diff --git a/docs/guides/ops-backend-deploy.md b/docs/guides/ops-backend-deploy.md
index 4025373..0b571ea 100644
--- a/docs/guides/ops-backend-deploy.md
+++ b/docs/guides/ops-backend-deploy.md
@@ -388,6 +388,10 @@ production env vars, and verify the vertical slice before apex cutover
 
 **Smoke checklist (acceptance):**
 
+Automated curl checks: `./scripts/staging-smoke.sh staging.communityrule.info`
+(optional `EMAIL=you@example.com` to exercise magic-link request). Manual UI
+steps below are still required.
+
 - [ ] **Health:** `curl -sS https://staging.communityrule.info/api/health`
       returns `200` with `{"ok":true,"database":"connected"}`.
 - [ ] **Magic link:** request sign-in from the UI → email arrives at a real
diff --git a/scripts/staging-smoke.sh b/scripts/staging-smoke.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..ee0d268
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/staging-smoke.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Staging / production smoke. Verifies CR-98 acceptance criteria (curl-able checks).
+# See docs/guides/ops-backend-deploy.md §10.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./scripts/staging-smoke.sh
+#   ./scripts/staging-smoke.sh communityrule.info
+#   EMAIL=you@example.com ./scripts/staging-smoke.sh staging.communityrule.info
+#
+# Manual follow-up (not automated here): click magic link in inbox, publish a rule,
+# optional upload with UPLOAD_ROOT set.
+
+set -eu
+
+HOST="${1:-staging.communityrule.info}"
+BASE="https://${HOST}"
+FAIL=0
+
+pass() {
+  printf 'PASS  %s\n' "$1"
+}
+
+fail() {
+  printf 'FAIL  %s\n' "$1"
+  FAIL=1
+}
+
+check_http() {
+  name="$1"
+  url="$2"
+  expected_status="$3"
+
+  status="$(curl -sS -o /tmp/staging-smoke-body.$$ -w '%{http_code}' "$url" || echo '000')"
+  if [ "$status" = "$expected_status" ]; then
+    pass "$name (HTTP $status)"
+  else
+    fail "$name (expected HTTP $expected_status, got $status)"
+    if [ -f "/tmp/staging-smoke-body.$$" ]; then
+      head -c 500 "/tmp/staging-smoke-body.$$" 1>&2 || true
+      printf '\n' 1>&2
+    fi
+  fi
+}
+
+check_json_contains() {
+  name="$1"
+  pattern="$2"
+  if grep -q "$pattern" "/tmp/staging-smoke-body.$$" 2>/dev/null; then
+    pass "$name"
+  else
+    fail "$name (body missing pattern: $pattern)"
+    head -c 500 "/tmp/staging-smoke-body.$$" 1>&2 || true
+    printf '\n' 1>&2
+  fi
+}
+
+printf 'Smoke target: %s\n\n' "$BASE"
+
+check_http "GET /api/health" "$BASE/api/health" "200"
+check_json_contains 'health ok + database connected' '"ok":true' 
+check_json_contains 'health database connected' '"database":"connected"'
+
+check_http "GET /api/templates" "$BASE/api/templates" "200"
+check_json_contains 'templates non-empty' '"templates":['
+
+check_http "GET /api/rules" "$BASE/api/rules" "200"
+check_json_contains 'rules list shape' '"rules":['
+
+if [ -n "${EMAIL:-}" ]; then
+  status="$(curl -sS -o /tmp/staging-smoke-body.$$ -w '%{http_code}' \
+    -X POST "$BASE/api/auth/magic-link/request" \
+    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
+    -d "{\"email\":\"$EMAIL\"}" || echo '000')"
+  if [ "$status" = "200" ]; then
+    check_json_contains 'magic-link request ok' '"ok":true'
+    pass "POST /api/auth/magic-link/request (HTTP 200)"
+    printf '      Check inbox for %s — link host must be %s\n' "$EMAIL" "$HOST"
+  else
+    fail "POST /api/auth/magic-link/request (expected HTTP 200, got $status)"
+    head -c 500 "/tmp/staging-smoke-body.$$" 1>&2 || true
+    printf '\n' 1>&2
+  fi
+else
+  printf 'SKIP  POST /api/auth/magic-link/request (set EMAIL= to run)\n'
+fi
+
+rm -f "/tmp/staging-smoke-body.$$"
+
+printf '\n'
+if [ "$FAIL" -eq 0 ]; then
+  printf 'All automated checks passed.\n'
+  printf 'Manual: click magic link, publish a rule, load public detail.\n'
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+printf 'One or more checks failed.\n'
+exit 1