diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2442619
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+name: Release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+
+concurrency: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+
+jobs:
+  release:
+    name: Version & Publish
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: write # push the version-bump commit
+      id-token: write # OIDC trusted publishing to npm (no token secret)
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: 20
+          registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org
+
+      # Trusted publishing over OIDC needs npm >= 11.5.1; Node 20 ships an older npm.
+      - run: npm install -g npm@latest
+
+      - run: yarn install --frozen-lockfile
+
+      - name: Check for changesets
+        id: changesets
+        run: |
+          COUNT=$(find .changeset -name '*.md' ! -name 'README.md' | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
+          echo "count=$COUNT" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          if [ "$COUNT" != "0" ]; then
+            echo "Found $COUNT changeset(s) — will version and publish."
+          else
+            echo "No changesets found — skipping."
+          fi
+
+      # Consume changesets: bump version, write CHANGELOG, remove changeset files.
+      - name: Version packages
+        if: steps.changesets.outputs.count != '0'
+        run: |
+          yarn changeset version
+          git config user.name "github-actions[bot]"
+          git config user.email "github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          git add .
+          git commit -m "chore: version packages [skip ci]"
+          git push
+
+      # Publish with the bumped version. No NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: npm exchanges the
+      # OIDC id-token for a short-lived credential. Requires a trusted publisher
+      # configured for this package on npmjs.com (repo + workflow file name).
+      - name: Build & Publish
+        if: steps.changesets.outputs.count != '0'
+        run: |
+          yarn build
+          yarn changeset publish
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 221a8c8..0dbdc4e 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -3,28 +3,50 @@
 ### Setup
 
 ```bash
-npm install
-npm run build        # Builds both library and CLI
+yarn install
+yarn build           # Builds both library and CLI
 ```
 
+Use **yarn**, not npm. The committed lockfile is `yarn.lock` and CI runs
+`yarn install --frozen-lockfile`; installing with npm drifts the lockfile and
+breaks the build.
+
 ### Build commands
 
 ```bash
-npm run build          # Full build (library + CLI)
-npm run build:lib      # Library only
-npm run build:cli      # CLI only
+yarn build             # Full build (library + CLI)
+yarn build:lib         # Library only
+yarn build:cli         # CLI only
 ```
 
 ### Publishing a new version
 
-Publishing is **manual** via `npm`. From `main` with a clean working tree:
+Releases are automated. On merge to `main`, the Release workflow
+(`.github/workflows/release.yml`) consumes any pending changesets, bumps the
+version, updates the changelog, and publishes to npm over OIDC. No npm token is
+involved — the repository publishes itself via a trusted publisher.
+
+To cut a release:
+
+1. In your PR, add a changeset and pick the bump level (patch / minor / major):
+
+   ```bash
+   yarn changeset
+   ```
+
+   This writes a file under `.changeset/`. Choosing the bump level is the manual
+   part of the release; anyone can do it in a PR without a token.
+
+2. Merge to `main`. The workflow versions and publishes the new release.
+
+#### Manual publish (break-glass only)
+
+Only if CI is unavailable. This needs an npm token and a clean changeset state
+(no pending `.changeset/*.md`, or the next merge double-bumps). From `main` with
+a clean tree:
 
 ```bash
-npm version patch --no-git-tag-version   # bump package.json (default to a patch)
-npm publish                              # prepublishOnly runs the full build first
-git commit -am "chore(release): @thatopen/services <version>"
-git push
+yarn changeset version                 # bump package.json + changelog
+yarn build && yarn changeset publish   # prepublishOnly runs the full build
+git commit -am "chore(release): @thatopen/services <version>" && git push
 ```
-
-Keep semver in mind, but default to a **patch** unless a maintainer explicitly
-calls for a minor or major.