# Software release checklist

Service / environment:
Exact candidate revision and artifact identity:
Current serving revision:
Change scope and dependencies:
Release owner / authorized operator:
Applicable policy and decision deadline:

## Before the decision
- [ ] Scope and release identity match the reviewed change.
- [ ] Required review and checks have explicit status and exact source references.
- [ ] Old/new readers, writers, clients, and data changes are compatible where needed.
- [ ] Capacity and accepted/in-flight work are covered by the transition plan.
- [ ] User paths, operational observations, and stop conditions are defined.
- [ ] Recovery procedure and any irreversible effects are understood.
- [ ] Required communications and authorized owners are recorded.

## Evidence register
| Check | Candidate | Environment | Status | Evidence | Owner / unresolved condition |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| | | | | | |

## Human decision
Decision / reviewer / time / reviewed version:
Conditions or exceptions and their authorized owner:

## Execution record (completed by the authorized operator)
Actual operation reference and artifact:
Start/end times and scope:
Stop or recovery action, if any:

## Observed outcome
- [ ] The target runtime reports the intended artifact/revision.
- [ ] Changed user behavior has been exercised with retained evidence.
- [ ] Agreed observation window and thresholds have been evaluated.
- [ ] Affected pending work and any data effects have verified outcomes.
- [ ] Follow-up owners and next checkpoints are recorded.

A checkbox is a prompt to attach evidence, not deployment permission.