Release it

release-it Release Automation

release-it is a generic, pluggable CLI tool that automates versioning and package publishing. It handles version bumping, Git committing/tagging/pushing, npm publishing, and GitHub/GitLab release creation -- all in a single configurable workflow. Language-agnostic with a powerful plugin system for extending behavior.

Quick Start

npm install -D release-it

# Create minimal config
echo '{ "github": { "release": true } }' > .release-it.json

# First release (interactive)
npx release-it

# CI release
npx release-it --ci

For first-time setup with project-aware configuration, follow initial-setup.md.

Capability Index

Read the reference file that matches your task:

Reference	When to Read
initial-setup.md	First-time setup. Analyze project → propose config → ask user for decisions → generate tailored config
configuration.md	Setting up or modifying .release-it.* config in any format, config extends/merging, CLI overrides
hooks-and-lifecycle.md	Adding pre/post release commands, understanding execution order, template variables
cli-and-workflow.md	CLI flags, increment types, pre-release flow, dry-run, CI mode, programmatic API
git-integration.md	Tag naming/matching, changelog command, commit messages, branch restrictions, push config
npm-publishing.md	npm auth, scoped packages, dist-tags, OTP/2FA, OIDC Trusted Publishing, monorepo, private registry
github-gitlab-releases.md	GitHub/GitLab release creation, tokens, assets, release notes, comments, draft/pre-release
plugins.md	Setting up official/community plugins (conventional-changelog, bumper, keep-a-changelog, etc.)
custom-plugin-development.md	Building a custom release-it plugin from scratch, Plugin class API reference
troubleshooting.md	Debugging release failures, auth errors, CI issues, common error messages

Config Formats Overview

release-it supports 6 config file formats. Pick one:

Format	File	Notes
JSON	.release-it.json	Most common. Supports $schema for IDE autocomplete
TypeScript	.release-it.ts	Type hints via satisfies Config
JS/CJS	.release-it.js / .release-it.cjs	Dynamic config, functions for releaseNotes
YAML	.release-it.yaml / .release-it.yml	Compact syntax
TOML	.release-it.toml	Table-based config
package.json	"release-it": {} property	Zero extra files

JSON schema: "$schema": "https://unpkg.com/release-it@20/schema/release-it.json"

Only override options that differ from defaults. See configuration.md for all defaults and the extends mechanism.

Common Workflows

Initial setup: initial-setup.md — analyzes project, proposes config, asks for decisions

Add changelog generation: plugins.md → conventional-changelog or keep-a-changelog section

CI/CD pipeline (GitHub Actions): cli-and-workflow.md → CI mode + npm-publishing.md → authentication

Pre-release (alpha/beta/rc): cli-and-workflow.md → pre-release workflow

Custom release steps: hooks-and-lifecycle.md → hook configuration

Monorepo: npm-publishing.md → monorepo section + plugins.md → workspaces/bumper

Something broke: troubleshooting.md

Build a plugin: custom-plugin-development.md

Key Concepts

• Increment types (UX order, most-used first): patch → minor → prepatch (alpha) → preminor (beta) → prerelease (rc counter) → major → premajor. semver bumps plus pre-release variants, ordered by typical usage frequency
• Dry-run (--dry-run): Shows what would execute without side effects. $ = read-only (runs), ! = write (skipped)
• CI mode (--ci): Non-interactive, auto-detected in CI environments. No prompts, uses spinners instead
• npm dist-tags: latest (default), next, beta, alpha -- controls what npm install resolves to
• Plugin lifecycle: init → getName → getLatestVersion → beforeBump → bump → beforeRelease → release → afterRelease
• Hooks: Shell commands run at lifecycle points (before:init, after:bump, after:release, etc.)
• Template variables: ${version}, ${latestVersion}, ${tagName}, ${changelog}, ${name} -- available in config strings
• Config precedence: CLI args > config file > extends base > built-in defaults