diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
index b0874453c5..1875f1bdd6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy.yml
@@ -1,20 +1,5 @@
-# Workflow to deploy OntoPortal UI to stage/prod systems
-#
-# Required github secrets:
-#
-# CONFIG_REPO - github repo containing config and customizations for UI. Format 'author/private_config_repo'
-# it is used for getting capistrano deployment configuration for stages on the github actions runner and
-# PRIVATE_CONFIG_REPO env var is constructed from it which is used by capistrano on the UI hosts for pulling configs.
-#
-# GH_PAT - github Personal Access Token for accessing private config repo
-#
-# SSH_JUMPHOST - ssh jump/proxy host though which deployments have to though if UI nodes live on private network.
-# SSH_JUMPHOST_USER - username  to use to connect to the ssh jump/proxy.
-#
-# DEPLOY_ENC_KEY - key for decrypting deploymnet ssh key residing in config/
-# this SSH key is used for accessing jump host, UI nodes, and private github repo.
-
 name: Capistrano Deployment
+
 # Controls when the action will run.
 on:
   push:
@@ -26,38 +11,39 @@ on:
     inputs:
       BRANCH:
         description: "Branch/tag to deploy"
-        options:
-          - stage
-          - test
-          - master
         default: stage
         required: true
       environment:
-        description: "target environment to deploy to"
+        description: "Target environment to deploy to"
         type: choice
         options:
           - staging
           - agroportal
           - test
-        default: stage
+        default: staging
+
 jobs:
   deploy:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
-      BUNDLE_WITHOUT: default #install gems required primarely for deployment in order to speed up workflow
+      BUNDLE_WITHOUT: default # Install gems required primarily for deployment to speed up workflow
       PRIVATE_CONFIG_REPO: ${{ format('git@github.com:{0}.git', secrets.CONFIG_REPO) }}
+
     # Steps represent a sequence of tasks that will be executed as part of the job
     steps:
-      - name: set branch/tag and environment to deploy from inputs
+      - name: Set branch/tag and environment to deploy from inputs
         run: |
-          # workflow_dispatch default input doesn't get set on push so we need to set defaults
-          # via shell parameter expansion
-          # https://dev.to/mrmike/github-action-handling-input-default-value-5f2g
-          USER_INPUT_BRANCH=${{ inputs.branch }}
-          echo "BRANCH=${USER_INPUT_BRANCH:github.head_ref:-master}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          # Set default branch/tag for push events
+          BRANCH=${{ github.head_ref || 'master' }}
+          echo "BRANCH=$BRANCH" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
-          USER_INPUT_ENVIRONMENT=${{ inputs.environment }}
-          echo "TARGET=${USER_INPUT_ENVIRONMENT:-staging}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          # Set default environment for push events
+          if [ "${{ github.event_name }}" = "push" ]; then
+            TARGET="staging" # Default to staging for push
+          else
+            TARGET=${{ inputs.environment }}
+          fi
+          echo "TARGET=$TARGET" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
           CONFIG_REPO=${{ secrets.CONFIG_REPO }}
           GH_PAT=${{ secrets.GH_PAT }}
@@ -65,28 +51,34 @@ jobs:
 
           echo "SSH_JUMPHOST=${{ secrets.SSH_JUMPHOST }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
           echo "SSH_JUMPHOST_USER=${{ secrets.SSH_JUMPHOST_USER }}" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+
       # Checks-out your repository under $GITHUB_WORKSPACE, so your job can access it
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+
       - uses: ruby/setup-ruby@v1
         with:
           ruby-version: 2.7.6 # Not needed with a .ruby-version file
-          bundler-cache: true # runs 'bundle install' and caches installed gems automatically
-      - name: get-deployment-config
+          bundler-cache: true # Runs 'bundle install' and caches installed gems automatically
+
+      - name: Get deployment config
         uses: actions/checkout@v3
         with:
-          repository: ${{ secrets.CONFIG_REPO }} # repository containing deployment settings
+          repository: ${{ secrets.CONFIG_REPO }} # Repository containing deployment settings
           token: ${{ secrets.GH_PAT }} # `GH_PAT` is a secret that contains your PAT
           path: deploy_config
-      - name: copy-deployment-config
-        run: cp -r deploy_config/ontoportal_web_ui/${{ inputs.environment }}/* .
-        # add ssh hostkey so that capistrano doesn't complain
+
+      - name: Copy deployment config
+        run: cp -r deploy_config/ontoportal_web_ui/${{ env.TARGET }}/* .
+      
+      # Add SSH host key so that Capistrano doesn't complain
       - name: Add jumphost's hostkey to Known Hosts
         run: |
           mkdir -p ~/.ssh
           echo "${{ secrets.SSH_JUMPHOST }}"
           ssh-keyscan -H ${{ secrets.SSH_JUMPHOST }} > ~/.ssh/known_hosts
         shell: bash
+
       - uses: miloserdow/capistrano-deploy@master
         with:
-          target: ${{ env.TARGET }} # which environment to deploy
-          deploy_key: ${{ secrets.DEPLOY_ENC_KEY }} # Name of the variable configured in Settings/Secrets of your github project
+          target: ${{ env.TARGET }} # Which environment to deploy
+          deploy_key: ${{ secrets.DEPLOY_ENC_KEY }} # Name of the variable configured in Settings/Secrets of your GitHub project