diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index d41c06f32..a0f3e1320 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -1009,9 +1009,17 @@ jobs:
           npx vercel deploy --prebuilt --prod --yes --token=${{ secrets.VERCEL_TOKEN }}
       - name: Verify Website preview runtime embedding policy
         if: steps.freshness.outputs.stale != 'true' && steps.affected.outputs.website == 'true'
-        run: npx playwright test apps/website/e2e/platform-production-smoke.spec.ts --config apps/website/playwright.config.ts --grep "unified runtime embedding policy" --reporter=list
+        run: |
+          # Without the bypass the preview answers 302 -> vercel.com/sso-api and
+          # this check times out on an SSO page instead of the app. Say so.
+          if [ -z "${VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET}" ]; then
+            echo "::error::VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET is unset — the protected Website preview cannot be verified. Enable 'Protection Bypass for Automation' on the Vercel website project and store the value as this repository secret."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          npx playwright test apps/website/e2e/platform-production-smoke.spec.ts --config apps/website/playwright.config.ts --grep "unified runtime embedding policy" --reporter=list
         env:
           PRODUCTION_SMOKE: 'true'
+          VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET: ${{ secrets.VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET }}
           BASE_URL: ${{ steps.deploy_website.outputs.preview_origin }}
           WEBSITE_URL: ${{ steps.deploy_website.outputs.preview_origin }}
           EXAMPLES_URL: https://examples.threadplane.ai
diff --git a/apps/website/playwright.config.ts b/apps/website/playwright.config.ts
index 2aa28d9a9..56b8273ee 100644
--- a/apps/website/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/apps/website/playwright.config.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,20 @@ export const createWebsitePlaywrightConfig = (
     retries: environment['CI'] ? 2 : 0,
     use: {
       baseURL,
+      // Vercel deployment protection answers 302 -> vercel.com/sso-api for every
+      // path on a preview, so a browser-driven check lands on an SSO page and
+      // times out. When CI supplies the project's automation bypass, send it so
+      // the preview is reachable. Every URL this suite touches is a first-party
+      // Threadplane origin. Unset locally and in production runs.
+      ...(environment['VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET']
+        ? {
+            extraHTTPHeaders: {
+              'x-vercel-protection-bypass':
+                environment['VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET'],
+              'x-vercel-set-bypass-cookie': 'true',
+            },
+          }
+        : {}),
       // Custom-target coverage carries an obvious fixture key. Keep browser
       // artifacts disabled so request headers and page state are never retained.
       trace: 'off',
diff --git a/apps/website/src/playwright-config.spec.ts b/apps/website/src/playwright-config.spec.ts
index 67b0f71f8..76b1b06a0 100644
--- a/apps/website/src/playwright-config.spec.ts
+++ b/apps/website/src/playwright-config.spec.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,37 @@ import { resolve } from 'node:path';
 import { createWebsitePlaywrightConfig } from '../playwright.config';
 
 describe('Website Playwright configuration', () => {
+  it('sends the Vercel automation bypass only when CI supplies it', () => {
+    const withoutSecret = createWebsitePlaywrightConfig({});
+    expect(withoutSecret.use?.extraHTTPHeaders).toBeUndefined();
+
+    const withSecret = createWebsitePlaywrightConfig({
+      VERCEL_AUTOMATION_BYPASS_SECRET: 'sentinel-value',
+    });
+    expect(withSecret.use?.extraHTTPHeaders).toEqual({
+      'x-vercel-protection-bypass': 'sentinel-value',
+      'x-vercel-set-bypass-cookie': 'true',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the production-smoke spec loadable under Playwright CJS transpilation', () => {
+    const smoke = readFileSync(
+      resolve(__dirname, '../e2e/platform-production-smoke.spec.ts'),
+      'utf8'
+    );
+
+    // Playwright transpiles specs to CJS, so the ESM-only meta object compiles
+    // to a `require` the loaded module cannot resolve and the file silently
+    // fails to collect — the job then reports "No tests found" rather than
+    // failing. Strip comments first: the spec names the trap in prose so it is
+    // not reintroduced, and that mention must not trip this guard.
+    const code = smoke
+      .replace(/\/\*[\s\S]*?\*\//g, '')
+      .replace(/(^|[^:])\/\/.*$/gm, '$1');
+
+    expect(code).not.toContain('import.meta');
+  });
+
   it('derives the production embedding assertion from the authoritative origin source', () => {
     const smoke = readFileSync(
       resolve(__dirname, '../e2e/platform-production-smoke.spec.ts'),