diff --git a/.claude/skills/job-application-assistant/06-cover-letter-templates.md b/.claude/skills/job-application-assistant/06-cover-letter-templates.md
index 293ba95..02d46d5 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/job-application-assistant/06-cover-letter-templates.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/job-application-assistant/06-cover-letter-templates.md
@@ -99,7 +99,9 @@ The font wrapper is mandatory — if you just move `\begin{itemize}` outside `\l
 \lettercontent{I look forward to hearing from you.}
 
 \begin{flushright}
-\closing{Kind regards,\\}
+% No trailing \\ inside \closing{} - cover.cls appends its own \\, and a
+% doubled break triggers "! LaTeX Error: There's no line here to end."
+\closing{Kind regards,}
 
 \signature{[YOUR_NAME]}
 \end{flushright}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b6b607
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+# CI for the framework itself: LaTeX smoke compiles, skill/command lint,
+# CLI typechecks, and (upstream only) placeholder integrity.
+#
+# Fork-friendly by design: forks personalize CLAUDE.md, the skill files, and
+# cv/main_example.tex via /setup, so the placeholder-integrity job and the
+# exact page-count assertions run only on the upstream template repo. Compile
+# success and lint correctness are asserted everywhere.
+#
+# Deliberately NOT here: live smoke tests of the job-portal CLIs. They hit
+# real portals (network-flaky, and the linkedin-search skill is personal-use
+# only per its own ToS warning - CI-automated requests would violate that).
+# CLIs get typechecked instead; live testing stays a local, on-demand step.
+
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [master]
+  pull_request:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  lint:
+    name: Lint skills, commands, settings
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.12"
+      - run: pip install pyyaml
+      - run: python tools/lint_skills.py
+
+  latex-smoke:
+    name: Compile example CV and cover letter
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container: texlive/texlive:latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Compile CV example (lualatex)
+        run: |
+          cd cv
+          lualatex -interaction=nonstopmode main_example.tex
+          test -f main_example.pdf
+          if grep -q '^!' main_example.log; then
+            echo '::error::lualatex reported errors compiling cv/main_example.tex'
+            grep -A3 '^!' main_example.log
+            exit 1
+          fi
+      - name: Compile cover letter example (xelatex)
+        run: |
+          cd cover_letters
+          xelatex -interaction=nonstopmode cover_example.tex
+          test -f cover_example.pdf
+          if grep -q '^!' cover_example.log; then
+            echo '::error::xelatex reported errors compiling cover_letters/cover_example.tex'
+            grep -A3 '^!' cover_example.log
+            exit 1
+          fi
+      - name: Assert exact page counts (upstream template only)
+        if: github.repository == 'MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search'
+        run: |
+          grep -q 'Output written on main_example.pdf (2 pages' cv/main_example.log \
+            || { echo '::error::cv/main_example.tex no longer compiles to exactly 2 pages'; exit 1; }
+          grep -q 'Output written on cover_example.pdf (1 page' cover_letters/cover_example.log \
+            || { echo '::error::cover_letters/cover_example.tex no longer compiles to exactly 1 page'; exit 1; }
+
+  cli-typecheck:
+    name: Typecheck ${{ matrix.tool }}
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        tool:
+          - jobbank-search
+          - jobdanmark-search
+          - jobindex-search
+          - jobnet-search
+          - linkedin-search
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: oven-sh/setup-bun@v2
+      - run: bun install
+        working-directory: .agents/skills/${{ matrix.tool }}/cli
+      - run: bun run typecheck
+        working-directory: .agents/skills/${{ matrix.tool }}/cli
+
+  placeholder-integrity:
+    name: Placeholder integrity (upstream template only)
+    if: github.repository == 'MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - name: Tracked template files must keep their placeholder tokens
+        run: |
+          fail=0
+          check() {
+            if ! grep -q "$2" "$1"; then
+              echo "::error file=$1::expected placeholder token $2 - personal data may have been committed"
+              fail=1
+            fi
+          }
+          check CLAUDE.md '\[YOUR_NAME\]'
+          check cv/main_example.tex '\[YOUR_NAME\]'
+          check cover_letters/cover_example.tex '\[YOUR NAME\]'
+          check .claude/skills/job-application-assistant/01-candidate-profile.md '<!-- SETUP'
+          check .claude/skills/job-application-assistant/04-job-evaluation.md '\[YOUR_PRIMARY_SKILLS\]'
+          exit $fail
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3cee2a5..1eeedb5 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ cv/main_*.tex
 cv/*.txt
 cover_letters/cover_*.tex
 cover_letters/Cover_*.tex
+!cover_letters/cover_example.tex
 
 # documents/ subfolder contents are personal — only README and folder structure are tracked
 documents/cv/**
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b7c20ce..8547b37 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 # AI Job Search
 
+[![CI](https://github.com/MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)](https://github.com/MadsLorentzen/ai-job-search/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
+
 An AI-powered job application framework built on [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code). Fork it, fill in your profile, and let Claude evaluate job postings, tailor your CV, write cover letters, and prepare you for interviews.
 
 > Note: This is an independent open-source project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or maintained by Anthropic. Anthropic and Claude Code are referenced only to describe the toolchain this workflow uses.
@@ -150,6 +152,7 @@ ai-job-search/
 │   └── main_example.tex               # moderncv LaTeX template
 ├── cover_letters/
 │   ├── cover.cls                      # Custom cover letter LaTeX class
+│   ├── cover_example.tex              # Example cover letter (structural reference + CI smoke test)
 │   └── OpenFonts/                     # Lato + Raleway fonts
 ├── templates/                         # Custom templates registered via /add-template
 │   └── README.md                      # Folder layout instructions
@@ -160,9 +163,11 @@ ai-job-search/
 │   ├── diplomas/                      # Degree certificates and transcripts
 │   ├── references/                    # Reference letters
 │   └── applications/                  # Past application records (<company>_<role>/)
+├── .github/workflows/ci.yml           # CI: LaTeX smoke compiles, skill lint, CLI typechecks
 ├── salary_lookup.py                   # Salary benchmarking tool (BYO data)
 ├── tools/
 │   ├── convert_salary_excel.py        # Convert salary Excel to JSON
+│   ├── lint_skills.py                 # CI lint for skills, commands, settings.json
 │   └── README_SALARY_TOOL.md          # Salary tool setup instructions
 ├── job_scraper/                       # Scraper state (seen jobs, results)
 ├── upskill/                           # /upskill report output (markdown reports per run)
diff --git a/cover_letters/cover_example.tex b/cover_letters/cover_example.tex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96176df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cover_letters/cover_example.tex
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+% Cover Letter - [Company], [Role]
+%
+% Example cover letter with placeholder content. This is the structural
+% reference for /apply (see 06-cover-letter-templates.md) and the CI smoke
+% test for cover.cls: it must always compile with xelatex to exactly 1 page.
+% It demonstrates the correct itemize pattern: the list sits OUTSIDE
+% \lettercontent{} (whose trailing \\ errors on \end{itemize}) and is
+% wrapped in Raleway-Medium so the bullet font matches the body.
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+
+\documentclass[]{cover}
+\usepackage{fancyhdr}
+
+\pagestyle{fancy}
+\fancyhf{}
+
+\rfoot{Page \thepage \hspace{0pt}}
+\thispagestyle{empty}
+\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt}
+\begin{document}
+
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+%     TITLE NAME
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+\namesection{}{\Huge{[YOUR NAME]}}{  \href{mailto:your.email@example.com}{your.email@example.com} | [+XX XXXXXXXXXX] |  \urlstyle{same}\href{https://www.linkedin.com/in/yourprofile}{LinkedIn}
+}
+
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+%     MAIN COVER LETTER CONTENT
+%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
+
+\currentdate{\today}
+\lettercontent{Dear [Hiring Manager / Team],}
+
+\lettercontent{[Opening paragraph: name the role and where you found it, state your strongest connection to it in one sentence, and preview why you are a fit. Keep it to 2--3 sentences.]}
+
+\lettercontent{[Body paragraph: your most relevant experience, framed toward the tasks in the posting. Follow with 3--5 concrete bullets:]}
+
+{\raggedright\fontspec[Path = OpenFonts/fonts/raleway/]{Raleway-Medium}\fontsize{11pt}{13pt}\selectfont
+\begin{itemize}
+    \item \textbf{[Achievement 1]:} [concrete result with a number where possible]
+    \item \textbf{[Achievement 2]:} [skill or project mapped to a posting requirement]
+    \item \textbf{[Achievement 3]:} [evidence for a nice-to-have requirement]
+\end{itemize}\par}
+\vspace{6pt}
+
+\lettercontent{[Connection paragraph: why this company specifically. Reference a verified specific: a product, a stated priority, a team. Never generic.]}
+
+\lettercontent{[Personal fit paragraph: behavioral strengths and what you bring to the team, 2--3 sentences.]}
+
+\lettercontent{I look forward to hearing from you.}
+
+\begin{flushright}
+% Note: no trailing \\ inside \closing{} - cover.cls appends its own \\, and a
+% doubled break triggers "There's no line here to end."
+\closing{Kind regards,}
+
+\signature{[YOUR NAME]}
+\end{flushright}
+\end{document}
diff --git a/tools/lint_skills.py b/tools/lint_skills.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f06f748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/lint_skills.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Lint the repo's skill, command, and settings files.
+
+Run from anywhere: python tools/lint_skills.py
+
+Checks:
+- Every SKILL.md (.claude/skills/*, .agents/skills/*) has YAML frontmatter that
+  parses, with non-empty `name` and `description` keys
+- `allowed-tools` entries of the form `Bash(bun run <path> *)` point at files
+  that exist (skill paths resolve relative to the repo root and to .agents/)
+- Every .claude/commands/*.md starts with a `# /<name>` title
+- .claude/settings.json is valid JSON with a permissions.allow list
+
+Exit code 0 on success, 1 with a failure list otherwise.
+"""
+
+import json
+import re
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    import yaml
+except ImportError:
+    sys.exit("lint_skills.py requires PyYAML: pip install pyyaml")
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+errors: list[str] = []
+
+
+def rel(path: Path) -> str:
+    return str(path.relative_to(ROOT))
+
+
+def check_skill(path: Path) -> None:
+    text = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8")
+    if not text.startswith("---\n"):
+        errors.append(f"{rel(path)}: missing YAML frontmatter (file must start with ---)")
+        return
+    end = text.find("\n---", 4)
+    if end == -1:
+        errors.append(f"{rel(path)}: unterminated YAML frontmatter")
+        return
+    try:
+        data = yaml.safe_load(text[4:end])
+    except yaml.YAMLError as exc:
+        errors.append(f"{rel(path)}: frontmatter is not valid YAML: {exc}")
+        return
+    if not isinstance(data, dict):
+        errors.append(f"{rel(path)}: frontmatter did not parse to a mapping")
+        return
+    for key in ("name", "description"):
+        if not data.get(key):
+            errors.append(f"{rel(path)}: frontmatter missing required key '{key}'")
+
+    allowed = data.get("allowed-tools", "")
+    if isinstance(allowed, str):
+        for match in re.finditer(r"bun run ([^\s*)]+)", allowed):
+            target = match.group(1)
+            candidates = [ROOT / target, ROOT / ".agents" / target]
+            if not any(c.is_file() for c in candidates):
+                errors.append(f"{rel(path)}: allowed-tools references a missing file: {target}")
+
+
+def check_command(path: Path) -> None:
+    lines = path.read_text(encoding="utf-8").lstrip().splitlines()
+    first = lines[0] if lines else ""
+    if not first.startswith("# /"):
+        errors.append(f"{rel(path)}: command file must start with a '# /<name>' title (found: {first[:50]!r})")
+
+
+def check_settings() -> None:
+    path = ROOT / ".claude" / "settings.json"
+    try:
+        data = json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+    except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError) as exc:
+        errors.append(f".claude/settings.json: {exc}")
+        return
+    if not isinstance(data.get("permissions", {}).get("allow"), list):
+        errors.append(".claude/settings.json: expected permissions.allow to be a list")
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    skills = sorted(ROOT.glob(".claude/skills/*/SKILL.md")) + sorted(ROOT.glob(".agents/skills/*/SKILL.md"))
+    commands = sorted((ROOT / ".claude" / "commands").glob("*.md"))
+    if not skills:
+        errors.append("no SKILL.md files found - glob roots are wrong or the tree moved")
+    if not commands:
+        errors.append("no command files found under .claude/commands/")
+
+    for skill in skills:
+        check_skill(skill)
+    for command in commands:
+        check_command(command)
+    check_settings()
+
+    if errors:
+        print(f"lint_skills: {len(errors)} failure(s)")
+        for err in errors:
+            print(f"  - {err}")
+        return 1
+    print(f"lint_skills: OK ({len(skills)} skills, {len(commands)} commands, settings.json)")
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    sys.exit(main())