projects > project name)

# Required token scopes:
#   project:releases   — create releases, upload source maps, record deploys
#   org:read           — read organization data for --auto commit association

# GitLab CI — add under Settings > CI/CD > Variables (masked + protected)
# CircleCI — add under Project Settings > Environment Variables

For build tool plugins (@sentry/webpack-plugin, @sentry/vite-plugin, @sentry/esbuild-plugin), the same three environment variables are read automatically. No additional configuration needed.

Verify your token works locally before committing CI configuration:

export SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN=sntrys_eyJ...
export SENTRY_ORG=my-org
export SENTRY_PROJECT=my-project
npx @sentry/cli info
# Should print organization name, project, and CLI version

Step 2 — Create the CI Release Pipeline

The release pipeline follows five commands in sequence: create release, associate commits, upload source maps, finalize release, and record deployment.

# The five sentry-cli commands that form a complete release pipeline:
VERSION=$(git rev-parse HEAD)

# 1. Create a new release (idempotent — safe to re-run)
sentry-cli releases new "$VERSION"

# 2. Associate commits for suspect commit detection (requires Git integration)
sentry-cli releases set-commits "$VERSION" --auto

# 3. Upload source maps with validation
sentry-cli releases files "$VERSION" upload-sourcemaps ./dist \
  --url-prefix '~/' \
  --validate

# 4. Mark the release as complete
sentry-cli releases finalize "$VERSION"

# 5. Record the deployment environment
sentry-cli releases deploys "$VERSION" new -e production

The --validate flag on source map upload checks that each .map file references a valid source file and that sourceMappingURL comments point to uploaded artifacts. Always use it in CI to catch mismatches early.

The --url-prefix must match the URL path where your JavaScript files are served. For example, if your app serves https://example.com/assets/app.js, use --url-prefix '~/assets/'. The ~/ prefix is shorthand for your domain root.

Step 3 — Integrate Build Tool Plugins (Alternative to sentry-cli)

Build tool plugins handle source map upload during the build step itself, eliminating the need for separate sentry-cli commands. They automatically create releases, upload maps, and optionally delete .map files from the output so they are never served to clients.

Vite (@sentry/vite-plugin):

// vite.config.js
import { sentryVitePlugin } from '@sentry/vite-plugin';

export default {
  build: {
    sourcemap: true, // Required — plugin needs source maps to upload
  },
  plugins: [
    sentryVitePlugin({
      org: process.env.SENTRY_ORG,
      project: process.env.SENTRY_PROJECT,
      authToken: process.env.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN,
      release: {
        name: process.env.GITHUB_SHA || process.env.CI_COMMIT_SHA,
        setCommits: { auto: true },
        deploy: { env: process.env.NODE_ENV || 'production' },
      },
      sourcemaps: {
        filesToDeleteAfterUpload: ['./dist/**/*.map'],
      },
    }),
  ],
};

Webpack (@sentry/webpack-plugin):

// webpack.config.js
const { sentryWebpackPlugin } = require('@sentry/webpack-plugin');

module.exports = {
  devtool: 'source-map',
  plugins: [
    sentryWebpackPlugin({
      org: process.env.SENTRY_ORG,
      project: process.env.SENTRY_PROJECT,
      authToken: process.env.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN,
      release: {
        name: process.env.GITHUB_SHA || process.env.CI_COMMIT_SHA,
        setCommits: { auto: true },
        deploy: { env: 'production' },
      },
      sourcemaps: {
        assets: ['./dist/**'],
        filesToDeleteAfterUpload: ['./dist/**/*.map'],
      },
    }),
  ],
};

esbuild (@sentry/esbuild-plugin):

// build.mjs
import { sentryEsbuildPlugin } from '@sentry/esbuild-plugin';
import esbuild from 'esbuild';

await esbuild.build({
  entryPoints: ['./src/index.ts'],
  bundle: true,
  sourcemap: true,
  outdir: './dist',
  plugins: [
    sentryEsbuildPlugin({
      org: process.env.SENTRY_ORG,
      project: process.env.SENTRY_PROJECT,
      authToken: process.env.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN,
      release: {
        name: process.env.GITHUB_SHA,
      },
    }),
  ],
});

Install the plugin for your build tool:

# Pick one based on your build tool:
npm install --save-dev @sentry/vite-plugin
npm install --save-dev @sentry/webpack-plugin
npm install --save-dev @sentry/esbuild-plugin

Output

After completing CI integration, every deploy produces:

• A Sentry release named by commit SHA, visible at sentry.io under Releases
• Source maps uploaded and validated, enabling readable JavaScript stack traces
• Commits associated with the release, powering suspect commit detection in issue details
• A deployment record in Sentry with the target environment (production, staging, etc.)
• Source map files optionally deleted from build output when using build tool plugins

Verify the release was created:

sentry-cli releases list --org my-org --project my-project
# Shows recent releases with commit counts and deploy environments

Error Handling

Examples

Example A — GitHub Actions Full Release Workflow

# .github/workflows/deploy.yml
name: Deploy with Sentry Release

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

env:
  SENTRY_ORG: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}
  SENTRY_PROJECT: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_PROJECT }}
  SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0  # Full git history for commit association

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: 20

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Build with source maps
        run: npm run build

      - name: Create Sentry release and upload source maps
        run: |
          VERSION="${{ github.sha }}"
          npx @sentry/cli releases new "$VERSION"
          npx @sentry/cli releases set-commits "$VERSION" --auto
          npx @sentry/cli releases files "$VERSION" upload-sourcemaps ./dist \
            --url-prefix '~/' \
            --validate
          npx @sentry/cli releases finalize "$VERSION"
          npx @sentry/cli releases deploys "$VERSION" new -e production

      - name: Deploy application
        run: npm run deploy

Using the official GitHub Action as a simpler alternative:

      - name: Create Sentry release
        uses: getsentry/action-release@v1
        env:
          SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
          SENTRY_ORG: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}
          SENTRY_PROJECT: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_PROJECT }}
        with:
          environment: production
          version: ${{ github.sha }}
          sourcemaps: ./dist
          url_prefix: '~/'
          set_commits: auto

Example B — Vite Plugin with GitHub Actions

When using @sentry/vite-plugin, the build step handles source maps automatically. No separate sentry-cli step needed.

# .github/workflows/deploy.yml
name: Deploy (Vite + Sentry Plugin)

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0

      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: 20

      - name: Install dependencies
        run: npm ci

      - name: Build (Vite plugin uploads source maps automatically)
        run: npm run build
        env:
          SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
          SENTRY_ORG: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}
          SENTRY_PROJECT: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_PROJECT }}
          GITHUB_SHA: ${{ github.sha }}

      - name: Deploy application
        run: npm run deploy

// vite.config.js — referenced by the workflow above
import { sentryVitePlugin } from '@sentry/vite-plugin';

export default {
  build: { sourcemap: true },
  plugins: [
    sentryVitePlugin({
      org: process.env.SENTRY_ORG,
      project: process.env.SENTRY_PROJECT,
      authToken: process.env.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN,
      release: {
        name: process.env.GITHUB_SHA,
        setCommits: { auto: true },
        deploy: { env: 'production' },
      },
      sourcemaps: {
        filesToDeleteAfterUpload: ['./dist/**/*.map'],
      },
    }),
  ],
};

Example C — GitLab CI

# .gitlab-ci.yml
stages:
  - build
  - deploy
  - sentry

build:
  stage: build
  image: node:20
  script:
    - npm ci
    - npm run build
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - dist/

sentry-release:
  stage: sentry
  image: getsentry/sentry-cli:latest
  variables:
    SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: $SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN
    SENTRY_ORG: $SENTRY_ORG
    SENTRY_PROJECT: $SENTRY_PROJECT
  script:
    - VERSION="$CI_COMMIT_SHA"
    - sentry-cli releases new "$VERSION"
    - sentry-cli releases set-commits "$VERSION" --auto
    - sentry-cli releases files "$VERSION" upload-sourcemaps ./dist
        --url-prefix '~/'
        --validate
    - sentry-cli releases finalize "$VERSION"
    - sentry-cli releases deploys "$VERSION" new -e production
  only:
    - main

Example D — CircleCI

# .circleci/config.yml
version: 2.1

jobs:
  deploy:
    docker:
      - image: cimg/node:20.0
    steps:
      - checkout
      - run: npm ci
      - run: npm run build
      - run:
          name: Create Sentry release
          command: |
            npm install -g @sentry/cli
            VERSION="$CIRCLE_SHA1"
            sentry-cli releases new "$VERSION"
            sentry-cli releases set-commits "$VERSION" --auto
            sentry-cli releases files "$VERSION" upload-sourcemaps ./dist \
              --url-prefix '~/' \
              --validate
            sentry-cli releases finalize "$VERSION"
            sentry-cli releases deploys "$VERSION" new -e production

workflows:
  deploy:
    jobs:
      - deploy:
          filters:
            branches:
              only: main

Example E — Monorepo with Multiple Sentry Projects

# .github/workflows/deploy.yml — monorepo with separate Sentry projects
jobs:
  deploy-api:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    env:
      SENTRY_ORG: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}
      SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - run: npm ci --workspace=api && npm run build --workspace=api
      - name: Sentry release for API
        run: |
          VERSION="api@${{ github.sha }}"
          npx @sentry/cli releases new "$VERSION" --project api-backend
          npx @sentry/cli releases set-commits "$VERSION" --auto
          npx @sentry/cli releases files "$VERSION" upload-sourcemaps ./api/dist \
            --project api-backend --validate
          npx @sentry/cli releases finalize "$VERSION"
          npx @sentry/cli releases deploys "$VERSION" new -e production

  deploy-web:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    env:
      SENTRY_ORG: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_ORG }}
      SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SENTRY_AUTH_TOKEN }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - run: npm ci --workspace=web && npm run build --workspace=web
      - name: Sentry release for Web
        run: |
          VERSION="web@${{ github.sha }}"
          npx @sentry/cli releases new "$VERSION" --project web-frontend
          npx @sentry/cli releases set-commits "$VERSION" --auto
          npx @sentry/cli releases files "$VERSION" upload-sourcemaps ./web/dist \
            --project web-frontend --url-prefix '~/' --validate
          npx @sentry/cli releases finalize "$VERSION"
          npx @sentry/cli releases deploys "$VERSION" new -e production

Resources

• Sentry Release Automation — official guide for CI/CD integration
• sentry-cli Releases — full CLI reference for release management
• Source Maps Upload — troubleshooting source map issues
• @sentry/vite-plugin — Vite build integration
• @sentry/webpack-plugin — Webpack build integration
• @sentry/esbuild-plugin — esbuild build integration
• getsentry/action-release — official GitHub Action
• Auth Token Scopes — token permission reference

Next Steps

• sentry-deploy-integration — connect deploy notifications from Vercel, Netlify, or AWS to Sentry releases
• sentry-release-management — version naming strategies, release health monitoring, and regression detection
• sentry-debug-bundle — upload debug information files (dSYMs, ProGuard mappings) for native crash symbolication
• sentry-performance-tracing — add distributed tracing to correlate releases with performance regressions