release-production

Automating a production release workflow is done by running pre-flight checks, generating a structured changelog, and safely merging the master branch into published. This ensures the repository is clean, changes are documented, and the merge is ready for deployment.

A master to published branch merge transfers finalized changes from the master branch to the published branch for deployment. You need this when preparing a production release to ensure your published branch contains all tested commits and merged PRs.

Pre-flight checks for a production merge require a clean working tree, up-to-date master and published branches, and documented changes. These validations prevent unsafe merges by ensuring the repository state is fully synchronized and release-ready.

Generating a changelog from merged GitHub pull requests is supported by summarizing commits and merged PRs into a structured changelog entry. This creates a documented record of changes automatically as part of the release workflow preparation.

A clean working tree is required before starting an automated production release. The workflow enforces pre-flight checks that validate the working tree is clean and branches are up to date to ensure a safe and consistent merge.

A production merge fails when Git branches are not up to date because the workflow enforces pre-flight checks for branch synchronization. It prevents unsafe merges by requiring both master and published branches to be fully updated before proceeding.