# Publishing a release

In this guide, we'll walk through publishing for our [newly merged](https://helpscout.gitbook.io/hsds-react/contributing/review) [custom `Strong` component](https://helpscout.gitbook.io/hsds-react/contributing/creating) to [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@helpscout/hsds-react).

## Log in

To publish to npm, you **must** have [maintainer access](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/owner) to the [@helpscout/hsds-react](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@helpscout/hsds-react) package.

## Publish!

Make sure you're on the latest `master` branch.

Install all the dependencies by running:

```
npm install
```

Once you're ready, run the following command:

```
npm run release
```

This will kick of HSDS's automated release scripts, powered by [np](https://github.com/sindresorhus/np).

![Release prompt by np](https://github.com/sindresorhus/np/raw/master/screenshot-ui.png)

Select what kind of release you would like to do:

* patch
* minor
* major

Our `Strong` component doesn't affect anything, and should be a non-breaking enhancement to the library. Let's select `patch` and hit `Enter`.

Once you do, `np` will:

* Run the linter
* Run all Jest tests
* Build/bundle `.js` files
* Build/bunlde `.css`/`.js` files
* Semver bump the `git` Tag
* Semver bump the `version` in `package.json`
* Publish to `npm`
* Push newest version to Github

(😻 `np` is amazing)

## Release notes

HSDS is very transparent with it's [release notes](https://github.com/helpscout/hsds-react/releases). `np` should have automatically created a new version on Github. Edit that version with the appropriate descriptions/screenshots.

You can follow that template to complete your release notes:

**Release Title** should be the release tag name

Title of the PR should start your release note, with a markdown H2 `## your PR title`.

Pro Tip: If your pull request description is thorough. You can just copy/paste it as the release notes 😎.

## High five

🙌 Yay! We did it. We walked throug the entire process of creating a component to publishing it on npm.

Thank you so much for sticking through this guide.

Hope you have a fantastic day ❤️!

## See also

* [npm](https://www.npmjs.com/)
* [@helpscout/hsds-react](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@helpscout/hsds-react)
* [np](https://github.com/sindresorhus/np)
* [Release notes](https://github.com/helpscout/hsds-react/releases)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://helpscout.gitbook.io/hsds-react/contributing/release.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.