To perform a release of FAIR Connect, you need the following:
writeor higher permissions on the FAIR Connect repositorymaintainor higher permissions on the TSC repository (this is required to post a Discussion in the Announcements category per step 7.3.)
Before starting the release process, ensure that the milestone for the upcoming release is finalized and clear.
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Go to the FAIR Connect Milestones page.
You can also access this from the repository’s main page by clicking Issues or Pull requests, then Milestones.
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Open the milestone corresponding to the version being released.
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Review all issues and pull requests assigned to the milestone.
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Confirm that:
- All intended changes for the release have been merged, and
- No open issues or pull requests remain in the milestone.
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For any open or deferred issues or pull requests:
- Move them to the next milestone, or
- Remove the milestone if they are no longer planned for release.
Once the milestone contains no open issues or pull requests, the release is ready to proceed.
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Go to the FAIR Connect repository.
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Click the Actions tab.
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In the Actions workflow list, select Bump version for release.
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Click the Run workflow button. A workflow input panel opens.
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Complete the following fields:
- Use workflow from: Select Branch: main (default).
- New version being released: Enter the release version number (e.g.,
1.0.0). FAIR Connect uses semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH).
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Click the Run workflow button to start the release process.
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Refresh the page to view workflow progress.
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Click the running workflow to open the logs.
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When the workflow finishes, it creates a pull request containing the version-bump changes.
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Go to the Pull requests tab.
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Open the version-bump pull request created by the release workflow.
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Review the changes:
- Update of the version number in
plugin.php - Update the
VERSIONconstant inplugin.php
- Update of the version number in
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Confirm that the changes are correct.
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After review and approval, merge the PR to the
mainbranch. -
Go to the Actions tab to verify that workflow processing is complete.
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Continue to the next step once all workflows finish.
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From the repository’s main page, click the Releases link — or go directly to the Releases page.
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Click the Draft a new release button.
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In the Select tag field:
- Select the tag that matches the version you just bumped to (e.g.,
1.2.0). - Create a new tag if it does not appear in the dropdown.
- Select the tag that matches the version you just bumped to (e.g.,
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In the Release title field, enter a title for the release (e.g.,
1.2.0). -
Under Release notes:
- Leave Previous tag set to
Auto. - Click Generate release notes.
- Review and edit the generated notes as needed.
- Click the Save draft button.
- Leave Previous tag set to
Tip
You can add additional information directly in the Describe this release field. If a teammate is preparing a release post for FAIR.pm, coordinate with them to include any relevant details.
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In a new browser tab, open
CHANGELOG.md. -
Click the pencil icon to edit the file directly in the browser.
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Copy the release notes into
CHANGELOG.mdunder the new version heading and date (e.g.,1.2.0 / 2025-12-11). -
Click the Commit changes button. In the panel that opens:
- Select Create a new branch for this commit and start a pull request.
- Enter a branch name or use the default (e.g.,
update-changelog-1.2.0). - Click the Sign off and propose changes button.
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Create a pull request for the updated
CHANGELOG.mdfile. -
Review, approve, and merge the pull request.
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Return to the Draft Release page.
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Check Set as the latest release.
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Check Create a discussion for this release and choose the Announcements category.
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In a new browser tab, go to the repository’s Actions tab and confirm all workflows have completed.
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Return to the Draft Release page and click Publish release. This initiates the remaining release workflows.
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Verify the release:
- Visit the Releases page to confirm latest release.
- Check any site using FAIR Connect to ensure the new version is available.
- Verify the updated version number in the API response. (Example URL to check: https://api.fair.pm/git-updater/v1/update-api/?slug=fair-plugin)