Cutting a Release

Single source of truth for cutting a release. Three concerns move together: the branch/PR workflow, the version bump, and the two release documents (RELEASE_NOTES.md + CHANGELOG.md). Do the steps in order, all on one release/x.y.z branch cut from develop.

Detailed format templates live in reference files — load them when you reach §6:

• Release-notes structure, section order, and spotlight template → references/release-notes-format.md
• Changelog structure and per-release entry skeleton → references/changelog-format.md

0. Shape of a release