Version Bump & Release Workflow
IMPORTANT: Plan and write detailed release notes before starting.
CRITICAL: Commit EVERYTHING (including build artifacts). At the end of this workflow, NOTHING should be left uncommitted or unpushed. Run git status at the end to verify.
Preparation
- Analyze: Determine if the change is PATCH (bug fixes), MINOR (features), or MAJOR (breaking).
- Environment: Identify repository owner/name from
git remote -v. - Paths — every file that carries the version string: Verify coverage before editing:
git grep -l "\"version\": \"<OLD>\""should list all seven. If a new manifest has been added since this doc was last updated, update this list.
- package.json — the npm/npx-published version (npx claude-mem@X.Y.Z resolves from this) - plugin/package.json — bundled plugin runtime deps - .claude-plugin/marketplace.json — version inside plugins[0].version - .claude-plugin/plugin.json — top-level Claude-plugin manifest - plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json — bundled Claude-plugin manifest - .codex-plugin/plugin.json — Codex-plugin manifest - openclaw/openclaw.plugin.json — OpenClaw plugin manifest
Workflow
- Update: Increment the version string in every path above. Do NOT touch
CHANGELOG.md— it's regenerated. - Verify:
git grep -n "\"version\": \"<NEW>\""— confirm all seven files match.git grep -n "\"version\": \"<OLD>\""— should return zero hits. - Build:
npm run buildto regenerate artifacts. - Commit:
git add -A && git commit -m "chore: bump version to X.Y.Z". - Tag:
git tag -a vX.Y.Z -m "Version X.Y.Z". - Push:
git push origin main && git push origin vX.Y.Z. - Publish to npm (this is what makes
npx claude-mem@X.Y.Zwork):npm publishTheprepublishOnlyscript re-runsnpm run buildautomatically. Confirm publish succeeded:npm view claude-mem@X.Y.Z version # should print X.Y.ZAlternative:npm run release:patch/release:minor/release:majorinvokesnpand handles tag+push+publish in one shot — use ONLY if you skipped steps 4–6, otherwisenpwill error on the existing tag. - GitHub release:
gh release create vX.Y.Z --title "vX.Y.Z" --notes "RELEASE_NOTES". - Changelog: Regenerate via the project's changelog script:
npm run changelog:generate(Runsnode scripts/generate-changelog.js, which pulls releases from the GitHub API and rewritesCHANGELOG.md.) - Sync changelog: Commit and push the updated
CHANGELOG.md. - Notify:
npm run discord:notify vX.Y.Zif applicable. - Finalize:
git status— working tree must be clean.
Checklist
- All seven config files have matching versions
git grepfor old version returns zero hitsnpm run buildsucceeded- Git tag created and pushed
npm publishsucceeded andnpm view claude-mem@X.Y.Z versionconfirms it (sonpx claude-mem@X.Y.Zresolves)- GitHub release created with notes
CHANGELOG.mdupdated and pushedgit statusshows clean tree