Release checklist

Shipping a new version is the riskiest moment of the whole cycle: if something is forgotten, the bug goes straight to users. Teams that deploy calmly do not rely on memory, they rely on a fixed list they run the same way every release, whether they are tired or in a hurry.

This template gathers the checks that cannot be missed before, during and after shipping, from freezing the branch to watching errors in the first hour in production. It is not meant to be long, it is meant to make sure no important check depends on someone remembering it in the heat of the moment.

The release steps

These are the points the template includes, in the order worth following:

• Freeze the release branch so no last minute changes slip in
• Bump the version number
• Run the full test suite and wait for it to pass green
• Review the environment variables of the target environment
• Prepare the database migration and its rollback
• Write the release notes
• Notify the support team of what changes
• Back up before the deploy
• Deploy to staging first and validate there
• Verify in production right after shipping
• Watch errors during the first hour

How it works in Foco

When you import it, Foco creates the "Release" workspace with these tasks in the List view, grouped by date so you see what is due today and what lies ahead. You tick off each point as you go and, if a step repeats every version, you set it to recur so next time it shows up on its own.

You can assign the backup or the migration to the person in charge, set yourself a reminder a few minutes before the deploy and attach any last minute note by voice without leaving the task.