Release Management
Automate releases with gh release, semantic versioning, and changelog generation.
CC โฅ 2.1.118 (M122): claude plugin tag <version> validates the plugin manifest hierarchy (marketplace.json, plugin.json, package.json, version.txt) before tagging. Runs --dry-run in CI before release-please opens its release PR; catches manifest drift early. See src/skills/chain-patterns/references/plugin-tag.md.
CRITICAL: Task Management is MANDATORY (CC 2.1.16)
BEFORE doing ANYTHING else, create tasks to track progress:
TaskCreate(
subject="Release: {version}",
description="Creating release with semantic versioning and changelog",
activeForm="Releasing {version}"
)
TaskCreate(subject="Version & changelog", activeForm="Determining version and generating changelog")
TaskCreate(subject="Create release", activeForm="Creating GitHub release")
TaskCreate(subject="Verify & announce", activeForm="Verifying release and announcing")
TaskUpdate(taskId="3", addBlockedBy=["2"])
TaskUpdate(taskId="4", addBlockedBy=["3"])
TaskUpdate(taskId="2", status="in_progress")
TaskUpdate(taskId="2", status="completed")
Quick Reference
Create Release
gh release create v1.2.0 --generate-notes
gh release create v1.2.0 --title "Version 1.2.0: Performance Update" --generate-notes
gh release create v1.2.0 --draft --generate-notes
gh release create v1.2.0-beta.1 --prerelease --generate-notes
gh release create v1.2.0 --notes "## Highlights
- New auth system
- 50% faster search"
gh release create v1.2.0 --notes-file RELEASE_NOTES.md
List & View Releases
gh release list
gh release view v1.2.0
gh release view v1.2.0 --web
gh release list --json tagName,publishedAt,isPrerelease
Verify Releases (gh CLI 2.86.0+)
gh release verify v1.2.0
gh release verify-asset v1.2.0 ./dist/app.zip
gh release verify v1.2.0 --owner myorg
Manage Releases
gh release edit v1.2.0 --title "New Title" --notes "Updated notes"
gh release delete v1.2.0
gh release upload v1.2.0 ./dist/app.zip ./dist/app.tar.gz
Semantic Versioning
MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
โ โ โ
โ โ โโโ Bug fixes (backwards compatible)
โ โโโโโโโโโ New features (backwards compatible)
โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ Breaking changes
Examples:
1.0.0 โ 1.0.1 (patch: bug fix)
1.0.1 โ 1.1.0 (minor: new feature)
1.1.0 โ 2.0.0 (major: breaking change)
Pre-release:
2.0.0-alpha.1 (early testing)
2.0.0-beta.1 (feature complete)
2.0.0-rc.1 (release candidate)
Release Workflows
Standard and hotfix release procedures using git tags and gh release.
Load Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/release-management/references/release-workflows.md") for step-by-step standard and hotfix release workflows.
Changelog Generation
Auto-generated from PRs, custom .github/release.yml templates, and manual CHANGELOG.md format.
Load Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/release-management/references/changelog-generation.md") for changelog template examples and Keep-a-Changelog format.
Release Automation & Checklist
GitHub Actions workflow for tag-triggered releases, version bumping script, and pre/post-release checklist.
Load Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/release-management/references/release-automation.md") for CI workflow, bump script, and release checklist.
Best Practices
- Use semantic versioning - Communicate change impact
- Draft releases first - Review notes before publishing
- Generate notes from PRs - Accurate, automatic history
- Close milestone on release - Track completion
- Tag main only - Never tag feature branches
- Announce breaking changes - Prominent in release notes
Related Skills
ork:github-operations: Milestones, issues, and CLI referenceork:github-operations: Branch management and git operations
References
Load on demand with Read("${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/release-management/references/<file>"):
| File | Content |
|---|
semver.md | Semantic versioning rules and decision tree |
release-workflows.md | Standard and hotfix release procedures |
changelog-generation.md | Auto-generated, template, and manual changelog formats |
release-automation.md | GitHub Actions workflow, bump script, and checklist |
