diff --git a/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yml b/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yml
index 40b7e2a..57cc197 100644
--- a/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -40,6 +40,56 @@ jobs:
           pm2 restart ppms
           echo "=== Deployed $TAG ==="
 
+      - name: Build & (re)start microservices
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
+          . "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
+
+          cd "$HOME/pms"
+
+          # Pull only the few keys the services need out of the app's .env (the
+          # single source of truth on the host). Never import PORT (each service's
+          # port is fixed in ecosystem.config.js) or the runner's ephemeral
+          # FORGEJO_TOKEN. Missing keys → empty, which the services tolerate.
+          envget() { grep -E "^$1=" App/.env 2>/dev/null | head -1 | sed -E 's/^[^=]+=//; s/^"//; s/"$//'; }
+          export PDF_SERVICE_TOKEN="$(envget PDF_SERVICE_TOKEN)"
+          export ALLOWED_ORIGIN="$(envget ALLOWED_ORIGIN)"
+          export EPFO_LIVE="$(envget EPFO_LIVE)"
+
+          # Build each present service (skip any not yet in the tree, e.g. before
+          # its feature PR has merged). npm install (not ci) — not every service
+          # carries a lockfile. Playwright's postinstall fetches the browser; the
+          # explicit install is a cached, idempotent backstop.
+          for svc in GstService EpfoService PdfService; do
+            [ -f "$svc/package.json" ] || { echo "skip $svc (absent)"; continue; }
+            echo "=== Building $svc ==="
+            ( cd "$svc" && npm install --no-audit --no-fund && npx playwright install chromium && npm run build )
+          done
+
+          # Create on first release, zero-downtime reload thereafter. The
+          # ecosystem registers only services whose dirs exist.
+          pm2 startOrReload ecosystem.config.js --update-env
+          pm2 save
+          pm2 list
+          echo "=== Microservices up ==="
+
+      - name: Verify services respond
+        run: |
+          sleep 3
+          cd "$HOME/pms"
+          check() {
+            local dir="$1" port="$2"
+            [ -f "$dir/package.json" ] || { echo "skip $dir (absent)"; return 0; }
+            local code
+            code=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "http://127.0.0.1:$port/health" || echo "000")
+            echo "$dir on :$port /health → HTTP $code"
+            test "$code" = "200"
+          }
+          check GstService 3003
+          check EpfoService 3004
+          check PdfService 3005
+
       - name: Verify portal responds
         run: |
           sleep 5
diff --git a/automation/README.md b/automation/README.md
index 76e3c03..042a36a 100644
--- a/automation/README.md
+++ b/automation/README.md
@@ -178,6 +178,33 @@ The runner checks out the tag in `~/pms`, runs `pnpm install` + `build` +
 `prisma migrate deploy`, `pm2 restart ppms`, and verifies `/login` returns 200. Watch
 progress under **Actions** on the Forgejo repo, or `pm2 logs forgejo-runner` on pms1.
 
+## Microservices (GstService / EpfoService / PdfService)
+
+The standalone Playwright services are deployed by the **same `v*` tag** as the app.
+After the app restart, `deploy.yml`:
+
+1. exports the few secrets the services need out of `~/pms/App/.env`
+   (`PDF_SERVICE_TOKEN`, `ALLOWED_ORIGIN`, `EPFO_LIVE`) — never `PORT` or the
+   runner's ephemeral `FORGEJO_TOKEN`;
+2. for each service folder present, runs `npm install` + `npx playwright install
+   chromium` + `npm run build`;
+3. runs `pm2 startOrReload ecosystem.config.js --update-env` — which **creates**
+   the pm2 processes on the first release and **reloads** them on every release
+   after — then `pm2 save`;
+4. health-checks `:3003` / `:3004` / `:3005` (`/health` → 200).
+
+`ecosystem.config.js` (repo root) is the source of truth: canonical pm2 names
+`gst-service` / `epfo-service` / `pdf-service`, fixed ports, and it registers
+**only services whose folder is checked out** (so a not-yet-merged service is
+skipped, and adopted automatically once its PR lands).
+
+**One-time alignment:** if a service is already running on pms1 under a *different*
+pm2 name, delete it once (`pm2 delete <old-name> && pm2 save`) so the canonical
+process can bind its port — otherwise the new one fails on a port clash. PdfService
+additionally needs Chromium system libs the first time (`npx playwright install
+--with-deps chromium`, which needs sudo); the deploy's plain `playwright install
+chromium` only fetches the browser binary.
+
 ## Operational notes
 
 - The watcher runs Claude Code with `--dangerously-skip-permissions` inside the
diff --git a/ecosystem.config.js b/ecosystem.config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47a536f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ecosystem.config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// pm2 process definitions for the Pelagia microservices.
+//
+// The Next app (pm2 `ppms`) is deployed/restarted separately by
+// .forgejo/workflows/deploy.yml — deliberately, so its delicate env handling
+// (avoiding the runner's ephemeral FORGEJO_TOKEN) is untouched. This file covers
+// only the standalone Playwright services. The deploy builds each, then runs
+//   pm2 startOrReload ecosystem.config.js --update-env
+// which CREATES them on first release and RELOADS them on subsequent ones.
+//
+// Resilient to services that aren't in the tree yet (e.g. PdfService lands with
+// its feature PR): only directories that exist are registered. Ports are fixed
+// here (matching the app's *_SERVICE_URL defaults). Secrets are read from the
+// deploy environment at `pm2` invocation time — the deploy exports the few keys
+// these services need out of App/.env first (never PORT or FORGEJO_*). Unset →
+// harmless defaults (GST/EPFO stay stub-capable, PdfService skips token/origin checks).
+const path = require("path");
+const fs = require("fs");
+const root = __dirname;
+
+const DEFS = [
+  { name: "gst-service", dir: "GstService", env: { PORT: "3003" } },
+  { name: "epfo-service", dir: "EpfoService", env: { PORT: "3004", EPFO_LIVE: process.env.EPFO_LIVE || "" } },
+  {
+    name: "pdf-service",
+    dir: "PdfService",
+    env: {
+      PORT: "3005",
+      PDF_SERVICE_TOKEN: process.env.PDF_SERVICE_TOKEN || "",
+      ALLOWED_ORIGIN: process.env.ALLOWED_ORIGIN || "",
+    },
+  },
+];
+
+module.exports = {
+  // Key on package.json — present only when the service source is checked out
+  // (a lingering gitignored node_modules/ dir must not register a phantom app).
+  apps: DEFS.filter((d) => fs.existsSync(path.join(root, d.dir, "package.json"))).map((d) => ({
+    name: d.name,
+    cwd: path.join(root, d.dir),
+    script: "dist/index.js",
+    env: { NODE_ENV: "production", ...d.env },
+  })),
+};