Title: Safe first deployment bootstrap when guard branch uses ignoreCommand exit 0

Hello Vercel team,

We are on the Hobby plan and have an isolated staging project with no deployments. Our goal is to create a Git-sourced Preview deployment without affecting any existing production application.

We understand that Vercel classifies a new project's first deployment as Production. We also found Vercel staff guidance recommending vercel --prod --skip-domain for a temporary placeholder.

Our configuration:

• Automatic Git deployments disabled: git.deploymentEnabled=false
• Production guard branch contains no application code
• Guard configuration uses ignoreCommand: "exit 0"
• Deployment Protection: Vercel Authentication for All Deployments
• Subsequent Preview must preserve genuine Git commit and branch metadata

Could you please clarify:

1. Would the ignored first Production deployment (CANCELED) satisfy the first-deployment prerequisite, or must the deployment reach READY?
2. If READY is required, what is the supported minimal, inert bootstrap method with --skip-domain, without running application code or accessing production credentials?
3. After the bootstrap, can a manual Git-SHA deployment be reliably created as Preview while git.deploymentEnabled=false?
4. Is the original Production placeholder required to remain, or can it be deleted after a READY Preview exists without resetting first-deployment behavior?

We will not deploy or change project settings until we have a supported procedure.

Thank you.