diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bab4b7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+name: Release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - "v[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+*"
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  id-token: write
+
+concurrency:
+  group: release-${{ github.ref_name }}
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  publish:
+    name: Publish npm package and GitHub release
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    env:
+      NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v5
+
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v5
+        with:
+          node-version: 24
+          registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org
+          cache: npm
+
+      - name: Read package metadata
+        id: package
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          name="$(node -p "require('./package.json').name")"
+          version="$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")"
+          tag="${GITHUB_REF_NAME}"
+
+          if [ "$tag" != "v$version" ]; then
+            echo "Tag $tag does not match package version $version." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          {
+            echo "name=$name"
+            echo "version=$version"
+            echo "tag=$tag"
+          } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - run: npm ci
+      - run: npm test
+      - run: npm run build
+      - run: npm run lint
+      - run: npm run typecheck
+      - run: npm run format:check
+
+      - name: Create release tarball
+        id: pack
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p .release
+          npm pack --pack-destination .release
+          tarball="$(find .release -maxdepth 1 -name '*.tgz' -print -quit)"
+
+          if [ -z "$tarball" ]; then
+            echo "npm pack did not create a tarball." >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+          echo "tarball=$tarball" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Check npm version
+        id: npm
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          if npm view "${{ steps.package.outputs.name }}@${{ steps.package.outputs.version }}" version --registry=https://registry.npmjs.org >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "published=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          else
+            echo "published=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          fi
+
+      - name: Configure npm token fallback
+        if: ${{ env.NPM_TOKEN != '' }}
+        run: npm config set //registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken "$NPM_TOKEN"
+
+      - name: Publish to npm
+        if: steps.npm.outputs.published == 'false'
+        run: npm publish "${{ steps.pack.outputs.tarball }}" --access public --provenance
+
+      - name: Create or update GitHub release
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+        shell: bash
+        run: |
+          tag="${{ steps.package.outputs.tag }}"
+          tarball="${{ steps.pack.outputs.tarball }}"
+
+          if gh release view "$tag" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            gh release upload "$tag" "$tarball" --clobber
+          else
+            gh release create "$tag" "$tarball" \
+              --verify-tag \
+              --title "SpecGov $tag" \
+              --generate-notes
+          fi
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2734d98..b9c4441 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,3 +3,4 @@ coverage/
 .specgov.trace.json
 .specgov.report.json
 *.log
+*.tgz
diff --git a/.specgov.yml b/.specgov.yml
index a6cf9dd..5fa7bcf 100644
--- a/.specgov.yml
+++ b/.specgov.yml
@@ -2,10 +2,26 @@ version: 1
 mode: advisory
 
 artifacts:
+  - path: ".specgov.yml"
+    kind: configuration
+    owner: maintainers
+    status: active
   - path: "README.md"
     kind: documentation
     owner: maintainers
     status: active
+  - path: "CHANGELOG.md"
+    kind: documentation
+    owner: maintainers
+    status: active
+  - path: "CONTRIBUTING.md"
+    kind: documentation
+    owner: maintainers
+    status: active
+  - path: "RELEASING.md"
+    kind: documentation
+    owner: maintainers
+    status: active
   - path: "docs/**/*"
     kind: documentation
     owner: maintainers
@@ -32,6 +48,17 @@ mappings:
     specs:
       - ".specs/features/specgov-core/**"
       - "README.md"
+      - "RELEASING.md"
+  - code: "package.json"
+    specs:
+      - ".specs/project/**"
+      - "README.md"
+      - "RELEASING.md"
+  - code: "package-lock.json"
+    specs:
+      - ".specs/project/**"
+      - "README.md"
+      - "RELEASING.md"
 
 rules:
   require_spec_impact_for_code_changes: true
@@ -44,3 +71,4 @@ ignore:
   - "dist/**"
   - ".git/**"
   - "coverage/**"
+  - ".gitignore"
diff --git a/.specs/project/ROADMAP.md b/.specs/project/ROADMAP.md
index b80fc2c..aea6dc5 100644
--- a/.specs/project/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/.specs/project/ROADMAP.md
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 - README quickstart.
 - GitHub Pages product site for global project adoption.
 - Contribution and security docs.
+- npm package distribution with tag-driven GitHub Releases.
 
 ## Later
 
diff --git a/.specs/project/STATE.md b/.specs/project/STATE.md
index 84fb81f..6bbd831 100644
--- a/.specs/project/STATE.md
+++ b/.specs/project/STATE.md
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 - GitHub's official checkout and setup-node v5 tags exist and avoid the Node 20 runtime warning emitted by v4.
 - Public project education lives in the README and the static GitHub Pages site
   under `docs/`. The Pages workflow deploys the `docs` directory from `main`.
+- Public distribution is npm-first. Version tags drive `.github/workflows/release.yml`,
+  which validates the package, publishes npm when needed, and mirrors the
+  version as a GitHub Release.
 
 ## Deferred Ideas
 
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..03884bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+# Changelog
+
+## 0.1.0 - 2026-06-28
+
+- Initial public CLI with `init`, `scan`, `check-pr`, `trace`, and `drift`.
+- GitHub Action for advisory or strict pull request governance checks.
+- Example manifests for docs-only, ADR-heavy, and framework-folder projects.
+- Static documentation site for adoption guidance.
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index 15903e7..2f0cfe8 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -10,8 +10,14 @@ npm test
 npm run build
 npm run lint
 npm run typecheck
+npm run format:check
 ```
 
+## Releases
+
+Releases are tag-driven. Follow [`RELEASING.md`](RELEASING.md) when publishing
+a new npm version or GitHub Release.
+
 ## Spec Governance
 
 SpecGov uses TLC Spec Driven internally, but the product itself is framework
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aad9fa8..bbbf451 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -101,27 +101,22 @@ declared mappings, and reports whether the review has enough spec context.
 
 ## Installation
 
-SpecGov is pre-release. Until the first npm package and version tag are
-published, install it from source:
+Install the CLI from npm:
 
 ```bash
-git clone https://github.com/paladini/specgov.git
-cd specgov
-npm ci
-npm run build
-npm link
+npm install -g specgov
 ```
 
-After `npm link`, the `specgov` command is available on your machine:
+You can also run it without a global install:
 
 ```bash
-specgov --help
+npx specgov --help
 ```
 
-You can also run the local build directly:
+After installation, the `specgov` command is available on your machine:
 
 ```bash
-node dist/cli.js --help
+specgov --help
 ```
 
 ## Quick start
@@ -260,15 +255,14 @@ jobs:
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
 
-      - uses: paladini/specgov@main
+      - uses: paladini/specgov@v0.1.0
         with:
           mode: advisory
           base-ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
           head-ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.sha }}
 ```
 
-Use `paladini/specgov@main` only while the project is pre-release. After a
-version tag exists, pin the Action to that tag.
+Pin the Action to a version tag for repeatable CI behavior.
 
 Use `mode: strict` when governance findings should block the pull request.
 
@@ -388,6 +382,8 @@ are usable today, but may still change before the first tagged release.
 Current project links:
 
 - Website: <https://paladini.github.io/specgov/>
+- npm: <https://www.npmjs.com/package/specgov>
 - Repository: <https://github.com/paladini/specgov>
 - Roadmap: [`.specs/project/ROADMAP.md`](.specs/project/ROADMAP.md)
+- Release process: [`RELEASING.md`](RELEASING.md)
 - Contribution guide: [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md)
diff --git a/RELEASING.md b/RELEASING.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a5fa1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RELEASING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# Releasing SpecGov
+
+SpecGov releases are tag-driven. A pushed `vX.Y.Z` tag runs the release
+workflow, validates the package, publishes the npm version when it is not
+already present, and creates or updates the matching GitHub Release.
+
+## One-time npm setup
+
+The release workflow supports both npm Trusted Publishing and an `NPM_TOKEN`
+repository secret. Trusted Publishing is preferred because it uses GitHub OIDC
+instead of a long-lived token.
+
+For Trusted Publishing, configure the npm package with:
+
+- Package: `specgov`
+- Repository: `paladini/specgov`
+- Workflow: `release.yml`
+- Environment: leave blank unless the workflow is later changed to use one
+
+Docs: <https://docs.npmjs.com/trusted-publishers/>
+
+If Trusted Publishing is not configured, add an `NPM_TOKEN` secret to the
+GitHub repository before pushing a release tag.
+
+## Release a new version
+
+From a clean `main` branch:
+
+```bash
+npm version patch
+git push origin main --follow-tags
+```
+
+Use `npm version minor` or `npm version major` when the change warrants it. The
+version commit updates `package.json` and `package-lock.json`, and the tag
+triggers `.github/workflows/release.yml`.
+
+## Verify a release
+
+After the workflow completes, check:
+
+```bash
+npm view specgov version
+gh release view vX.Y.Z --repo paladini/specgov
+npx specgov@latest --help
+```
+
+The first release can be bootstrapped locally with `npm publish --access public`
+when the package has not yet been created on npm. After that, prefer the tag
+workflow.
diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index db50cb7..96c58ba 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -294,23 +294,15 @@ <h3>Check pull requests</h3>
       >
         <div class="section-heading compact">
           <p class="eyebrow">Quick start</p>
-          <h2 id="quickstart-title">
-            Install from source, then govern any repo.
-          </h2>
+          <h2 id="quickstart-title">Install from npm, then govern any repo.</h2>
           <p>
-            SpecGov is pre-release. Until the first npm package and version tag
-            are published, use the source build.
+            Use the CLI locally or in CI without adopting a new spec format.
           </p>
         </div>
         <div class="code-panel">
           <div class="panel-title">Install</div>
-          <pre
-            class="copy-block"
-          ><code>git clone https://github.com/paladini/specgov.git
-cd specgov
-npm ci
-npm run build
-npm link</code></pre>
+          <pre class="copy-block"><code>npm install -g specgov
+npx specgov --help</code></pre>
           <div class="panel-title">Use in your repository</div>
           <pre class="copy-block"><code>specgov init
 specgov scan
@@ -414,7 +406,7 @@ <h2 id="action-title">Put governance in the pull request.</h2>
       - uses: actions/checkout@v5
         with:
           fetch-depth: 0
-      - uses: paladini/specgov@main
+      - uses: paladini/specgov@v0.1.0
         with:
           mode: advisory
           base-ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 833e02a..b52e931 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -11,12 +11,16 @@
     "dist",
     "action.yml",
     "README.md",
+    "RELEASING.md",
+    "SECURITY.md",
+    "CHANGELOG.md",
     "LICENSE"
   ],
   "scripts": {
     "clean": "node -e \"require('fs').rmSync('dist', { recursive: true, force: true })\"",
     "build": "npm run clean && tsc -p tsconfig.json && npm run build:action",
     "build:action": "ncc build src/action.ts -o dist/action -m --license licenses.txt",
+    "prepack": "npm run build",
     "test": "vitest run",
     "lint": "eslint .",
     "typecheck": "tsc -p tsconfig.json --noEmit",
@@ -32,6 +36,17 @@
   ],
   "author": "Fernando Paladini",
   "license": "MIT",
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git+https://github.com/paladini/specgov.git"
+  },
+  "bugs": {
+    "url": "https://github.com/paladini/specgov/issues"
+  },
+  "homepage": "https://github.com/paladini/specgov#readme",
+  "publishConfig": {
+    "access": "public"
+  },
   "engines": {
     "node": ">=20"
   },