Runbook: Release Package

Purpose: Create and publish a new version of docent to npm registry Owner: Maintainers Last Updated: 2025-10-17 Frequency: As needed for releases

Overview

This runbook covers the complete release process from version bumping through automated npm publishing. The workflow is:

1. Prepare locally - Version bump, changelog, validation
2. Push tagged commit - Triggers automated publishing
3. Monitor release - Watch GitHub Actions complete the publish

Expected duration: 20-30 minutes (plus monitoring time)

Prerequisites

Required Tools

• git command line tool
• gh CLI (GitHub CLI) - installed and authenticated
• npm - Node.js package manager
• Node.js >= 18.0.0

Required Access

• Write access to the repository
• Ability to create tags and push to main branch
• npm publish access (configured in GitHub secrets)

Pre-Flight Checklist

Before starting, ensure:

• All features for this release are merged to main
• All CI/CD checks are passing on main branch
• You are on the main branch: git checkout main
• Working directory is clean: git status
• Local main is up to date: git pull origin main
• Branch is ahead of origin or even (not behind)

Part 1: Preparation (Local)

Step 1: Pre-Release Health Check

Purpose: Validate code quality and documentation before release

Commands:

# Run full test suite
npm test

# Run build to ensure no compilation errors
npm run build

# Check markdown linting
npm run lint:md

# Search for temporary/debug code that shouldn't be released
git grep -n "console\.log\|debugger\|TODO.*remove\|FIXME.*before.*release\|XXX" src/ || echo "✓ No obvious debug code"

# Check for test-only markers (should be removed before release)
git grep -n "\.only\|\.skip" test/ && echo "⚠ Remove .only/.skip from tests" || echo "✓ No test-only markers"

# Verify no uncommitted changes
git status --short

# Check documentation quality (optional but recommended)
# This provides a detailed analysis of docs coverage
npm run docent audit . 2>/dev/null || echo "Note: docent audit available via MCP"

Validation:

• All tests pass
• Build succeeds without errors
• No obvious debug code in src/
• No .only or .skip in tests
• Working directory is clean
• Markdown linting passes (or known issues documented)

If step fails:

• Fix test failures before proceeding
• Remove debug code and test markers
• Commit any fixes: git add . && git commit -m "chore: pre-release cleanup"
• Document markdown lint issues if non-blocking (see runbook: fix-markdown-lint)

Step 2: Determine Version Number

Purpose: Decide what version number to use based on changes

Semantic Versioning Rules:

• Major (X.0.0): Breaking changes, incompatible API changes
• Minor (0.X.0): New features, backwards-compatible
• Patch (0.0.X): Bug fixes, backwards-compatible

Commands:

# Check current version
npm pkg get version

# Review commits since last release
LAST_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || echo "")
if [ -n "$LAST_TAG" ]; then
  echo "Commits since $LAST_TAG:"
  git log $LAST_TAG..HEAD --oneline --no-decorate

  # Check what changed in public API
  echo -e "\nAPI changes:"
  git diff $LAST_TAG -- src/mcp/ --stat
else
  echo "No previous tags found - this is the first release"
  git log --oneline --no-decorate
fi

# Check CHANGELOG for any BREAKING markers
git grep "BREAKING:" CHANGELOG.md && echo "⚠ Breaking changes found in CHANGELOG"

Validation:

• Current version is identified
• Changes are categorized (breaking, feature, fix)
• New version number determined following semver
• Breaking changes are identified

Decision Point:

Choose version bump type:

• patch - Bug fixes only (0.5.0 → 0.5.1)
• minor - New features, no breaking changes (0.5.0 → 0.6.0)
• major - Breaking changes (0.5.0 → 1.0.0)

If step fails:

• No tags exist yet: start with 0.1.0 or 1.0.0
• Can't determine changes: review commit history manually

Step 3: Update Version Number

Purpose: Bump version in package.json

Commands:

# Choose ONE based on Step 2 decision:

# For patch release (0.5.0 → 0.5.1)
npm version patch --no-git-tag-version

# For minor release (0.5.0 → 0.6.0)
npm version minor --no-git-tag-version

# For major release (0.5.0 → 1.0.0)
npm version major --no-git-tag-version

# Or set specific version
npm version 0.6.0 --no-git-tag-version

# Capture new version for later steps
NEW_VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
echo "New version: $NEW_VERSION"

Validation:

• package.json shows new version number
• package-lock.json also updated with new version (2 places)
• Files are modified but not committed yet
• Verify: npm pkg get version
• Verify: git status shows both package.json and package-lock.json modified

If step fails:

• Working directory must be clean (commit or stash changes)
• Manually edit package.json if npm version fails

Step 4: Update CHANGELOG.md

Purpose: Document changes in this release for users

Commands:

# Open CHANGELOG.md in editor
$EDITOR CHANGELOG.md

# Review commits for this release (if needed)
LAST_TAG=$(git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || echo "")
[ -n "$LAST_TAG" ] && git log $LAST_TAG..HEAD --oneline

Required CHANGELOG Structure:

## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD

### Breaking Changes (if any)

- **BREAKING**: Clear description of breaking change
- Migration guide: how to update code

### Added

- New features and capabilities
- User-facing improvements

### Changed

- Changes to existing functionality
- Behavior modifications

### Fixed

- Bug fixes and corrections

### Technical

- Internal improvements, refactoring
- Dependency updates
- Development tooling changes

Validation:

• New version section added at top of CHANGELOG
• Date set to today (YYYY-MM-DD format)
• Changes categorized appropriately
• Each change describes user-facing value (not just commit messages)
• Breaking changes clearly marked with BREAKING: prefix
• Breaking changes include migration guidance
• Follows Keep a Changelog format

If step fails:

• Review recent commits: git log --oneline --since="2 weeks ago"
• Check closed issues: gh issue list --state closed --limit 20
• Check merged PRs: gh pr list --state merged --limit 20

Step 5: Documentation Review

Purpose: Ensure documentation accurately reflects the release

Commands:

# Check for outdated version references
git grep -n "0\.[0-9]\.[0-9]" README.md docs/*.md | grep -v CHANGELOG.md | grep -v "version.*latest"

# Verify examples still work (manual check)
# Review key documentation files:
# - README.md - Installation and quick start
# - docs/guides/getting-started.md - Setup instructions
# - docs/guides/mcp-api-reference.md - API examples

# Check for references to removed features
# (manual review based on CHANGELOG)

Validation:

• README accurately describes current features
• No hardcoded old version numbers (except in CHANGELOG)
• Examples match current API
• No references to removed features
• Installation instructions are current

If step fails:

• Update documentation as needed
• Commit doc updates before proceeding
• Consider if docs warrant their own changelog entry

Step 6: Final Build and Test

Purpose: Ensure everything builds and tests pass with new version

Commands:

# Clean previous build
rm -rf lib/

# Install dependencies (if any changes)
npm install

# Run full build
npm run build

# Run full test suite
npm test

# Verify package contents
npm pack --dry-run | head -20

# Check package size
npm pack --dry-run | grep "Tarball Contents"

Validation:

• Build completes without errors
• All tests pass (14 tests expected for docent)
• lib/ directory contains compiled JavaScript
• Package includes correct files: /bin, /lib, /templates, CHANGELOG.md
• Package does NOT include: src/, test/, docs/, .git/
• Size is reasonable (< 1MB for docent)

If step fails:

• Fix build errors before proceeding
• Fix test failures - do not release broken code
• Update files array in package.json if package contents wrong
• Commit fixes and restart from Step 1

Step 7: Review Changes

Purpose: Final review of all changes before committing

Commands:

# Check git status
git status

# Review all changes
git diff

# Specifically review version and changelog
git diff package.json
git diff CHANGELOG.md

# Verify no unexpected changes
git status --short

Validation:

• Only expected files are modified (package.json, CHANGELOG.md, possibly docs)
• Version number is correct in package.json
• CHANGELOG.md is complete and accurate
• No unintended changes
• No debug code or temporary files

If step fails:

• Use git checkout -- <file> to discard unwanted changes
• Make corrections and re-review

Step 8: Commit and Tag Release

Purpose: Create release commit and git tag

Commands:

# Get version from package.json
VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
echo "Preparing release v$VERSION"

# Stage release changes (IMPORTANT: include package-lock.json)
git add package.json package-lock.json CHANGELOG.md
# Add any documentation updates if made
# git add README.md docs/

# Create release commit
git commit -m "chore: release v${VERSION}"

# Create annotated tag
git tag -a "v${VERSION}" -m "Release v${VERSION}"

# Verify commit and tag
git log -1 --stat
git show "v${VERSION}" --stat

Validation:

• Commit message follows format: chore: release vX.Y.Z
• Commit includes: package.json, package-lock.json, CHANGELOG.md (and any docs)
• Tag is created with format vX.Y.Z (lowercase v)
• Tag points to release commit
• Commit and tag are local only (not pushed yet)
• Verify files in commit: git show --stat

If step fails:

• Fix commit message: git commit --amend -m "correct message"
• Delete and recreate tag: git tag -d vX.Y.Z && git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "..."
• Unstage unwanted files: git reset HEAD <file>

Step 9: Final Pre-Push Validation

Purpose: Last check before pushing (triggers automated publish)

Commands:

# Verify working tree is clean
git status

# Verify all local CI checks pass
npm run build && npm test && npm run lint:md || echo "⚠ Local checks failed"

# Verify commit and tag are correct
git log -1 --oneline
VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
git tag -l "v${VERSION}"

# Verify you're on main branch
git branch --show-current

# Check remote CI status
gh run list --branch main --limit 5 --json conclusion,name,startedAt --jq '.[] | "\(.startedAt | split("T")[0]) \(.name): \(.conclusion)"'

Validation:

• Working directory is clean
• Local build and tests pass
• Commit message is correct
• Tag exists and matches version
• On main branch
• Latest CI run on main is successful

If step fails:

• Fix any issues found
• Do NOT push until everything is validated
• May need to amend commit or delete/recreate tag

Part 2: Publish (Automated via GitHub Actions)

Step 10: Push Release

Purpose: Push commit and tag to trigger automated publishing

⚠️ POINT OF NO RETURN: Once you push the tag, GitHub Actions will automatically publish to npm. Verify everything in Steps 1-9 before proceeding.

Commands:

# Push commit and tag together
git push origin main --follow-tags

# Immediately check that push succeeded
git status
git ls-remote --tags origin | grep "$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')"

Validation:

• Commit is pushed to origin/main
• Tag is pushed to origin
• No errors during push
• Remote shows the tag

If step fails:

• Check network connectivity
• Verify push permissions
• If behind remote: git pull --rebase origin main then retry
• If tag fails: git push origin vX.Y.Z

Step 11: Monitor GitHub Actions Publish

Purpose: Watch the automated publish workflow complete

Commands:

# Open Actions page in browser
VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
gh run watch --repo tnez/docent

# Or check status from CLI
gh run list --workflow=publish.yml --limit 5

# View specific run details
gh run view --log

What the Publish Workflow Does:

1. ✅ Checks out code at the tagged commit
2. ✅ Sets up Node.js and installs dependencies
3. ✅ Runs build: npm run build
4. ✅ Runs tests: npm test
5. ✅ Publishes to npm: npm publish --access public
6. ✅ Creates GitHub Release with CHANGELOG notes
7. ✅ Uploads release assets

Expected Timeline:

• Workflow starts: ~30 seconds after push
• Build/test phase: 2-3 minutes
• npm publish: 30-60 seconds
• GitHub release: 15-30 seconds
• Total: ~4-5 minutes

Monitoring Checklist:

• Workflow starts (check within 1 minute of push)
• Build step passes (green checkmark)
• Test step passes (all tests green)
• npm publish succeeds (package version updated)
• GitHub release created (visible in Releases tab)
• No errors in workflow logs

If workflow fails:

See Troubleshooting section below for common issues and recovery procedures.

Step 12: Verify Publication

Purpose: Confirm package is available and installable

Commands:

# Wait for npm propagation (30-60 seconds)
sleep 30

# Check package on npm
VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
npm view @tnezdev/docent@${VERSION} version

# View full package info
npm view @tnezdev/docent

# Test installation in temporary directory
mkdir -p /tmp/test-npm-install
cd /tmp/test-npm-install
npm install @tnezdev/docent
./node_modules/.bin/docent --version 2>/dev/null || echo "Binary check"
ls -la node_modules/@tnezdev/docent/

# Cleanup
cd -
rm -rf /tmp/test-npm-install

Validation:

• Package appears on npm registry with correct version
• Published date is today
• Package installs successfully
• Binary is executable
• Templates directory exists
• lib/ directory contains compiled code

If step fails:

• Wait longer for npm propagation (up to 5 minutes)
• Check npm registry status: https://status.npmjs.org/
• Review GitHub Actions logs for publish errors
• See Troubleshooting section

Step 13: Verify GitHub Release

Purpose: Confirm GitHub release was created correctly

Commands:

# View release in browser
VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
gh release view "v${VERSION}" --web

# Or check from CLI
gh release view "v${VERSION}"

# Verify release notes
gh release view "v${VERSION}" --json body --jq '.body' | head -20

Validation:

• GitHub release exists for tag
• Release notes match CHANGELOG section
• Release is marked as "Latest release" (if applicable)
• Release assets include source tarball
• No "Pre-release" flag (unless intentional)

If step fails:

• Check GitHub Actions logs for release creation errors
• Release can be created manually if workflow failed:

VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
awk "/## \[${VERSION}\]/,/## \[/" CHANGELOG.md | head -n -2 | tail -n +3 > /tmp/release-notes.md
gh release create "v${VERSION}" --title "Release v${VERSION}" --notes-file /tmp/release-notes.md
rm /tmp/release-notes.md

Step 14: Post-Release Verification

Purpose: Final checks and cleanup

Commands:

# Verify CI is passing on main after push
gh run list --branch main --limit 3

# Check for any issues opened immediately after release
gh issue list --label "bug" --limit 5

# Verify no uncommitted changes
git status

# Pull any changes made by GitHub Actions (if any)
git pull origin main

Validation:

• All CI checks passing on main
• No critical bugs reported
• Local repo is in sync with remote
• Working directory is clean

Post-Release Tasks:

• Monitor npm download stats (https://npmtrends.com/@tnezdev/docent)
• Watch for issues in first 24-48 hours
• Close related issues/PRs with "Fixed in vX.Y.Z" comment
• Update project board/milestones if applicable
• Announce release (optional - see Step 15)

Step 15: Announce Release (Optional)

Purpose: Notify users and contributors of new release

Commands:

# Get release URLs
VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
echo "GitHub Release: https://github.com/tnez/docent/releases/tag/v${VERSION}"
echo "npm Package: https://www.npmjs.com/package/@tnezdev/docent/v/${VERSION}"

Announcement Channels (as applicable):

• GitHub Discussions (if enabled)
• Project Discord/Slack
• Twitter/Social media
• Dev.to or blog post (for major releases)
• Email to contributors list

Announcement Template:

🎉 docent v${VERSION} is now available!

**Highlights:**
- [Key feature 1]
- [Key feature 2]
- [Important fix]

**Install/Update:**
`npm install @tnezdev/docent@latest`

**Full changelog:** https://github.com/tnez/docent/releases/tag/v${VERSION}

Troubleshooting

Common Workflow Failures

Issue: Publish Workflow Test Failures

Symptoms:

• GitHub Actions workflow fails at test step
• Tests were passing locally

Resolution:

1. Check workflow logs: gh run view --log
2. Look for environment differences (Node version, OS)
3. If reproducible locally:

- Fix tests - Commit fix - Create new patch release

1. If not reproducible:

- Re-run workflow: gh run rerun - Check GitHub Actions status

Issue: npm Publish Permission Denied

Symptoms:

• Workflow fails at publish step with 403 or permission error
• Error: "You do not have permission to publish"

Resolution:

1. Verify npm token in GitHub secrets:

- Settings → Secrets → Actions - Check NPM_TOKEN exists and is not expired

1. Regenerate npm token:

- Log in to npmjs.com - Generate new automation token - Update GitHub secret

1. Re-run failed workflow: gh run rerun --failed

Issue: Version Already Published

Symptoms:

• Workflow fails with "cannot publish over existing version"

Resolution:

This means the version was already published (possibly from previous attempt).

Option 1: Skip npm publish (if version is correct)

# Version is already on npm - just verify
npm view @tnezdev/docent version

# If correct, just create GitHub release manually
VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
gh release create "v${VERSION}" --title "Release v${VERSION}" --notes "See CHANGELOG.md"

Option 2: Bump version again (if version was wrong)

# Delete remote tag
git push origin :refs/tags/vX.Y.Z

# Delete local tag
git tag -d vX.Y.Z

# Bump version again
npm version patch --no-git-tag-version
git add package.json
git commit --amend --no-edit
git tag -a "vX.Y.Z" -m "Release vX.Y.Z"
git push origin main --follow-tags --force-with-lease

Issue: GitHub Release Creation Fails

Symptoms:

• npm publish succeeds but GitHub release fails
• Workflow completes with partial success

Resolution:

Create GitHub release manually:

VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')

# Extract release notes from CHANGELOG
awk "/## \[${VERSION}\]/,/## \[/" CHANGELOG.md | head -n -2 | tail -n +3 > /tmp/release-notes.md

# Create release
gh release create "v${VERSION}" \
  --title "Release v${VERSION}" \
  --notes-file /tmp/release-notes.md

# Cleanup
rm /tmp/release-notes.md

Issue: Breaking Change in Patch Release

Symptoms:

• Realized after publishing that a breaking change was in a patch release
• Semantic versioning was violated

Resolution:

Immediate action:

# Deprecate the incorrect version
npm deprecate @tnezdev/[email protected] "Breaking changes - use X+1.0.0 instead"

# Create proper major version
npm version major --no-git-tag-version
# Update CHANGELOG to reflect proper versioning
git add package.json package-lock.json CHANGELOG.md
git commit -m "chore: release vX+1.0.0 (correcting semver violation)"
# Restart from Step 8

Emergency Rollback

If critical bug discovered immediately after publish:

# 1. Deprecate the broken version
npm deprecate @tnezdev/[email protected] "Critical bug - use X.Y.Z+1"

# 2. Pull the tag locally
git fetch --tags
git checkout "vX.Y.Z"

# 3. Create hotfix branch
git checkout -b hotfix/vX.Y.Z+1

# 4. Fix the bug and test
# ... make fixes ...
npm run build && npm test

# 5. Merge to main and create new release
git checkout main
git merge hotfix/vX.Y.Z+1
npm version patch --no-git-tag-version
git add package.json package-lock.json CHANGELOG.md
git commit -m "chore: hotfix vX.Y.Z+1"
git tag -a "vX.Y.Z+1" -m "Hotfix vX.Y.Z+1"
git push origin main --follow-tags

# 6. Monitor new publish workflow
gh run watch

Note: Cannot unpublish from npm after 72 hours. Deprecation + new version is the only option.

When to Escalate

Escalate if:

• Critical security vulnerability discovered in published version
• npm registry having extended outage
• GitHub Actions repeatedly failing for infrastructure reasons
• Permissions issues cannot be resolved
• Breaking changes accidentally published

Escalation Contact:

• npm support (for registry issues)
• GitHub support (for Actions issues)
• Security team (for vulnerabilities)
• Package owner/maintainer

Validation Checklist

After completing all steps:

• Local:

- [ ] Version bumped in package.json - [ ] CHANGELOG updated with release notes - [ ] All tests passing locally - [ ] Build succeeds locally - [ ] No debug code or test markers in src/ - [ ] Documentation is current

• Remote:

- [ ] Commit pushed to origin/main - [ ] Tag pushed to origin - [ ] GitHub Actions workflow completed successfully

• npm:

- [ ] Package published with correct version - [ ] Package installs successfully - [ ] Binary works - [ ] Templates included

• GitHub:

- [ ] Release created with correct tag - [ ] Release notes match CHANGELOG - [ ] CI passing on main

Quick Reference

Full Release Command Sequence

# Pre-flight
git checkout main && git pull origin main
git status  # Must be clean
npm test && npm run build  # Must pass

# Version and changelog
npm version patch --no-git-tag-version  # or minor/major
$EDITOR CHANGELOG.md

# Final validation
npm run build && npm test
npm pack --dry-run

# Commit and tag
VERSION=$(npm pkg get version | tr -d '"')
git add package.json package-lock.json CHANGELOG.md
git commit -m "chore: release v${VERSION}"
git tag -a "v${VERSION}" -m "Release v${VERSION}"

# Push (triggers automated publish)
git push origin main --follow-tags

# Monitor
gh run watch

Monitoring Commands

# Watch workflow progress
gh run watch

# Check workflow status
gh run list --workflow=publish.yml --limit 5

# View workflow logs
gh run view --log

# Check npm publication
npm view @tnezdev/docent version

# Test installation
npm install @tnezdev/docent

Notes

Important:

• Pushing a version tag triggers automatic npm publishing
• Cannot unpublish from npm after 72 hours
• Always verify locally before pushing
• Breaking changes require major version bump
• GitHub Actions needs valid NPM_TOKEN secret

Gotchas:

• --follow-tags only pushes annotated tags (created with -a)
• npm propagation can take 30-60 seconds
• GitHub Actions has ~30 second startup delay
• CHANGELOG format must match for release notes extraction
• Tag format must be vX.Y.Z (lowercase v prefix)

Related Procedures:

• [CI/CD Health Check](./ci-cd-health-check.md) - if CI is failing
• [Fix Markdown Lint](./fix-markdown-lint.md) - if linting blocks release

Revision History