Detects and prevents manual edits to release-please managed files (CHANGELOG.md, version fields in package.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml). Provides conventional commit templates. Use when editing changelogs, version bumps, release files, or when user mentions "release", "changelog", "version bump", or "conventional commits".
/plugin marketplace add laurigates/claude-plugins/plugin install git-plugin@lgates-claude-pluginsThis skill inherits all available tools. When active, it can use any tool Claude has access to.
patterns.mdworkflow.mdAutomatically detects and prevents manual edits to release-please managed files across all projects.
This skill provides proactive detection and warnings for files managed by Google's release-please automation tool. It helps prevent merge conflicts and workflow disruptions by identifying problematic edit attempts before they occur.
The skill automatically activates in these scenarios:
These files are completely blocked from editing by Claude Code's permission system:
**/CHANGELOG.md - All changelog files in any locationOperations blocked: Edit, Write, MultiEdit Operations allowed: Read (for analysis and context)
These files trigger warnings and suggestions before edits:
package.json → "version": "x.y.z" (npm/Node.js)pyproject.toml → version = "x.y.z" (Python/uv)Cargo.toml → version = "x.y.z" (Rust/cargo).claude-plugin/plugin.json → "version": "x.y.z" (Claude Code plugins)pom.xml → <version>x.y.z</version> (Maven/Java)build.gradle → version = 'x.y.z' (Gradle)pubspec.yaml → version: x.y.z (Dart/Flutter)Why soft protection? Claude Code's permission system operates at the file level, not field level. Blocking entire manifest files would prevent legitimate dependency updates via automated tools (npm, cargo, uv, etc.).
Before attempting any edit, the skill checks:
if file_path ends with "CHANGELOG.md":
→ Inform user of hard permission block
→ Explain release-please workflow
→ Suggest conventional commit approach
if file is package manifest AND edit touches version field:
→ Warn about release-please management
→ Explain why manual edits cause conflicts
→ Offer to edit OTHER fields (but not version)
→ Provide conventional commit template
if user request contains keywords: "version", "release", "bump", "changelog":
→ Proactively explain release-please workflow
→ Check if files in scope are protected
→ Suggest proper approach before attempting edits
⚠️ CHANGELOG.md Protection Active
I cannot edit CHANGELOG.md files - they're protected by Claude Code's permission
system because they're managed by release-please automation.
**Why this matters:**
Manual edits to CHANGELOG.md cause merge conflicts with automated release PRs,
breaking your release workflow.
**Proper workflow:**
1. Make your changes with conventional commit messages:
- feat: adds new features (minor version bump)
- fix: bug fixes (patch version bump)
- chore: maintenance tasks (no version bump)
- BREAKING CHANGE: breaking changes (major version bump)
2. Release-please automatically:
- Detects conventional commits
- Generates CHANGELOG entries
- Creates a release PR with version bumps
- Tags releases when PR is merged
**Example commit:**
feat(auth): add OAuth2 support
Implements OAuth2 authentication flow with PKCE. Includes refresh token rotation and session management.
**Need to override?**
For emergency fixes, temporarily edit ~/.claude/settings.json:
1. Comment out the CHANGELOG.md deny rules
2. Make your edits
3. Re-enable protection
⚠️ Version Field Protection Warning
I notice you're asking me to modify the version field in [file_name]. This field
is typically managed by release-please automation.
**Current version:** [current_version]
**Requested change:** [requested_change]
**Why manual edits are problematic:**
- Creates merge conflicts with release-please PRs
- Can cause version numbering inconsistencies
- Bypasses conventional commit history tracking
**I can help in two ways:**
1. **Automated approach (recommended):**
I'll help you craft a conventional commit message that will trigger the
appropriate version bump when release-please creates its next release PR.
For [requested_change], you should use:
- `feat:` for minor version bump
- `fix:` for patch version bump
- `feat!:` or `BREAKING CHANGE:` for major version bump
2. **Manual override (emergency only):**
If you absolutely need to manually set the version (e.g., aligning with
external requirements), I can edit other fields in [file_name] but will
skip the version field. You'll need to edit that manually or temporarily
disable the skill protection.
Which approach would you prefer?
📋 Release-Please Files Detected
I've identified several release-please managed files in the scope of this
refactoring:
**Protected files found:**
- plugins/dotfiles-core/CHANGELOG.md (hard block)
- plugins/dotfiles-toolkit/.claude-plugin/plugin.json (version field)
- [other files...]
**My approach:**
✅ I'll refactor all other files as requested
⚠️ I'll skip protected files and explain why
📝 I'll provide a summary of skipped changes
**If you need version/changelog updates:**
I'll generate appropriate conventional commit messages that will trigger
release-please to make those changes automatically.
Should I proceed with this approach?
The skill provides instant conventional commit templates based on the type of change:
feat(scope): brief description
Detailed explanation of what was added and why.
Can be multiple paragraphs.
Refs: #issue-number
fix(scope): brief description
Explanation of the bug and how it was fixed.
Fixes: #issue-number
feat(scope)!: brief description
BREAKING CHANGE: Explanation of what breaks and migration path.
Details about the new behavior.
Refs: #issue-number
chore(scope): brief description
Maintenance work that doesn't affect functionality.
Examples: dependency updates, refactoring, docs.
This skill works alongside:
Located in dot_claude/skills/release-please-protection/ (source) which becomes ~/.claude/skills/release-please-protection/ after chezmoi apply:
SKILL.md - This file (skill definition)patterns.md - Protected file pattern referenceworkflow.md - Detailed release-please workflow guidesed, awk, or direct bash editsgit commit with modified protected filesIf you absolutely must manually edit protected files:
# 1. Edit global settings
vim ~/.claude/settings.json
# 2. Comment out deny rules
"deny": [
"Bash(git add .)",
"Bash(git add -A)",
"Bash(git add --all)",
// "Edit(**/CHANGELOG.md)",
// "Write(**/CHANGELOG.md)",
// "MultiEdit(**/CHANGELOG.md)"
]
# 3. Make your edits
# 4. Re-enable protection (uncomment the lines)
# 5. Verify with chezmoi
chezmoi diff ~/.claude/settings.json
chezmoi apply # If template is out of sync
# Temporarily disable skill
mv .claude/skills/release-please-protection .claude/skills/release-please-protection.disabled
# Make edits
# Re-enable
mv .claude/skills/release-please-protection.disabled .claude/skills/release-please-protection
This skill is working properly when:
✅ All CHANGELOG.md edit attempts are blocked with helpful explanations ✅ Version field modifications trigger warnings and alternatives ✅ Conventional commit suggestions match the requested changes ✅ Users understand the release-please workflow after first warning ✅ No merge conflicts occur with automated release PRs ✅ Version numbers follow semantic versioning consistently
patterns.md for complete list of protected file patternsworkflow.md for detailed release-please workflow documentationThis skill should be used when the user asks about libraries, frameworks, API references, or needs code examples. Activates for setup questions, code generation involving libraries, or mentions of specific frameworks like React, Vue, Next.js, Prisma, Supabase, etc.
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