Release Prep Skill

This skill automates release preparation for MassGen, generating CHANGELOG entries, announcement text, and validating documentation.

When to Use

Run this skill when preparing a new release:

• After merging the release PR to main

• Before creating the git tag

Usage

/release-prep v0.1.34

What This Skill Does

1. Gather Changes

Read commits and PRs since the last tag:

Get last tag

git describe --tags --abbrev=0

Get commits since last tag

git log v0.1.33..HEAD --oneline

Get merged PRs (if using GitHub)

gh pr list --base main --state merged --search "merged:>2024-01-01"

2. Archive Previous Announcement

If docs/announcements/current-release.md exists:

Extract version from current-release.md

VERSION=$(grep -m1 "^# MassGen v" docs/announcements/current-release.md | sed 's/# MassGen v([^ ])./\1/')

Archive it

mv docs/announcements/current-release.md docs/announcements/archive/v${VERSION}.md

3. Generate CHANGELOG Entry

Update the Recent Releases section at the top of CHANGELOG.md :

• Add the new release summary at the top

• Keep only the 3 newest releases in this section

• Remove older entries (they remain in the detailed changelog below)

Create a structured entry following Keep a Changelog format:

[0.1.34] - YYYY-MM-DD

Added

• Feature Name: Description
  • Implementation details

Changed

• Modified Feature: What changed

Fixed

• Bug #123: Description of fix

Documentations, Configurations and Resources

• Feature Guide: New docs/source/user_guide/feature.rst for feature usage
• Design Document: New docs/dev_notes/feature_design.md for implementation details
• Updated Docs: Updated docs/source/reference/cli.rst with new commands
• Skills: New massgen/skills/skill-name/SKILL.md for automation

Documentation section rules:

• Reference specific file paths (.rst , .md , .yaml files)

• Use "New" for newly added files, "Updated" for modified files

• Run git diff <last-tag>..HEAD --name-only -- ".md" ".rst" "*.yaml" to find changed docs

Categorization rules:

• feat: commits → Added

• fix: commits → Fixed

• docs: commits → Documentation

• refactor: , perf: commits → Changed

• Breaking changes → highlight with ⚠️

Contributors:

• Run git shortlog -sn <last-tag>..HEAD to find all contributors

• List contributors by commit count in the Technical Details section

4. Update Sphinx Documentation

Update docs/source/index.rst Recent Releases section:

Update Recent Releases section (keep latest 3 releases)

Add new release at top, remove oldest (v0.1.X-3)

Format:

Recent Releases

v0.1.44 (January 28, 2026) - Execute Mode for Independent Plan Selection

New Execute mode for cycling through Normal → Planning → Execute modes via Shift+Tab. Users can independently browse and select from existing plans with a plan selector popover. Context paths preserved between planning and execution phases. Enhanced case studies page with setup guides and quick start instructions.

v0.1.43 (January 26, 2026) - Tool Call Batching & Interactive Case Studies

...

v0.1.42 (January 23, 2026) - TUI Visual Redesign

...

Keep only the 3 most recent releases in this section. Older releases remain in the full changelog.

5. Update Configs Documentation

Update massgen/configs/README.md Release History section:

Release History & Examples

v0.1.44 - Latest

New Features: Execute Mode for Independent Plan Selection, Case Studies UX Enhancements

Key Features:

• Execute Mode Cycling: Navigate through Normal → Planning → Execute modes via Shift+Tab
• Plan Selector Popover: Browse and select from up to 10 recent plans with timestamps
• Context Path Preservation: Context paths automatically preserved between planning and execution
• Enhanced Case Studies: Setup guides and quick start instructions on case studies page

Example Usage:

# Use the TUI with plan mode cycling
massgen --config @examples/basic/multi/three_agents_default

# In the TUI:
# 1. Press Shift+Tab to enter Planning mode
# 2. Create a plan: "Create a Python web scraper for news articles"
# 3. Press Shift+Tab twice to enter Execute mode
# 4. Select your plan from the popover and press Enter to execute

### 6. Update README.md

#### 6.1 Latest Features Section

Update the "🆕 Latest Features" section:

```markdown
## 🆕 Latest Features (v0.1.44)

**🎉 Released: January 28, 2026**

**What's New in v0.1.44:**
- **🔄 Execute Mode** - Cycle through Normal → Planning → Execute modes via `Shift+Tab` to independently browse and execute existing plans
- **📋 Plan Selector** - Browse up to 10 recent plans with timestamps, view full task breakdowns, and execute with preserved context paths
- **📚 Enhanced Case Studies** - Interactive setup guides and quick start instructions on case studies page
- **⚡ TUI Performance** - Optimized timeline rendering with viewport-based scrolling for faster UI responsiveness
- **🔧 Plan Mode Fixes** - Fixed planning instruction injection bug in execute mode, improved tool tracking

**Try v0.1.44 Features:**
```bash
# Install or upgrade
pip install --upgrade massgen

# Experience Execute mode with plan cycling
uv run massgen --display textual

# In the TUI:
# 1. Press Shift+Tab to enter Planning mode
# 2. Create a plan: "Build a Python web scraper"
# 3. Press Shift+Tab twice to enter Execute mode
# 4. Select your plan and press Enter to execute

Also update the table of contents link from v0.1.43 → v0.1.44.

#### 6.2 Recent Achievements Section

Move the current "Recent Achievements" to "Previous Achievements" and add new release:

```markdown
### Recent Achievements (v0.1.44)

**🎉 Released: January 28, 2026**

#### Execute Mode for Independent Plan Selection
- **Mode Cycling**: Navigate through Normal → Planning → Execute modes via `Shift+Tab` or mode bar click
- **Plan Selector Popover**: Browse up to 10 recent plans with timestamps and original prompts
- **View Full Plan**: Modal displays complete task breakdown from selected plan
- **Empty Submission**: Press Enter to execute selected plan without additional input
- **Context Path Preservation**: Context paths (`@/path/to/file`) automatically restored from planning to execution phase

...

### Previous Achievements (v0.0.3 - v0.1.43)

✅ **Tool Call Batching & Interactive Case Studies (v0.1.43)**: Consecutive MCP tool calls grouped into collapsible tree views...

Also update roadmap TOC links:

- [Recent Achievements (v0.1.43)]
 → [Recent Achievements (v0.1.44)]

- [Previous Achievements (v0.0.3 - v0.1.42)]
 → [Previous Achievements (v0.0.3 - v0.1.43)]

- [v0.1.44 Roadmap]
 → [v0.1.45 Roadmap]

Update the roadmap section at bottom to reference next version (v0.1.45).

7. Update ROADMAP.md

Update the main roadmap file:

7.1 Version and Date

**Current Version:** v0.1.44

**Last Updated:** January 28, 2026

7.2 Release Table

Shift all releases down and add new next release:

| Release | Target | Feature | Owner | Use Case |
|---------|--------|---------|-------|----------|
| **v0.1.45** | 01/30/26 | Improve Subagent Display in TUI | @ncrispino | Stream and view subagents with full timeline in TUI ([#821](...)) |
| **v0.1.46** | 02/02/26 | Next feature | @owner | Use case |

7.3 Add Completed Section

Add the just-released version as COMPLETED:

## ✅ v0.1.44 - Execute Mode & Case Studies Enhancement (COMPLETED)

**Released: January 28, 2026**

### Features

- **Execute Mode**: Independent mode for browsing and executing existing plans ([#819](...))
  - Cycle through Normal → Planning → Execute modes via `Shift+Tab`
  - Plan selector popover shows up to 10 recent plans with timestamps
  - "View Full Plan" button opens modal with all tasks
  - Empty submission executes selected plan
  - Context paths preserved from planning to execution phase

...

### Bug Fixes
- Fixed planning instruction injection during execute mode
- Improved tool call spacing in TUI
- Enhanced timeline performance with viewport optimization

7.4 Update Next Release Section

Change the header for the upcoming release:

## 📋 v0.1.45 - Improve Subagent Display in TUI

### Features

**1. Subagent TUI Streaming** (@ncrispino)
- Issue: [#821](...)
- Stream and display subagents almost identically to main process in TUI
...

8. Create Next Release Roadmap

Create ROADMAP_v0.1.X+1.md
 with detailed milestones:

# MassGen v0.1.45 Roadmap

## Overview

Version 0.1.45 focuses on [MAIN THEME].

- **Feature 1** (Required): Description
- **Feature 2** (Required): Description

## Key Technical Priorities

1. **Feature 1**: Details
   **Use Case**: Why this matters

2. **Feature 2**: Details
   **Use Case**: Why this matters

## Key Milestones

### Milestone 1: [Feature Name] (REQUIRED)

**Goal**: What we're building

**Owner**: @username (discord)

**Issue**: [#XXX](...)

#### 1.1 Research & Design
- [ ] Task 1
- [ ] Task 2

#### 1.2 Implementation
- [ ] Task 1
- [ ] Task 2

...

**Success Criteria**:
- Criteria 1
- Criteria 2

Look at the GitHub issues, especially those tagged with the next milestone, to populate the roadmap.

9. Build Sphinx Documentation

Build and verify the Sphinx docs:

cd docs
make clean
make html

Check for:

- ❌ No build errors

- ❌ No broken links

- ⚠️ Minimal warnings (document unavoidable ones)

- ✅ New content renders correctly

Optional: Run link checker:

cd docs
make linkcheck

10. Write Release Notes

Create RELEASE_NOTES_v0.1.X.md
 following the established format from previous releases.

Format reference: Check the previous release on GitHub:

gh release view v0.1.43

Template structure:

# 🚀 Release Highlights — v0.1.X (YYYY-MM-DD)

### 🎯 [Feature Name](https://docs.massgen.ai/en/latest/path/to/docs.html)
- **Bullet Point**: Description
- **Bullet Point**: Description

### 📚 [Another Feature](https://docs.massgen.ai/en/latest/path/to/docs.html)
- **Bullet Point**: Description

### 🔧 Bug Fixes
- **Fix Description**: What was fixed

---

### 📖 Getting Started
- [**Quick Start Guide**](https://github.com/massgen/MassGen?tab=readme-ov-file#1--installation): Try the new features today
- **Try Feature Name**:

```bash
# Example command showing the new feature
uv run massgen [example command]

What's Changed

- PR title by @author in PR_URL

- PR title by @author in PR_URL

Full Changelog: https://github.com/massgen/MassGen/compare/v0.1.X-1...v0.1.X

**Get PRs for What's Changed:**
```bash
gh pr list --base dev/v0.1.X --state merged --json number,title,url,author \
  | jq -r '.[] | "* \(.title) by @\(.author.login) in \(.url)"'

Important:

- Use emoji section headers (🚀 🔄 📚 ⚡ 🔧 📖)

- Link feature names to relevant docs (verify links are accurate!)

- Include practical example commands

- List all merged PRs in "What's Changed"

- Add "Full Changelog" comparison link

11. Generate Announcement

Create docs/announcements/current-release.md
:

# MassGen vX.X.X Release Announcement

## Release Summary

We're excited to release MassGen vX.X.X, adding [MAIN FEATURE]! 🚀

[2-3 sentences describing the key changes]

## Install

\`\`\`bash
pip install massgen==X.X.X
\`\`\`

## Links

- **Release notes:** https://github.com/massgen/MassGen/releases/tag/vX.X.X
- **X post:** [TO BE ADDED AFTER POSTING]
- **LinkedIn post:** [TO BE ADDED AFTER POSTING]

12. Validate Documentation

Check that required documentation exists:

# Check for user guide updates (if new features)
ls docs/source/user_guide/

# Check capabilities.py updated (if new models)
git diff v0.1.33..HEAD -- massgen/backend/capabilities.py

# Check token_manager.py (if pricing changes)
git diff v0.1.33..HEAD -- massgen/token_manager/token_manager.py

# Check for case study
ls docs/source/examples/case_studies/

13. Character Count Check

Verify announcement fits LinkedIn's ~3000 char limit:

# Count characters
cat docs/announcements/current-release.md docs/announcements/feature-highlights.md | wc -m

# Should be < 3000

14. Suggest Screenshot/Media

Based on the changes in this release, suggest what screenshot or GIF to capture:

Feature-to-Screenshot Mapping:

Change Type
Screenshot Suggestion

New backend/model support
Terminal showing agent using new model with successful response

Multi-agent coordination
Multiple agents working in parallel with colored output

Voting/consensus
Voting phase with agent decisions and final selection

MCP tools
Tool execution with visible results (file ops, search, etc.)

Context compression
Log output showing compression stats and message counts

Memory/persistence
Agent recalling context from previous session

Web UI changes
Dashboard with agent activity or new UI feature

Cost tracking
Summary showing token usage and costs per agent

Error handling
Agent gracefully recovering from failure

Performance improvements
Before/after timing or throughput comparison

New config options
YAML config snippet with new options highlighted

Analysis approach:

- Look at the main features from commits

- Identify the most visually compelling change

- Suggest specific command to run that demonstrates the feature

- Note if a GIF (via VHS) would be better than a static screenshot

Example output:

### 📸 Suggested Screenshot for v0.1.34

Based on this release's changes, recommend capturing:

**Primary:** GPT-5 model support
- Run: `massgen --config massgen/configs/providers/openai/gpt5_demo.yaml "Explain quantum computing"`
- Capture: Terminal showing GPT-5 model name in agent output with response

**Alternative:** Context compression improvements
- Run: `massgen --automation --config [long-context-config] "question" | grep compression`
- Capture: Log output showing reduced token counts

**Media type:** Static screenshot is fine (no complex animation needed)

15. Output Summary

Print a checklist:

## Release Prep Summary for v0.1.34

✅ Archived previous announcement → archive/v0.1.33.md
✅ Updated CHANGELOG.md with v0.1.34 entry
✅ Updated docs/source/index.rst Recent Releases
✅ Updated massgen/configs/README.md Release History
✅ Updated README.md Latest Features section
✅ Updated README.md Recent Achievements section
✅ Updated ROADMAP.md (current version, release table, completed section)
✅ Created ROADMAP_v0.1.35.md for next release
✅ Built Sphinx documentation successfully
✅ Created current-release.md
✅ Character count: 2847/3000

### Manual Steps Remaining:
1. Review all updated files for accuracy
2. Capture suggested screenshot (see below)
3. Stage and commit changes
4. Push and create PR to main
5. After merge: Create tag (git tag v0.1.34 && git push origin v0.1.34)
6. Publish GitHub Release (triggers PyPI publish)
7. Post to LinkedIn/X with screenshot, update links in current-release.md

### 📸 Screenshot Suggestion:
[Feature-specific suggestion based on changes]

### Validation Warnings:
⚠️ No case study found for this release
⚠️ capabilities.py was modified - verify docs updated
⚠️ README_PYPI.md will auto-sync via pre-commit hook

Reference Files

Documentation Files

- CHANGELOG: CHANGELOG.md
 - Complete release history

- Sphinx docs homepage: docs/source/index.rst
 - Recent Releases section

- Configs README: massgen/configs/README.md
 - Release History & Examples

- Main README: README.md
 - Latest Features and Recent Achievements

- Main Roadmap: ROADMAP.md
 - Current version, release table, completed releases

- Next Release Roadmap: ROADMAP_v0.1.X+1.md
 - Detailed milestones for next version

Announcement Files

- Announcement directory: docs/announcements/

- Current release: docs/announcements/current-release.md

- Feature highlights: docs/announcements/feature-highlights.md

- Archive: docs/announcements/archive/
 - Past releases

Process Documentation

- Release checklist: docs/dev_notes/release_checklist.md
 - Complete step-by-step guide

- README sync: README_PYPI.md
 - Auto-synced via pre-commit hook

Tips

- Run this skill on the release branch (e.g., dev/v0.1.44
) before creating the PR

- Always review all generated content for accuracy before committing

- Update feature-highlights.md
 if this release adds major new capabilities

- After posting to social media, update the links in current-release.md

- README_PYPI.md syncs automatically via pre-commit hook - just commit README.md changes

- Keep Recent Releases sections to 3 entries max (Sphinx docs, CHANGELOG top section)

- Use GitHub issue numbers in roadmap updates for traceability

- Build Sphinx docs (cd docs && make html
) to catch formatting issues early