github-release

name	github-release
description	Create, inspect, edit, and publish GitHub releases with the `gh release` CLI, including writing release notes, verifying tags, managing draft/prerelease state, and uploading assets. Use when asked to create a GitHub release, fix or replace release notes, publish an existing tag, inspect release metadata, or attach release assets. Do not use for generic git tagging or repository publishing flows that do not involve GitHub Releases.
author	alexgorbatchev
metadata	{"created_on":"2026-05-04 13:11","last_modified":"2026-08-16 08:20","status":"current"}

GitHub Release

Use this workflow to manage GitHub Releases with gh release instead of guessing flags or hand-editing release pages in the browser.

Core Rules

• Check authentication first with gh auth status if the repository or host context is unclear.
• Determine the target repository explicitly. Use -R [HOST/]OWNER/REPO when not operating in the current checkout.
• Inspect the current release/tag state before mutating anything.
• Prefer --notes-file for multi-line release notes instead of stuffing large Markdown into --notes.
• Prefer gh release view --json ... for verification before and after changes.
• Treat --generate-notes as a drafting aid at most, not the final release text.
• Do not include installation instructions or changelogs/commit lists in release notes by default unless explicitly requested.
• Use --verify-tag when creating or editing a release for an existing tag. Without it, gh release create can create a missing tag from the default branch automatically.
• Do not use gh release upload --clobber unless the user explicitly accepts the risk. GitHub CLI deletes the existing asset before uploading the replacement.

Decide The Job

1. Determine whether the user wants to:
   • inspect an existing release
   • create a new release from an existing tag
   • edit title, notes, draft state, or prerelease state
   • upload or replace assets
2. Determine the target repository and tag.
3. Determine whether the tag already exists remotely.
4. Determine whether a release already exists for that tag.

Use this decision rule:

• Need details about an existing release? → use gh release view
• Release exists and needs content changes? → use gh release edit
• Tag exists but release does not? → use gh release create --verify-tag
• Need to add assets after release creation? → use gh release upload
• Need to replace an existing asset? → stop and confirm before --clobber

Inspect First

Start by checking the current state rather than assuming it:

gh release view <tag> --json name,tagName,isDraft,isPrerelease,createdAt,publishedAt,body,url

If the tag is omitted, gh release view shows the latest release.

For create flows, also verify the tag exists remotely before relying on it:

git ls-remote --tags origin <tag>

If the user expects a release from a tag that does not exist remotely, stop and clarify whether the tag should be created and pushed first. Do not silently let gh release create invent the tag from the default branch unless that behavior is explicitly desired.

Create A Release

Use gh release create when the tag exists and there is no release yet.

Default safe pattern:

gh release create <tag> \
  --verify-tag \
  --title "<title>" \
  --notes-file "<notes-file>"

Add flags only when required:

• --draft for unpublished drafts
• --prerelease for prereleases
• --latest=false when the release should not become Latest
• asset paths after the tag when the assets are ready at creation time

Use --fail-on-no-commits when the repository policy is to block duplicate/no-op releases and there is a previous release to compare against.

Edit A Release

Use gh release edit <tag> when the release already exists and only its metadata or notes need to change.

Typical pattern:

gh release edit <tag> \
  --title "<title>" \
  --notes-file "<notes-file>"

Useful variations:

• --draft=false to publish a draft
• --draft to convert back to draft when appropriate
• --prerelease to mark as prerelease
• --latest to explicitly mark as Latest

After editing, verify the final body and URL with gh release view <tag> --json name,body,url.

Upload Assets

Attach assets with:

gh release upload <tag> <file>...

To set a display label, append #Label to the file path argument.

Example:

gh release upload v1.2.3 "dist/tool-linux-x64.tar.gz#Linux x64 tarball"

If an asset of the same name already exists:

• prefer stopping and asking the user what should replace it
• warn that --clobber deletes the old asset before uploading the replacement
• use --clobber only with explicit approval

Write Release Notes From Shipped Changes

Release notes should describe what actually shipped in the previous-tag...new-tag range, not whatever happened to be convenient to mention.

Build the notes from evidence:

1. Identify the previous relevant release tag.
2. Inspect the commit range and any diff or changelog material that shipped.
3. Separate user-visible changes from internal noise.
4. Write concise notes grounded in those shipped changes.

Default note structure:

## Summary

- User-visible change 1
- User-visible change 2
- Operationally important change 3

Notes Quality Bar

• Prefer 2-5 bullets in ## Summary.
• Lead with user-visible behavior, fixes, or operator-relevant changes.
• No Default Installation Steps or Changelogs: Release notes do not need installation instructions or commit lists/changelogs by default unless explicitly requested. GitHub Releases already links release assets and tag compare diffs automatically. Keep notes focused on concise user-visible changes.
• Exclude routine noise such as pure version bumps, trivial housekeeping, or local-only cleanup unless those changes materially affect users or release operators.
• Do not claim a change shipped if it is not in the release range.
• If the release is infra-only or docs-only, say that directly instead of padding the notes.

Verification Checklist

Before finishing:

1. Confirm the repository and tag are correct.
2. Confirm the release title matches the intended version or product naming.
3. Confirm the notes reflect the actual shipped commit range.
4. Confirm draft/prerelease/latest state is correct.
5. Confirm uploaded assets are present and named correctly.
6. Re-run gh release view <tag> --json name,body,url,assets,isDraft,isPrerelease and report the resulting URL.