# Release Please — Automated Releases Based on Conventional Commits

> Release Please generates release pull requests and changelogs from Conventional Commit messages, automating semantic versioning and publishing for GitHub repositories.

## Install

Save as a script file and run:

# Release Please — Automated Releases Based on Conventional Commits

## Quick Use
```bash
# Install the CLI
npm install -g release-please

# Or use the GitHub Action (recommended)
# .github/workflows/release.yml
# - uses: googleapis/release-please-action@v4
#   with:
#     release-type: node

# Run manually against a repo
release-please release-pr --repo-url=owner/repo --token=$GITHUB_TOKEN
release-please github-release --repo-url=owner/repo --token=$GITHUB_TOKEN
```

## Introduction
Release Please reads your commit history, groups Conventional Commit messages by type, and opens a release PR that bumps the version and updates the CHANGELOG. When you merge the PR it creates a GitHub Release with the generated notes, removing manual versioning from your workflow.

## What Release Please Does
- Parses Conventional Commit messages (feat, fix, chore, etc.) since the last release
- Generates a CHANGELOG.md entry and bumps the version following semver rules
- Opens a release pull request that accumulates unreleased changes
- Creates a GitHub Release and git tag when the release PR is merged
- Supports monorepos with per-package versioning and linked releases

## Architecture Overview
Release Please runs as a Node.js CLI or GitHub Action. It reads the git log from the last release tag, classifies commits by Conventional Commit type, and determines the appropriate semver bump. A strategy plugin system handles language-specific version files (package.json, setup.py, pom.xml, Cargo.toml). The release PR is kept up to date on each push to the default branch.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Most teams use the `googleapis/release-please-action` GitHub Action with minimal YAML config
- `release-please-config.json` at the repo root defines release type, packages, and changelog sections
- `.release-please-manifest.json` tracks current versions for each package in a monorepo
- Supports 20+ release types: node, python, java, go, rust, ruby, helm, terraform-module, and more
- Custom changelog sections and commit grouping can be configured per repository

## Key Features
- Zero-touch versioning driven entirely by commit message conventions
- Monorepo support with independent or linked package releases
- Language-aware version bumping across package.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, and others
- Automatically generated CHANGELOG with grouped commit entries
- GitHub Release creation with release notes and tag management

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **semantic-release** — Similar commit-driven releases but publishes immediately on merge; less visibility into upcoming changes
- **Changesets** — Manual changeset files per PR; more explicit but requires developer discipline
- **GoReleaser** — Go-specific release automation with cross-compilation and artifact publishing
- **Standard Version** — Deprecated predecessor; Release Please is the recommended migration path
- **Lerna** — Monorepo tool with versioning support but broader scope and heavier configuration

## FAQ
**Q: Does Release Please require Conventional Commits?**
A: Yes. It relies on commit prefixes (feat:, fix:, etc.) to determine version bumps and generate changelog entries.

**Q: Can I use Release Please outside of GitHub?**
A: The CLI can run against any Git repository, but the automated PR and release flow is tightly integrated with GitHub.

**Q: How does monorepo support work?**
A: You define packages in release-please-config.json with their paths and release types. Each package gets its own version, PR section, and tag.

**Q: What happens if I push multiple features before merging the release PR?**
A: Release Please updates the same open PR, accumulating all changes and recalculating the version bump.

## Sources
- https://github.com/googleapis/release-please
- https://github.com/googleapis/release-please-action

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-2bb669cb
Author: Script Depot