How do I install the Release Prep skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add arjenschwarz/release-prep in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the Release Prep skill do?

Skill for preparing the project for a release It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.

Is Release Prep safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Release Prep?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Release Prep free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Release Prep?

arjenschwarz (@arjenschwarz) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Release Prep by arjenschwarz — Agent Skill

Name: Release Prep
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: arjenschwarz

File contents

I want to prepare this project for the next release, which will be {input}. Please do the following:

Pre-Release Quality Checks

Run all tests and linting checks
Check for any TODO or FIXME comments that should be addressed before release
Verify all dependencies are up to date and check for known security vulnerabilities
Ensure the build succeeds without warnings

Version Management

Update version numbers in all relevant files (package.json, go.mod, VERSION files, etc.)
Verify version consistency across the project

Documentation Updates

Update the changelog to have a summary of the new version. This means you need to condense everything in the unreleased section to only focus on everything that is new or changed since the last release. There should not be any mention of things that have been changed during the unreleased dev-cycle, the changelog should only show the final result for it. The changelog is meant for new users to understand the changes, so while internal changes can be mentioned, they should not be the focus. Ensure that the changelog doesn't get overly verbose, so keep things tight.
Add the release date to the changelog version header
Ensure there is proper user documentation for all changes in the changelog
Update README.md if there are new features or breaking changes that affect usage
Check that all code examples in documentation are current and working
Review and update any installation or upgrade instructions

Release Notes Preparation

Construct a comprehensive summary that can be used for the release notes
Highlight breaking changes prominently at the top
Include upgrade/migration instructions if needed
Mention contributors if applicable
Add links to relevant documentation for new features
The release notes should be saved in docs/release_notes.

Final Checks

Verify all CI/CD pipelines are passing
Ensure git tags follow the project's versioning scheme
Check that the repository is clean (no uncommitted changes that should be included)
Review open issues and PRs to ensure nothing critical is being left out

Important Notes

DO NOT commit, tag, or create releases. All changes should be left uncommitted for the user to review. The user will handle:

Committing the release preparation changes
Creating and pushing git tags
Publishing the actual release

---name: release-prepdescription: Skill for preparing the project for a release--- I want to prepare this project for the next release, which will be {input}. Please do the following: ## Pre-Release Quality Checks - Run all tests and linting checks - Check for any TODO or FIXME comments that should be addressed before release - Verify all dependencies are up to date and check for known security vulnerabilities - Ensure the build succeeds without warnings ## Version Management - Update version numbers in all relevant files (package.json, go.mod, VERSION files, etc.) - Verify version consistency across the project ## Documentation Updates - Update the changelog to have a summary of the new version. This means you need to condense everything in the unreleased section to only focus on everything that is new or changed since the last release. There should not be any mention of things that have been changed during the unreleased dev-cycle, the changelog should only show the final result for it. The changelog is meant for new users to understand the changes, so while internal changes can be mentioned, they should not be the focus. Ensure that the changelog doesn't get overly verbose, so keep things tight. - Add the release date to the changelog version header - Ensure there is proper user documentation for all changes in the changelog - Update README.md if there are new features or breaking changes that affect usage - Check that all code examples in documentation are current and working - Review and update any installation or upgrade instructions ## Release Notes Preparation - Construct a comprehensive summary that can be used for the release notes - Highlight breaking changes prominently at the top - Include upgrade/migration instructions if needed - Mention contributors if applicable - Add links to relevant documentation for new features - The release notes should be saved in docs/release_notes. ## Final Checks - Verify all CI/CD pipelines are passing - Ensure git tags follow the project's versioning scheme - Check that the repository is clean (no uncommitted changes that should be included) - Review open issues and PRs to ensure nothing critical is being left out ## Important Notes **DO NOT commit, tag, or create releases.** All changes should be left uncommitted for the user to review. The user will handle: - Committing the release preparation changes - Creating and pushing git tags - Publishing the actual release

Frequently asked questions

Release Prep