semantic-release-npm-github-publish

Opinionated semantic-release shareable configuration for npm and GitHub publishing.
One maintained preset for changelogs, npm releases, GitHub releases, and release commits.

---

Features

• standard semantic-release plugin chain for npm and GitHub publishing
• extra patch release rules for build, ci, chore, docs, refactor, style, and test
• curated changelog grouping, titles, and emojis via commit-transform.js and types.js
• repo-local stable and beta release channels without forcing branch policy on consumers
• CI coverage for config loading, release semantics, changelog transforms, docs index integrity, and package contents

Installation

Install semantic-release, this preset, and the peer plugins it expects:

npm install --save-dev \
  semantic-release \
  semantic-release-npm-github-publish \
  @semantic-release/changelog \
  @semantic-release/commit-analyzer \
  @semantic-release/git \
  @semantic-release/github \
  @semantic-release/npm \
  @semantic-release/release-notes-generator

Add a release script:

{
  "scripts": {
    "semantic-release": "semantic-release"
  }
}

Run npx semantic-release in your release workflow.

Quick Start

Example .releaserc.yaml:

branches:
  - main
extends: "semantic-release-npm-github-publish"
ci: false
dryRun: false
debug: false

If your repository releases from a different branch, set branches explicitly in your repo-local config.

Example migration from master:

branches:
  - master
extends: "semantic-release-npm-github-publish"
ci: false
dryRun: false
debug: false

Default Behavior

The exported config uses this plugin chain:

1. @semantic-release/commit-analyzer with custom releaseRules for additional patch-triggering commit types
2. @semantic-release/release-notes-generator
3. @semantic-release/changelog
4. @semantic-release/npm
5. @semantic-release/git commits package.json, package-lock.json, and CHANGELOG.md with release(version): Release ${nextRelease.version} [skip ci]
6. @semantic-release/github

Release semantics match standard Conventional Commits and SemVer:

• fix => patch
• feat => minor
• BREAKING CHANGE footer or ! => major
• build, ci, chore, docs, refactor, style, and test => patch in this preset

Compatibility

This preset is actively maintained against the current stable semantic-release major.

• tested with Node 22 and 24
• publish workflow runs on Node 24
• peer dependency ranges are pinned to currently supported plugin majors
• this repository validates a beta prerelease branch with a repo-only release config

When To Use This Preset

Use this package when you want:

• the exact plugin chain documented above
• extra patch releases for maintenance-only commit types
• the opinionated changelog formatting in this repository
• a maintained upgrade path for this preset over time

Use repo-local plugin composition when your team wants different plugins, different release rules, or full control over upgrade timing.

Repository Maintenance Notes

• Consumer-facing examples use main.
• Repository automation publishes stable releases from main and prereleases from beta.
• The shared preset does not hardcode release branches for consumers.
• Dependabot PRs can auto-refresh package-lock.json through the dedicated lockfile-fixer workflow.
• Dependabot npm patch updates can enable GitHub auto-merge after required checks pass.

System Requirements

• Node ^22.14.0 || >=24.10.0
• npm
• GitHub Actions or another CI system capable of providing GITHUB_TOKEN and NPM_TOKEN

Documentation

• GitHub Pages site
• Release channel notes
• Changelog

Project Status

Maintained. The package is intentionally small and follows the current stable semantic-release/plugin majors declared in package.json.

Security Notes

This package does not handle tokens directly, but release workflows that use it normally require npm and GitHub credentials. Keep release tokens in CI secrets and avoid printing release logs that include credentials.

Report vulnerabilities through the repository security advisory flow documented in SECURITY.md.

Support

Donations are intentionally not configured for this repository.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome. See CONTRIBUTING.md.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.

Author

Oleg Koval

npm · GitHub · Website