diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
index ead4cc5f552641f2afa4599d8f743e44e6ba2196..e7bea35a09b19b26a066e0074a35ed2ea2c8ab46 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_slug}}/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -95,21 +95,25 @@ package_files:
 
 package_docs:
   stage: package
+  allow_failure: true
   artifacts:
     expire_in: 1w
     paths:
       - docs/* # update path to match the dest dir for documentation
   script:
     - echo "build and collect docs"
+    - exit 1
 
 run_integration_tests:
   stage: integration
+  allow_failure: true
   needs:
     - package_files
   script:
     - echo "make sure to move out of source dir"
     - echo "install package from filesystem (or use the artefact)"
     - echo "run against foreign systems (e.g. databases, cwl etc.)"
+    - exit 1
 
 publish_on_gitlab:
   stage: publish
@@ -163,6 +167,7 @@ publish_on_pypi:
 
 publish_to_readthedocs:
   stage: publish
+  allow_failure: true
   environment: readthedocs
   needs:
     - package_docs
@@ -171,3 +176,4 @@ publish_to_readthedocs:
     - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
   script:
     - echo "scp docs/* ???"
+    - exit 1