If all changes are @internal-only, tell the user there are no customer-facing API changes and stop.

Step 2: Check release tags, documentation, and export reachability

For any new exports, verify each has a release tag and flag any missing ones to the user — API Extractor will fail with ae-missing-release-tag. Help the user choose the right tag:

Tag	When to use
`@public`	Stable, production-ready. Full SemVer. Use only when the shape is final.
`@beta`	Seeking feedback, path to `@public`. Production OK with caution.
`@alpha`	Experimental, early feedback only. Not for production. No stability guarantees.
`@internal`	Framework-internal only, not for external consumers.

When in doubt: @alpha — easier to promote than demote. @legacy is a paired modifier (@legacy @public or @legacy @alpha) for FF v1 APIs; don't apply it to new APIs.

For every new customer-facing export (@public, @beta, @alpha) that is intended to be usable by package consumers, verify it is reachable from the package's public entrypoint, not just exported from the adjacent module or folder. Trace and update the export chain through every relevant index.ts barrel up to the package root entrypoint (typically src/index.ts, or tiered entrypoints such as src/alpha.ts / src/beta.ts where used). Missing parent-barrel exports are incomplete API changes. API Extractor may not report the intended API at all, and consumers are expected to import from the package's top-level entrypoint rather than reaching into subpaths.

Also check that each new customer-facing export (@public, @beta, @alpha) has TSDoc documentation — at minimum a summary, @param tags, and @returns if applicable. Flag any missing documentation to the user.

Step 3: Inform the user about API Council review

Tell the user whether their change requires API Council approval:

Changed surface	Approval required?
`@public`, `@legacy @public`, `@beta`, `@legacy @alpha`	Yes — `fluid-cr-api` will be automatically assigned as a required reviewer on the PR
`@alpha` only (not `@legacy`)	No — but early engagement with the council is encouraged
`@internal` only	No

Tell the user: council approval is a separate sign-off from the area owner review. To engage the council, they can reach out to the API Council member on their EM team or tag @FF API on Teams. Share this link with the user for more details: https://eng.ms/docs/experiences-devices/opg/office-shared/fluid-framework/fluid-framework-internal/fluid-framework/docs/dev/resources/api-council

Step 4: Assess breaking changes

A breaking change removes or modifies an existing API in a way that causes compile errors for consumers upgrading.

@public / @legacy+@public

If this is a breaking change to @public or @legacy @public, tell the user this is likely a mistake — major releases happen very rarely. Breaking @public APIs must be coordinated with a major release; the old API must be deprecated at least 3 months prior in a minor release with a clear replacement.

Share these links with the user for the required process:

API Deprecation wiki: https://github.com/microsoft/FluidFramework/wiki/API-Deprecation
Client 3.0 Breaking Changes tracking issue: https://github.com/microsoft/FluidFramework/issues/23271

@beta / @legacy+@alpha

If this is a breaking change to @beta or @legacy @alpha, tell the user:

Breaking changes may only land in minor versions that are an increment of 10 (2.10, 2.20, 2.30, …)
The PR must be staged on a test/breaks/client/#.#0/ branch and held until the break window opens
They should check whether partners (e.g. office-bohemia) consume the API directly — if in doubt, assume they do and allow 12 weeks lead time

Share these links with the user:

Beta | Legacy Breaking Changes tracking issue: https://github.com/microsoft/FluidFramework/issues/25322
Full process: https://github.com/microsoft/FluidFramework/wiki/Beta-Break-Process

@alpha only

Tell the user: while @alpha has no contractual stability guarantees, there is an informal agreement not to break office-bohemia. If this change could break office-bohemia, it should be staged using the same process as above.

If there is any doubt, recommend the user test against office-bohemia first by running the office-bohemia integration pipeline against their branch. Share these links:

Office-bohemia integration pipeline: https://dev.azure.com/office/OC/_build?definitionId=29163
Build - client packages pipeline: https://dev.azure.com/fluidframework/internal/_build?definitionId=12
Full instructions: https://eng.ms/docs/experiences-devices/opg/office-shared/fluid-framework/fluid-framework-internal/fluid-framework/docs/dev/monitoring/loop-integration-pipeline/index

Also tell the user: if they skip this check and the change does break office-bohemia, the daily integration pipeline will catch it and FF OCE will revert the PR or contact them to do so ASAP.

Step 5: Deprecation checklist

If any API is being deprecated, check that the following are in place and flag anything missing to the user:

@deprecated TSDoc comment includes: version deprecated, version of removal, replacement, and a link to the tracking issue:

/**
 * @deprecated 2.x.y. Removed in 3.0.0. Use {@link replacementApi} instead.
 * See {@link https://github.com/microsoft/FluidFramework/issues/ABCD} for context.
 */

GitHub issue filed using the "Deprecated API" template as a sub-issue of the appropriate tracking issue
In-codebase uses removed (test-only uses may remain with an explanatory comment)
Changeset present (see Step 6)

Share this link with the user for full deprecation guidance: https://github.com/microsoft/FluidFramework/wiki/API-Deprecation

Step 6: Changeset

All customer-facing API changes require a changeset — additions, modifications, deprecations, tag promotions, removals.

Check whether one exists: git status --porcelain -- .changeset/

If none exists, create one on behalf of the user from the repo root:

pnpm flub changeset add --empty

This drops a randomly-named file in .changeset/. Edit it with content based on what changed. YAML front matter lists affected packages (only those meaningful to consumers) with bump type minor, plus "__section" to route to the right release notes section: feature (new APIs), deprecation, breaking (major / server only; use legacy for legacy API breaks), tree (changes to SharedTree/@fluidframework/tree APIs), fix, or other.

Summary line rules (from .changeset/README.md): succinct, no terminal punctuation, no backtick formatting, present tense. Prefix test: mentally prepend "In this release," to verify it reads naturally. Body may include a code example for features, deprecations, and breaking changes.

After drafting the changeset, show the content to the user and confirm it looks right before moving on.

Step 7: Summary

Present the user with a clear summary:

API changes found (table from Step 1)
Any missing release tags or documentation
Whether API Council review is required
Any breaking change warnings and the process the user needs to follow
Any deprecation issues
Changeset status

End with a clear go/no-go: "Your changes look good to merge" or "Please resolve these issues before merging: …"

api-changes

API Changes Review

Step 1: Identify what changed