release-checklist - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: release-checklist compatibility: "Claude Code 2.1.170+" description: "Sequential release gate validating build success, test suite, security checks, type checking, manifest counts consistency, and changelog presence. Each step reports pass/fail with remediation guidance. Manages version bumping, staging, and pre-push confirmation. Use when preparing a release." tags: [release, checklist, orchestkit] version: 2.0.0 author: OrchestKit user-invocable: false disable-model-invocation: true context: inherit allowed-tools: [Read, Bash, Grep, Glob] complexity: medium persuasion-type: discipline hooks: PreToolUse: - matcher: "Read" command: "${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/hooks/bin/run-hook.mjs skill/release-state-loader" once: true

Release Checklist

Sequential release gate for OrchestKit. Each step reports [PASS] or [FAIL]. Stop on first failure, suggest a fix, then continue after user confirmation.

Load details: Read("${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/release-flow.md") for why the order matters and hotfix guidance.

CC ≥ 2.1.118 (M122): Pre-release gate now includes claude plugin tag <version> --dry-run to validate the manifest hierarchy. Add to the gate sequence after manifest count checks. See src/skills/chain-patterns/references/plugin-tag.md.

Quick Reference

Category	Rules	Impact	When to Use
Pre-Release Gates	2	CRITICAL	Before every release commit
Release Commit	2	HIGH	Staging, committing, tagging, pushing

Total: 4 rules across 2 categories

Quick Start

# Run all pre-release gates in order (stop on first failure)
npm run build && npm test && npm run test:security && npm run typecheck
bash src/skills/validate-counts/scripts/validate-counts.sh
git diff  # review before staging

Pre-Release Gates

Must all pass before writing any release commit. See rules/gate-build-and-test.md and rules/gate-counts-and-diff.md.

Step	Command	Rule File
1. Build	`npm run build`	`rules/gate-build-and-test.md`
2. Tests	`npm test`	`rules/gate-build-and-test.md`
3. Security	`npm run test:security`	`rules/gate-build-and-test.md`
4. TypeScript	`npm run typecheck`	`rules/gate-build-and-test.md`
5. Validate counts	`/validate-counts`	`rules/gate-counts-and-diff.md`
6. Diff review	`git diff`	`rules/gate-counts-and-diff.md`

Release Commit

Steps after all gates pass. See rules/commit-staging.md and rules/commit-tag-push.md.

Step	Action	Rule File
7. Changelog	Entry exists in `CHANGELOG.md`	`rules/commit-staging.md`
8. Version bump	`package.json` + `CLAUDE.md` both updated	`rules/commit-staging.md`
9. Stage files	`git add <specific files>` — never `-A`	`rules/commit-staging.md`
10. Commit	`release: vX.Y.Z` conventional format	`rules/commit-tag-push.md`
11. Tag	`git tag vX.Y.Z`	`rules/commit-tag-push.md`
12. Push	Run `scripts/pre-push-confirm.sh` — confirm first	`rules/commit-tag-push.md`

Related Skills

validate-counts — Count consistency check (step 5 of this checklist)
audit-skills — Broader skill quality audit (run before major releases)
checkpoint-resume — Rate-limit-resilient pipelines for long release sessions

Common Mistakes

Running npm test before npm run build — tests run against stale dist
Using git add -A — accidentally stages secrets or unrelated in-progress work
Forgetting to bump CLAUDE.md version alongside package.json
Pushing without explicit user confirmation — irreversible on shared remotes
Skipping security tests — non-negotiable, even for patch releases