Installation

Get Relizy up and running in your project in seconds.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20.x or higher
• npm, pnpm, bun or yarn package manager
• Git initialized in your project

Install Relizy

Install Relizy as a development dependency:

pnpm

pnpm add -D relizy

npm

npm install -D relizy

yarn

yarn add -D relizy

bun

bun add -D relizy

Global Installation (Optional)

You can also install Relizy globally to use it across multiple projects:

pnpm

pnpm add -g relizy

npm

npm install -g relizy

yarn

yarn global add relizy

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For most projects, we recommend installing as a dev dependency rather than globally. This ensures everyone on your team uses the same version.

Verify Installation

Check that Relizy is installed correctly:

relizy --version

You should see the version number printed in the console.

Add to Package Scripts (Recommended)

Add Relizy commands to your package.json scripts for convenience:

{
  "scripts": {
    "release": "relizy release",
    "release:patch": "relizy release --patch",
    "release:minor": "relizy release --minor",
    "release:major": "relizy release --major"
  }
}

Now you can run releases with simple npm commands:

npm run release:patch

Monorepo Setup

For monorepos, install Relizy in your root package.json:

# In the root of your monorepo
pnpm add -D relizy

Relizy will automatically detect packages based on your workspace configuration:

pnpm-workspace.yaml

packages:
  - 'packages/*'

package.json

{
  "workspaces": [
    "packages/*"
  ]
}

Configuration File (Optional)

While Relizy works with zero configuration, you can create a config file for customization:

touch relizy.config.ts

// relizy.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from 'relizy'

export default defineConfig({
  monorepo: {
    versionMode: 'selective',
    packages: ['packages/*'],
  },
})

TIP

Configuration is completely optional. Start without a config file and add one only if you need custom behavior.

Environment Setup

NPM Publishing

To publish to npm, ensure you're logged in:

npm login

Or set an NPM token in your environment:

export RELIZY_NPM_TOKEN=your_token_here
# or export NPM_TOKEN=your_token_here
# or export NODE_AUTH_TOKEN=your_token_here

Or use .env file

RELIZY_NPM_TOKEN=your_token_here
# or NPM_TOKEN=your_token_here
# or NODE_AUTH_TOKEN=your_token_here

GitHub and GitLab Releases

Multiple ways to provide the token:

• Command line option (--token)
• Configuration file (see tokens section)
• Environment variables (checked in order):
  • GitHub: RELIZY_GITHUB_TOKEN, GITHUB_TOKEN, GH_TOKEN
  • GitLab: RELIZY_GITLAB_TOKEN, GITLAB_TOKEN, GITLAB_API_TOKEN, CI_JOB_TOKEN

CI/CD Integration

For GitHub releases, create a personal access token:

1. Go to GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens
2. Create a token with repo scope
3. Set the token in your environment:

export RELIZY_GITHUB_TOKEN=your_github_token

Or use .env file

RELIZY_GITHUB_TOKEN=your_github_token

GitLab Releases

For GitLab releases, create a project access token:

1. Go to your GitLab project → Settings → Access Tokens
2. Create a token with api scope
3. Set the token in your environment:

export RELIZY_GITLAB_TOKEN=your_gitlab_token

Or use .env file

RELIZY_GITLAB_TOKEN=your_gitlab_token

INFO

These environment variables are only needed if you want to publish packages or create provider releases. They're not required for basic version bumping and changelog generation.

AI-Enhanced Changelogs (Optional)

To use AI for polishing release notes and social media announcements, set an Anthropic API key:

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

Or use the RELIZY_ prefix:

export RELIZY_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."

If you use Claude Code's OAuth flow instead of an API key:

export CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN="..."
# or with RELIZY_ prefix:
export RELIZY_CLAUDE_CODE_OAUTH_TOKEN="..."

Install the optional Claude SDK peer dependency:

pnpm

pnpm add -D @yoloship/claude-sdk

npm

npm install -D @yoloship/claude-sdk

yarn

yarn add -D @yoloship/claude-sdk

The SDK spawns the claude CLI binary, which must be available on PATH. Install it with any of:

# npm (global)
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Homebrew (macOS)
brew install --cask claude-code

# Native installer
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

In CI (GitHub Actions, GitLab CI…), add a step to install the CLI before running Relizy:

- name: Install Claude Code CLI
  run: npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

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The AI feature is completely optional. If the SDK or the claude binary is missing, or no credential is set, Relizy works normally without AI enhancement.

Next Steps

Now that Relizy is installed, learn how to use it:

• Getting Started - Run your first release
• AI-Enhanced Changelogs - Polish release notes with AI
• CLI Commands - Learn about available commands
• Configuration - Customize Relizy's behavior