How we approach releases at Vapor

See how we approach releases in Vapor, so we can release quickly and often to save time and provide a better experience for users and contributors.

→ blog.vapor.codes/posts/how-we-do-vapor-releases/

The Vapor framework’s release process, outlined by Tim on August 14, 2025, treats each pull request (PR) as a potential release, streamlining development for its 30+ packages.

PRs are labeled as no-release-needed, semver-patch (bug fixes), or semver-minor (new APIs), reviewed by maintainers, and merged with automated releases via Penny, Vapor’s bot, which tags and announces releases on GitHub and Discord.

This automation, initially met with skepticism, saves time, ensures quick bug detection by isolating changes to individual PRs, and benefits contributors by rapidly deploying their code. Despite robust testing, occasional bugs, like Swift 6.1 compilation issues, are quickly identified and reverted due to the granular release strategy.

Beta testing is avoided for minor releases, as it delays feedback without significant user testing, aligning with Vapor’s continuous delivery ethos for faster, reliable updates.