Publish without metadata, tags, or caches diverging. Version must be exact stable SemVer such as 4.34.0.

1. Establish

Fetch origin/main; require a clean worktree on a feature branch based on latest main.
Derive scope from commits/merged PRs since latest v* tag.
Require green origin/main CI; reproduce/fix failures before versioning.
Prove local tag, remote tag, GitHub release absent; collision stops.
Require merge and publication permission. /release <version> or cut/publish <version> grants it; discussion does not.

2. Prepare test-first

First change evals/test-improve-release-metadata.sh; record expected RED metadata failures.
Update skill-manifest.json, plugin manifests, both marketplaces, dated changelogs, CHANGELOG.md, README pin together.
For skill-surface changes run hook/catalog/AGENTS generators; never hand-edit generated Codex proxies.
Freeze docs with bun run docs:version v<version>; commit new snapshot and versions.archived, never edit old snapshots.
Replay release metadata/packaging evals GREEN.