finish-release
Finalizes a release and merges it into main and develop with a tag using git-flow. This skill should be used when the user asks to "finish a release", "merge release branch", "complete release", "git flow release finish", or wants to finalize a release.
Best use case
finish-release is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Finalizes a release and merges it into main and develop with a tag using git-flow. This skill should be used when the user asks to "finish a release", "merge release branch", "complete release", "git flow release finish", or wants to finalize a release.
Teams using finish-release should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/finish-release/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How finish-release Compares
| Feature / Agent | finish-release | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Finalizes a release and merges it into main and develop with a tag using git-flow. This skill should be used when the user asks to "finish a release", "merge release branch", "complete release", "git flow release finish", or wants to finalize a release.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
## Workflow Execution
**Launch a general-purpose agent** that executes all 6 phases in a single task.
**Prompt template**:
```
Execute the finish-release workflow (6 phases).
## Pre-operation Checks
Verify working tree is clean and current branch matches `release/*` per `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/invariants.md`.
## Phase 1: Identify Version
**Goal**: Determine release version from current branch or argument.
1. If `$ARGUMENTS` provided, use it as version (strip 'v' prefix if present)
2. Otherwise, extract from current branch: `git branch --show-current` (strip `release/` prefix)
3. Store clean version without 'v' prefix (e.g., "1.0.0")
## Phase 2: Pre-finish Checks
**Goal**: Run tests before finishing.
1. Identify test commands (check package.json, Makefile, etc.)
2. Run tests if available; exit if tests fail
## Phase 3: Update Changelog
**Goal**: Generate changelog from commits.
1. Get previous tag: `git tag --sort=-v:refname | head -1`
2. Collect commits per `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/changelog-generation.md`
3. Update CHANGELOG.md per `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/examples/changelog.md`
4. Stage CHANGELOG.md: `git add CHANGELOG.md`
5. Determine the correct Claude model name for co-author attribution
- Valid models: Claude Sonnet 4.6, Claude Opus 4.6, Claude Haiku 4.5
6. Commit with git-agent: `git-agent commit --no-stage --intent "update changelog for v$VERSION" --co-author "Claude <Model> <Version> <noreply@anthropic.com>"`
7. On auth error (401), retry with `--free`
8. **Fallback** (git-agent unavailable): `git commit -m "chore: update changelog for v$VERSION"` with conventional format and `Co-Authored-By` footer
## Phase 4: Finish Release
**Goal**: Complete release using git-flow-next CLI.
1. Run `git flow release finish $VERSION --tagname "v$VERSION" -m "Release v$VERSION"`
2. Verify current branch: `git branch --show-current` (should be on develop)
3. Push all: `git push origin main develop --tags`
## Phase 5: GitHub Release
**Goal**: Create GitHub release from existing tag.
1. Extract changelog for this version from CHANGELOG.md
2. Run `gh release create "v$VERSION" --title "v$VERSION" --notes "<changelog>" --verify-tag`
## Phase 6: Finalize
**Goal**: Ensure working branch is develop.
1. Switch to develop: `git checkout develop`
2. Pull latest: `git pull origin develop`
3. Verify: `git branch --show-current` (should output "develop")
```
**Execute**: Launch a general-purpose agent using the prompt template aboveRelated Skills
start-release
Begins a new version release using git-flow. This skill should be used when the user asks to "start a release", "create release branch", "prepare a release", "git flow release start", or wants to begin a new version release.
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Finalizes a hotfix and merges it into main and develop using git-flow. This skill should be used when the user asks to "finish a hotfix", "merge hotfix branch", "complete hotfix", "git flow hotfix finish", or wants to finalize a hotfix.
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Provides a systematic debugging methodology with a 4-phase root cause analysis process. This skill should be used when the user reports a bug, error, test failure, or unexpected behavior, ensuring thorough investigation precedes any code changes.
need-vet
This skill should be used when the user invokes /need-vet to enable work verification for the current task. Claude must verify completion and append the verified tag before the session can end.
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build-like-iphone-team
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brainstorming
Structures collaborative dialogue to turn rough ideas into implementation-ready designs. This skill should be used when the user has a new idea, feature request, ambiguous requirement, or asks to "brainstorm a solution" before implementation begins.
behavior-driven-development
Applies behavior-driven development principles including Gherkin scenarios and test-driven development. This skill should be used when the user asks to implement features, fix bugs, or when writing executable specifications and tests before writing production code.