Release

First, check if a repo-scoped version exists in the current project:

1. If .claude/skills/release/SKILL.md exists (Glob) → read and follow it instead of this file.
2. If .claude/commands/release.md exists (Glob) → read and follow it instead (legacy /jacked-setup output). Otherwise follow the engine below.

You are the Release Manager. Cut a release for this repo — however it actually ships. Do NOT assume it is a Python/PyPI package: read the shipping model from config (or detect it) FIRST, then run that model's pipeline.

Config Override

If invoked via a local config wrapper (you see a ## Repo Config section earlier in the prompt), it is authoritative — use it, do not re-detect:

• Base Branch → the branch to release from / push to (not a hardcoded master).
• Shipping Model → which pipeline below to run (pypi / npm / npm-changesets / calver / cargo / go-module-tag / pr-to-main-deploy / github-release-only).
• Version Source → the exact file + field to read and bump (or none when nothing is versioned).
• Gate Commands → the repo's real build/test/lint to run at Step 4 instead of uv build/twine/pytest.
• Publish Mechanism → how it actually ships (a GitHub Release that triggers a workflow, npm publish, changeset publish, a merge/PR to a deploy branch, a bare tag, …).
• Verify → how to confirm it landed (poll the package index, or confirm the deploy run succeeded + the app is up).

If no ## Repo Config is present, auto-detect the model in the next section.

SAFETY — this command does irreversible things (publishes, tags, deploys):

• The config/detected model decides the publish target. If the model or target is ambiguous, or you detect more than one plausible target, STOP and ask — never guess where to publish or which branch to push.
• Never publish to a package index for a repo that has no package (a private app / pr-to-main-deploy repo). Never invent a PyPI/npm step that the repo's own CI doesn't already do.
• Everything reversible (version bump, gate) happens BEFORE anything irreversible (tag, publish, merge-to-deploy-branch). Never force-push without explicit approval.

Auto-detect the shipping model (when no Repo Config)

Detect conservatively — read, don't assume:

ls pyproject.toml setup.py package.json Cargo.toml go.mod 2>/dev/null   # ecosystem
ls -d .changeset 2>/dev/null                                            # npm changesets
ls .github/workflows/ 2>/dev/null
# What does CI actually DO on release/push/tag? (the source of truth for how it ships)
grep -rlE 'twine|pypi|gh-action-pypi|npm publish|changeset|cargo publish|railway|vercel|fly\.io|flyctl|deploy' .github/workflows/ 2>/dev/null
grep -rlE 'on:|release:|push:|tags:|workflow_dispatch:' .github/workflows/ 2>/dev/null
git remote -v 2>/dev/null; git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed 's|refs/remotes/origin/||'

Map signals → model (priority order; when two genuinely fit, ask):

• .changeset/ + package.json → npm-changesets (changeset version bumps, changeset publish ships).
• package.json + an npm publish / publishConfig in a workflow → npm — but if versions are date-shaped (2026.318.0) or a workflow derives the version from the date → calver.
• pyproject.toml/setup.py + a workflow that publishes to PyPI (twine / OIDC trusted publisher) → pypi.
• Cargo.toml + cargo publish → cargo.
• go.mod, no publish step → go-module-tag (the tag itself IS the release; the module proxy serves it).
• A workflow that deploys on push/merge to the base branch (railway/vercel/fly/a deploy step) with NO package publish → pr-to-main-deploy: "shipping" = getting the change onto the deploy branch; there is no version bump or index publish, and cutting a package would be wrong.
• None of the above, but you still want a GitHub Release for notes → github-release-only (tag + Release, no publish).

State the detected model and the evidence you based it on. If unsure, ask before touching anything.

RELEASE PIPELINE

Run in order. Stop and report if any step fails.

1. PRE-FLIGHT

BASE="${BASE_BRANCH:-$(git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed 's|refs/remotes/origin/||' || echo main)}"
git branch --show-current      # should be the base branch (or the branch you're releasing)
git status --short             # working tree state
gh auth status                 # GitHub auth (needed for Releases / PR merges)

• Not on the base branch → stop; ask whether to merge first or release from this branch.
• Uncommitted changes → list them; ask whether to include them in the release or stash.
• gh not authenticated → stop; tell the user to run gh auth login.

2. DETERMINE VERSION

Skip this step entirely for calver (the version is computed, usually date-based — read how from the workflow) and pr-to-main-deploy / any none Version Source (nothing is versioned — the merge is the ship).

Otherwise read the current version from the Version Source:

• Config declares it → use that file+field.
• Else detect: pyproject.toml [project].version if static; if dynamic = ["version"], follow [tool.hatch.version].path (or grep -rl __version__) to the real file; package.json version; Cargo.toml [package].version. In a monorepo, the versioned artifact may live in a workspace member, not the root — read the member that actually ships.

Suggest the bump from commit history (the user still picks):

git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null
git log "$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null)"..HEAD --oneline 2>/dev/null

BREAKING CHANGE/type!: → major; any feat: → minor; only fix:/chore:/docs: → patch. If $ARGUMENTS has a version, use it. Otherwise ask, leading with the suggestion (Patch / Minor / Major / Custom).

3. BUMP VERSION

Edit the Version Source to the new version (__version__, [project].version, package.json "version", Cargo.toml, etc.). For npm-changesets, run the changeset flow instead (pnpm changeset → changeset version). Do NOT commit or tag yet — the gate (Step 4) must pass first. Skip for calver/none.

4. GATE — before anything irreversible

The tag/Release/publish/deploy are what ship the code, and many repos' CI does NOT run tests on release — so catch a broken build or red test HERE, while everything is still local and reversible. Run the repo's own gate:

• Config Gate Commands → run exactly those, in order.
• Else per model (run what the repo actually uses — read package.json scripts / the CI workflow, don't assume):
  • pypi: rm -rf dist/ && uv build && uvx twine check dist/* && uv run python -m pytest
  • npm / npm-changesets / calver: the repo's real chain, e.g. pnpm -r typecheck && pnpm -r test && pnpm -r build (or npm ci && npm test && npm run build; turbo repos: turbo run typecheck test build).
  • cargo: cargo build --release && cargo test.
  • go-module-tag: go build ./... && go test ./....
  • pr-to-main-deploy: run the repo's CI gate locally (the lint/typecheck/test/build the deploy workflow runs) so the merge doesn't break the deploy.

Only when the gate is fully green do you proceed. If it fails, fix the cause and re-run — do NOT tag/publish/merge a red tree.

5. CHANGELOG + COMMIT + TAG

If a CHANGELOG.md exists (or the README carries a "Version History" section), prepend the new version's delta (grouped Features/Fixes/Other) before committing, so the tagged tree carries its own changelog. Then:

git add <version file> <changelog>   # + any other approved changes
git commit -m "chore: release vX.Y.Z"   # or feat/fix: vX.Y.Z — <summary> for substantive changes
git tag vX.Y.Z                          # SKIP the tag for pr-to-main-deploy (the merge is the ship; tag only if the repo tags)

6. PUSH / SHIP

• pypi / npm / cargo / go-module-tag / github-release-only: push the base branch + tag.

  git push origin "$BASE" && git push origin vX.Y.Z
  

• pr-to-main-deploy: getting the change onto the deploy branch IS the release. If you're on a feature branch, open a PR to the deploy branch and (once its CI is green) merge with a true merge commit (gh pr merge --merge, never --squash/--rebase/--admin); if you're already on the deploy branch with approval, push it. The merge/push triggers the deploy — there is no package to publish.

If push fails on upstream changes, stop and ask (never force-push without explicit approval).

7. PUBLISH (per model)

• pypi: create the GitHub Release — this triggers the publish workflow (gh release create vX.Y.Z --title "vX.Y.Z" --generate-notes --latest). Then watch it: find the run for THIS tag (gh run list --workflow=<publish>.yml and select the one whose headBranch == vX.Y.Z — do not grab a stale prior run) and gh run watch <id> --exit-status.
• npm / calver: if a workflow publishes on Release/tag, cut the Release and watch that run as above. If publishing is manual, run the repo's publish (npm publish / pnpm -r publish) with the right registry/OTP.
• npm-changesets: pnpm changeset publish (or let the Changesets Action open/merge the version PR, then publish) — follow the repo's setup; watch the action.
• cargo: cargo publish (per crate, in dependency order for a workspace).
• go-module-tag: nothing to publish — the pushed tag is the release. Optionally gh release create for notes.
• github-release-only: gh release create vX.Y.Z --generate-notes --latest; no index publish.
• pr-to-main-deploy: nothing to publish. Publishing here = watching the DEPLOY: find the deploy workflow run triggered by the merge and gh run watch <id> --exit-status; a red deploy is a failed release.

If a publish/deploy run fails: gh run view <id> --log-failed, report it, and never leave a --latest Release (or a "shipped" claim) pointing at a version/deploy that isn't actually live — re-run from Actions (keeps the tag) or delete the Release+tag and re-cut after a fix.

8. VERIFY IT LANDED

A green workflow means "the job succeeded," not "it's live." Confirm reality:

• pypi: poll the index until the version resolves, then prove installability (derive the name from pyproject.toml, don't hardcode):

  NAME=$(grep -m1 '^name' pyproject.toml | sed -E 's/.*"([^"]+)".*/\1/')
  curl -fsSL "https://pypi.org/pypi/${NAME}/json" | grep -q '"X.Y.Z"'   # JSON API
  # and the /simple/ index (what installers resolve) — it can lag the JSON API by a minute
  # then, from a NEUTRAL dir (outside the repo, to avoid a pinned exclude-newer): uv tool install "${NAME}@X.Y.Z" --force --refresh
  

• npm / calver: npm view <pkg>@X.Y.Z version until it resolves (and npm install in a throwaway dir for the strong proof).
• cargo: cargo search <crate> / crates.io shows the version.
• go-module-tag: go list -m <module>@vX.Y.Z resolves via the proxy.
• pr-to-main-deploy: the deploy run is green AND the app is actually up — curl -fsSItimeout the production/preview URL (from config or the deploy output) for a 2xx, and sanity-check a health route if one exists. A green deploy job with a 502 site is a failed release.

Then report the concrete artifact: the Release URL, the index/registry URL + install line, or the live app URL — whichever the model produced.

9. RECORD (memory vault, guarded)

After the release is verified live, if the memory vault is enabled (jacked memory status --quiet exits 0; skip silently if it exits nonzero), record a progress note so the shipped version and its highlights are searchable later:

jacked memory add --type progress --title "Released vX.Y.Z" --body "<the headline changes + the artifact URL>"

One note per release, high-signal. If the vault is off, do nothing.

HARD RULES

• Read the shipping model from config or detect it FIRST; when the model or publish target is ambiguous, STOP and ask. Never guess a publish target or push to the wrong branch.
• Never publish to a package index for a repo that has no package (pr-to-main-deploy / private app). Never invent a publish step the repo's own CI doesn't do.
• Reversible before irreversible: gate (build + tests, the repo's OWN) must be green BEFORE any tag/publish/merge-to-deploy. Never tag/ship a red tree.
• Never force-push without explicit approval. Never --squash/--rebase/--admin-merge a release PR — use a true merge commit.
• Never skip the version bump for a versioned model (indexes reject duplicate versions) — and never bump for a model that doesn't version (calver/pr-to-main-deploy).
• A tag/Release must NOT outlive a failed publish/deploy — verify the artifact is actually live/installable (or the deploy is actually up) before declaring done.
• If anything fails, stop and report — do not retry destructively.