release-it

release-it is a command‑line tool that automates version bumping, Git operations, changelog generation, and publishing for software projects. It can update version fields in files such as package.json, create a commit, tag, and push to a remote repository, and optionally create releases on GitHub or GitLab. The tool also supports publishing packages to npm and managing pre‑releases, with a plugin system that extends its capabilities to other file formats or versioning schemes.

The workflow can run interactively, prompting the user for the new version and confirming each step, or in non‑interactive mode for use in CI/CD pipelines where it proceeds automatically. Hooks allow arbitrary commands—such as tests or build scripts—to be executed before or after any release task, and configuration can be provided via a JSON file or a package‑manifest property.

release-it is distributed as a Node.js package, installable per‑project or globally, and can also be run from a container image to avoid local environment dependencies. Its default settings cover common release scenarios, while extensive options let developers tailor the process to their specific workflow.