diff --git a/.github/workflows/dev-deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/dev-deploy.yml
index 02d8df56a..8965c8f03 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dev-deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dev-deploy.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ on:
   delete:
     branches:
       - 'dev-*'
+  pull_request:
+    types: [labeled, unlabeled, synchronize, closed]
 
 # https://docs.github.com/en/actions/deployment/security-hardening-your-deployments/configuring-openid-connect-in-amazon-web-services
 permissions:
@@ -18,8 +20,66 @@ jobs:
     name: deploy dev branch
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     environment: dev
-    if: github.repository == 'chanzuckerberg/cryoet-data-portal'
+    if: |
+      github.repository == 'chanzuckerberg/cryoet-data-portal' && (
+        github.event_name != 'pull_request' ||
+        (
+          startsWith(github.head_ref, 'dev-') != true &&
+          (
+            contains(github.event.pull_request.labels.*.name, 'preview') ||
+            (
+              github.event.action == 'unlabeled' &&
+              github.event.label.name == 'preview'
+            )
+          )
+        )
+      )
     steps:
+      - id: deploy-data
+        name: get stack name
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
+        with:
+          result-encoding: string
+          script: |
+            const event = ${{ toJson(github.event) }}
+            const eventName = '${{ github.event_name }}'
+            let ref = ''
+
+            switch (eventName) {
+              case 'pull_request': {
+                ref = event.pull_request.head.ref
+                break
+              }
+
+              default: {
+                ref = event.ref.replace('refs/heads/', '')
+                break
+              }
+            }
+
+            ref = ref.replaceAll('/', '-').slice(0, 25)
+
+            const isPr = eventName === 'pull_request'
+            const isPreview = event.labels?.some(label => label.name === 'preview') ?? false
+
+            return JSON.stringify({
+              ref,
+              url: `https://${ref}.cryoet.dev.si.czi.technology`,
+              isPush: eventName === 'push',
+              isDelete: eventName === 'delete',
+              isLabeled: isPr && event.action === 'labeled',
+              isUnlabeled: isPr && event.action === 'unlabeled',
+              isSync: isPr && event.action === 'synchronize' && isPreview,
+              isClosed: isPr && event.action === 'closed' && isPreview,
+            })
+
+      - name: check deploy data
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
+        with:
+          script: |
+            const data = ${{ fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result) }}
+            console.log('breh', data)
+
       - name: Configure AWS Credentials
         uses: aws-actions/configure-aws-credentials@v4
         with:
@@ -27,16 +87,12 @@ jobs:
           aws-region: ${{ secrets.AWS_REGION }}
           role-to-assume: ${{ secrets.AWS_ROLE_TO_ASSUME }}
           role-duration-seconds: 1200
-      - name: Setting up stack name
-        run: |
-          if [[ ${#GITHUB_REF_NAME} -gt 25 ]]; then
-            echo "branch name: ${GITHUB_REF_NAME}, length ${#GITHUB_REF_NAME}, is $((${#GITHUB_REF_NAME} - 25)) characters too long, please use a branch name that's 25 characters or shorter"
-            exit 1
-          else
-            echo $GITHUB_REF_NAME | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | xargs -I {} -n 1 echo STACK_NAME={} >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          fi
+
       - name: Create or update dev stack
-        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' }}
+        if: |
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isPush ||
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isLabeled ||
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isSync
         uses: chanzuckerberg/github-actions/.github/actions/deploy-happy-stack@v1.24.0
         env:
           # Force using BuildKit instead of normal Docker, required so that metadata
@@ -46,7 +102,7 @@ jobs:
           DOCKER_REPO: ${{ secrets.ECR_REPO }}/
           ENV: dev
         with:
-          stack-name: ${{ env.STACK_NAME }}
+          stack-name: ${{ fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).ref }}
           create-tag: true
           tfe-token: ${{ secrets.TFE_TOKEN }}
           working-directory: ./frontend
@@ -54,23 +110,37 @@ jobs:
           operation: create-or-update
 
       - name: Annotate workflow run with frontend URL
-        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'push' }} && success()
+        if: |
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isPush ||
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isLabeled ||
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isSync
         run: |
           echo "# Frontend URL:" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
           echo >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
-          echo "https://${{ env.STACK_NAME }}.cryoet.dev.si.czi.technology" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+          echo "https://${{ steps.deploy-data.outputs.result }}.cryoet.dev.si.czi.technology" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
+
+      - name: Post comment on PR
+        if: fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isLabeled
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
+        with:
+          script: |
+            github.rest.issues.createComment({
+              issue_number: context.issue.number,
+              owner: context.repo.owner,
+              repo: context.repo.repo,
+              body: '# Frontend Preview URL\n\n${{ fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).url }}'
+            })
 
-      - name: Delete dev set up stack name
-        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'delete' && startsWith(github.event.ref, 'dev-') }}
-        run: |
-          echo ${{ github.event.ref }} | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | xargs -I {} -n 1 echo DELETE_STACK_NAME={} >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Delete dev
-        if: ${{ github.event_name == 'delete' && startsWith(github.event.ref, 'dev-') }}
+        if: |
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isDelete ||
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isUnlabeled ||
+          fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).isClosed
         uses: chanzuckerberg/github-actions/.github/actions/deploy-happy-stack@v1.24.0
         env:
           ENV: dev
         with:
-          stack-name: ${{ env.DELETE_STACK_NAME }}
+          stack-name: ${{ fromJson(steps.deploy-data.outputs.result).ref }}
           operation: delete
           tfe-token: ${{ secrets.TFE_TOKEN }}
           env: dev