THE GITHTML FIELD GUIDE
Manual release readiness checklist template with accountable gates
A release readiness checklist should connect each gate to an owner and observable evidence. Confirm the intended revision, required verification, compatibility work, communication, and recovery prerequisites before an authorized release. Keep readiness review distinct from deployment execution, and do not treat a checked box as proof when its evidence is missing.
Identify exactly what is being released
Record the repository revision, artifact identity, environment, planned change, and accountable release owner. An illustrative checklist for an internal reporting service should not merely say latest build; it should reference the artifact the team intends to use. Confirm that documentation and migration notes describe that same change. List dependencies on other teams or external services and name the person who verifies those prerequisites. A mismatch between the reviewed code and the released artifact can undermine an otherwise careful review, so put identity checks near the top.
Require evidence for each readiness gate
For each item, use status, owner, evidence, and exception decision. Illustrative gates might include a representative regression check, confirmation that old clients remain supported, review of a data migration, and a tested recovery prerequisite. Google's release-canary guidance provides background for controlled rollout decisions, but the checklist must not invent universal success thresholds. State which checks are manual and how their results are recorded. This is a human-run process; it does not require or recommend a repository automation service.
- Identity: verify the exact revision and artifact against the review.
- Compatibility: confirm affected clients, data, and operational dependencies.
- Recovery: name the restoration limits and the person authorized to act.
Plan verification after the decision
Readiness is not the same as successful operation. Define the observations that an authorized operator will examine after release and the conditions that require escalation. Record who communicates the result and where the release record lives. If a prerequisite fails, mark the release blocked rather than leaving an ambiguous unchecked item. Keep completed checklists as dated records instead of recycling one page without history. An HTML copy can make the decision readable on a phone, but it should never be presented as a deployment control or as permission to change production.
Sources and further reading
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