release-skills Skill (jimliu): Version, Changelog, Tag and GitHub Release

Has Claude run a release: bump the version, write changelogs, commit by module, tag, push and publish a GitHub Release, after you confirm.

Installs: 25.8K; on skills.sh
Stars: 27.2K; on GitHub
Updated: Nov 2026; last repo commit

release-skills runs a whole release for you. It finds the version file, reads the commits since the last tag, picks a version bump, writes changelog entries and makes one commit per skill or module. Then it makes a release commit and an annotated tag, and optionally pushes and publishes a GitHub Release.

It changes your git history and can push to your remote, so use --dry-run first. Before it commits the release, it asks you to confirm the version, whether to push and whether to publish. Say "release", "bump version", "release notes" or run /release-skills.

Good for

Maintainers who release Node.js, Python, Rust or Claude plugin projects and want one repeatable routine
Projects that keep changelogs in several languages
Teams with old tags that never got GitHub Releases

Install release-skills

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the release-skills skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add https://github.com/jimliu/baoyu-skills --skill release-skills

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js.

From its listing on skills.sh. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Universal release workflow. Auto-detects version files and changelogs. Supports Node.js, Python, Rust, Claude Plugin, GitHub Releases, annotated tags, historical release backfill, and generic projects. Use when user says "release", "发布", "new version", "bump version", "push", "推送", "release notes", "GitHub Release", or "回填 Release".

Sections in SKILL.md

User Input Tools
Quick Start
Supported Projects
Options
Workflow
Step 1: Detect Project Configuration
Step 2: Analyze Changes Since Last Tag
Step 3: Determine Version Bump
Step 4: Generate Multi-language Changelogs
{VERSION} - {YYYY-MM-DD}
Features
Fixes
Documentation
1.3.0 - 2026-01-22
Features
Fixes

Key facts

Author: Baoyu (jimliu/baoyu-skills)
License: MIT
Needs: git; the gh CLI, signed in, for GitHub Releases and PR author lookups
Project types detected: package.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, marketplace.json, VERSION or version.txt
What installs: 1 file, SKILL.md, in .claude/skills/release-skills of the repo
Installs on skills.sh: 25,771 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 27,159 (Nov 2, 2026)
Last commit: 2026-11-01
skills.sh audits: Gen Agent Trust Hub warn, Socket pass, Snyk warn

What it includes

Detects the project and runs the release with a recommended bump
Finds the version file and changelogs, groups commits by skill or module and walks through the steps below.
Try: “/release-skills --dry-run”
Runs code · /release-skills
Shows detected files, version, changelog and commits and changes nothing
Prints the proposed version, grouped changes and changelog previews, then stops.
Read · --dry-run
Forces the bump size instead of choosing it from the commits
Without a flag: a BREAKING CHANGE means major, feat commits mean minor, anything else patch.
--major, --minor, --patch
Writes each CHANGELOG file in its own language and credits outside contributors
Language comes from the file name suffix. Authors of merged PRs who are not the repo owner get a (by @username) note, looked up with gh.
Write · Changelogs per language
Makes one conventional commit per skill or module, then the release commit
It also checks the README for options or examples that need updating.
Runs code · Commit by module
Asks about the version, pushing and publishing before the release commit
Three questions: bump, push to remote, publish a GitHub Release. Pushing and publishing are separate yes or no choices.
Confirmation step
Creates v<version> with the release notes and pushes if you said yes
Commits with chore: release, tags with git tag -a, then git push origin main and the tag.
Runs code · Annotated tag and push
Creates or updates the release from the changelog section
Uses gh release create or edit with a notes file. It stops if no notes are found.
Runs code · GitHub Release
Creates missing GitHub Releases for existing tags, with no new commits
Does not bump versions or edit changelogs. It does not rewrite public lightweight tags without your confirmation.
Runs code · --backfill-releases
Runs your own prepare_artifact and publish_artifact commands if defined
Hooks receive the project path, target, version, dry-run flag and a release notes file.
Runs code · .releaserc.yml hooks

From the official docs

Permissions

High risk

It edits version and changelog files, makes git commits and tags, and can push to your remote and publish a GitHub Release. Run it with --dry-run first and answer no to pushing until you have read the commits.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only modeHow to turn it on

Watch out for

It pushes commits and tags to your remote
Push and GitHub Release happen only if you answer yes at the confirmation step. Answer no first, read the commits, then push yourself. github.com
Project hooks run shell commands
If .releaserc.yml defines release.hooks, the skill runs your prepare_artifact and publish_artifact commands. Read those hooks before a release. github.com
It creates many commits and edits files
It makes one commit per module plus a release commit, and updates README and changelog files. Start from a clean branch so you can reset. github.com
It still runs all steps when you say just push
SKILL.md says that if you ask to just push with uncommitted changes, it follows the full release steps first. github.com

Technical details

Turning on read-only	Pass --dry-run to preview without changing anything.
Talks to	Your git remote (origin). GitHub through the gh CLI
Sign-in and keys	Uses whatever git remote access and gh login you already have.
Scopes	Runs git add, commit, tag and, if you agree, git push origin main and the tag Runs gh release create or edit, and gh pr view and gh repo view Edits the version file, README files and CHANGELOG files Runs any shell commands set in release.hooks of .releaserc.yml

Questions

What does release-skills do?

It runs a release: it picks a version bump from your commits, writes changelogs, commits changes by module, tags the release and can push and publish a GitHub Release.

How do I install release-skills?

Use the install box above. The skill lives in the baoyu-skills repo under .claude/skills/release-skills.

Can I preview a release first?

Yes. Run /release-skills --dry-run to see the detected files, proposed version, changelog previews and commits without any changes.

Will it push without asking?

No. Before the release commit it asks you to confirm the version, whether to push and whether to publish a GitHub Release. If you decline a push, the commits and tag stay local.

How does it pick the version?

Your flag wins. Otherwise a breaking change gives a major bump, feat commits give a minor bump, and the rest give a patch.

Which project types does it support?

It detects package.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, marketplace.json for Claude plugins, and VERSION or version.txt for generic projects.

Is it safe?

It changes your git history and can push and publish, so treat it like running those git commands yourself. Use --dry-run, answer no to pushing at first, and read any .releaserc.yml hooks because the skill runs them.

Can it fill in missing GitHub Releases?

Yes, with --backfill-releases. It creates releases for existing tags from the matching changelog section and does not bump versions or make commits.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: jimliu/baoyu-skills
Folder: .claude/skills/release-skills

jimliu/baoyu-skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 2

release-skills SKILL.md · github.com
release-skills on skills.sh · skills.sh