Overview
Once a product has been built and validated in the Preview environment, it needs to be released before it can be published to end users. The release process validates the product, creates a versioned snapshot of the configuration, and makes it available for deployment via a Project.
The Release Process
Releasing a product in TwikBot consists of two steps:
Step 1: Product Validation
Before a release can be created, TwikBot runs an automated validation check across the product graph. This verifies that all configuration paths are complete and functional, and that there are no errors or broken connections in the graph.
If validation identifies issues, they must be resolved in the Graph Editor before the release can proceed. Validation errors are reported with enough detail to locate and address the specific problem in the graph.
Step 2: Release & Publishing
Once validation passes, you can create a new release. Each release captures a versioned snapshot of the product at that point in time. The released product is then available for publishing via a Project.
Publishing — making the product available to end users — is managed at the Project level, not the product level. Refer to the Projects section of this documentation for more detail on how publishing works.
Version Types
When creating a release, you select a version type that reflects the nature of the changes included:
|
Version Type |
When to use |
|---|---|
|
Major |
Significant changes — new features, major structural updates to the configuration logic, or changes that affect the end user experience substantially |
|
Minor |
Additions or adjustments to existing functionality — new parameter options, updated rules, or asset changes that don't alter the overall product structure |
|
Patch |
Small fixes or refinements — correcting a rule error, updating a label, or adjusting a material without changing any functionality |
Choosing the correct version type helps the client understand the scope of each update and makes it easier to track changes in the release history.
Release History
Every release is recorded in the Release History, providing a full audit trail of all changes made to a product over time. Each entry in the release history is expandable and includes release notes describing what changed in that version.
The release history serves two practical purposes:
-
Transparency — The client and your team can see exactly what changed between versions and when
-
Rollback — If a released version introduces an unexpected issue in production, the release history allows you to identify and redeploy a previous stable version
It is good practice to write clear, descriptive release notes for every release — even for patches. This makes it significantly easier to diagnose issues and understand the history of a product when returning to it weeks or months later.
Product Settings
From the product context menu, two additional settings are relevant to the release workflow:
-
Edit Settings — Select the TwikBot version the product runs on. Setting this to Latest ensures the product always runs on the newest stable platform version. For production deployments, consider pinning to a specific version to avoid unexpected behaviour from platform updates.
-
Edit Product — Update the product title and description at any point without creating a new release.
Developer Resources
|
Resource |
Location |
|---|---|
|
Product Setup Reference |
|
|
Projects & Publishing |