Quick Start

Set up Cngpac and ship your first release in under a minute.

Prerequisites

• Node.js >= 24
• A published npm package with a package.json
• A GitHub repository

1. Initialize

Run the init command from your project root:

npm

npx cngpac init

pnpm

pnpm dlx cngpac init

Bun

bun x cngpac init

Yarn

yarn dlx cngpac init

This creates two files:

File	Purpose
cngpac.config.ts	Release pipeline configuration
.github/workflows/version.yml	CI workflow triggered by prepare.json

The command auto-detects your GitHub repository from package.json and adapts the CI workflow to your package manager (npm, pnpm, yarn, or bun).

2. Add a Changenote

Make a code change, then describe it:

cngpac change

You'll be prompted for:

1. Bump type — patch, minor, or major
2. Title — a short description of the change

This creates a markdown file in .changenotes/ like:

.changenotes/brave-coral-fox.md

You can also skip the prompts by passing arguments directly:

cngpac change minor "feat: add dark mode"

tip

Edit the generated changenote to add a body if you want more detail in the changelog.

3. Commit

Stage your code changes and the changenote, then:

cngpac commit --push

This commits using the changenote title as the commit message and pushes to origin.

4. Prepare the Release

Once your PR is merged to main, prepare the release:

cngpac prepare release --push

This:

1. Reads all changenotes and calculates the next version
2. Logs the planned version bump (e.g., 1.0.0 → 1.1.0)
3. Writes .changenotes/prepare.json
4. Commits and pushes to trigger CI

5. CI Takes Over

The generated GitHub Actions workflow detects prepare.json on main and runs:

cngpac version --commit --tag --push --publish --release

Your package is now:

• ✅ Version-bumped in package.json
• ✅ Changelog generated and saved
• ✅ Tagged and pushed
• ✅ Published to npm
• ✅ Released on GitHub

What's Next?

• CLI Reference — Learn all available commands and options
• Configuration — Customize plugins, formatters, and changelog format