| name | start-release |
| allowed-tools | ["Bash(git-agent:*)","Bash(git:*)","Read","Write"] |
| description | Begins a new version release using git-flow. This skill should be used when the user asks to "start a release", "create release branch", "prepare a release", "git flow release start", or wants to begin a new version release. |
| model | haiku |
| argument-hint | <version> |
| user-invocable | true |
| disable-model-invocation | true |
Workflow Execution
Launch a general-purpose agent that executes all phases in a single task.
Prompt template:
Execute the start-release workflow.
CRITICAL:
- Verify working tree is clean (`git status --porcelain` is empty) before starting. Abort if dirty.
- If `$ARGUMENTS` is not strictly greater than the latest tag (semver), abort immediately.
See `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/invariants.md` for details.
## Phase 0: Validate Version
**Goal**: Ensure `$ARGUMENTS` is a valid next version.
1. Run `git tag --sort=-v:refname | head -1` to get the latest tag
2. Strip the leading `v` prefix for comparison
3. If `$ARGUMENTS` is not strictly greater than the latest tag version (semver), abort: "Version $ARGUMENTS is not greater than the current latest tag <latest>."
4. If no tags exist, skip this check
## Phase 1: Start Release
**Goal**: Create release branch and bump version.
1. Run `git flow release start $ARGUMENTS`
2. Update version in project files (package.json, Cargo.toml, VERSION, etc.)
3. Stage version files: `git add <modified version files>`
4. Determine the Claude model name for co-author attribution
- Derive it from your own runtime model identity (e.g. Claude Opus 4.8) so it never goes stale; do not hardcode a fixed version
5. Commit with git-agent: `git-agent commit --no-stage --intent "bump version to $ARGUMENTS" --co-author "Claude <Model> <Version> <noreply@anthropic.com>"`
6. On auth error (401), retry with `--free`
7. **Fallback** (git-agent unavailable): `git commit -m "chore: bump version to $ARGUMENTS"` with conventional format and `Co-Authored-By` footer
8. Push the branch: `git push -u origin release/$ARGUMENTS`
**Note**: CHANGELOG.md is updated during finish-release, not here.
Execute: Launch a general-purpose agent using the prompt template above
