npm-release-workflow

name	npm-release-workflow
description	Automates the npm package release process: clone, install, test, bump version, build, publish, push tags, and create a GitHub release. Use when user says "publish a release", "bump version and publish", "release npm package", or "create a new version".
license	MIT
metadata	{"generated-by":"skillify","version":"0.1.0","mcp-servers":["github"]}

npm-release-workflow

Prerequisites (MCP Integrations)

This skill requires the following MCP server(s) to be connected so that Claude can interact directly with external services used in this workflow.

GitHub

Interact with GitHub repos, issues, PRs, and more via the GitHub API.

Install & run:

npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

Required environment variables:

• GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN — set this before starting the server.

Claude Code .mcp.json snippet:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Detected automatically (confidence: 80%) — Command "git push" matches pattern; Command "gh release create" matches pattern.

See references/mcp-github-setup.md for full setup details.

Parameters

Name	Description	Default
{PROJECT_NAME}	Name of the npm package	my-project
{VERSION_BUMP}	Version bump type (patch/minor/major)	patch
{BRANCH}	Target branch	main

Quick Start

Ask Claude: "Help me publish a new release of my npm package"

Instructions

Step 1: Clone the repository

Clone the project repository locally.

git clone https://github.com/example/{PROJECT_NAME}.git
cd {PROJECT_NAME}

Step 2: Install dependencies

npm install

Step 3: Run tests

Ensure all tests pass before proceeding.

npm run test

Expected output: All tests passing with 0 failures.

Step 4: Bump version

npm version {VERSION_BUMP}

Step 5: Build

npm run build

Step 6: Publish to npm

npm publish

Step 7: Push tags to GitHub

git push origin {BRANCH} --tags

Step 8: Create GitHub release

gh release create v{VERSION} --generate-notes

Examples

Example 1: Patch release

User says: "Publish a patch release for my-project"

Actions:

1. Clone / pull latest from main
2. Install dependencies
3. Run tests
4. Bump version (patch)
5. Build
6. Publish to npm
7. Push tags
8. Create GitHub release with auto-generated notes

Result: Package published on npm, GitHub release created.

Example 2: Major release

User says: "Release a major version for my-project"

Actions: Same as Example 1 but npm version major instead of patch.

Troubleshooting

Error: npm publish failed (403)

Cause: You may not have publish permissions or you need to log in first. Solution: Run npm login and verify your npm account has publish access.

Error: Tests failed

Cause: One or more test suites are failing. Solution: Fix the failing tests before proceeding with the release.

Error: git push rejected

Cause: Remote has commits not present locally. Solution: Pull latest changes with git pull --rebase origin main and resolve conflicts.