📖 [Docs]: Release branch workflow is documented

docs/content/get-started/module-bootstrap.md

@@ -60,6 +60,6 @@ A module bootstrapped this way:
 ## When to use this
 
 - The module has no usable release yet, and the load-bearing core hasn't landed.
-- Use this only for the initial bootstrap. Once `main` has a first release, ongoing feature work targets `main` directly with ordinary topic branches, or a [stacked pull request](https://msx.no/docs/Ways-of-Working/Branching-and-Merging/#stacked-pull-requests) when changes genuinely depend on each other.
+- Use this only for the initial bootstrap. Once `main` has a first release, ongoing feature work targets `main` directly with ordinary topic branches, uses the [release branch pattern](../guides/versioning-and-releases.md#release-branch-pattern) to batch independent features, or uses a [stacked pull request](https://msx.no/docs/Ways-of-Working/Branching-and-Merging/#stacked-pull-requests) when changes genuinely depend on each other.
 
 For the general branching and merge model, see [MSX Branching and Merging](https://msx.no/docs/Ways-of-Working/Branching-and-Merging/).

docs/content/guides/versioning-and-releases.md

@@ -43,6 +43,47 @@ The label names are configurable through `Publish.Module.MajorLabels`, `MinorLab
 
 Exactly one branch is authorized to publish stable releases, so consumers always have one unambiguous latest version.
 
+## Release branch pattern
+
+For a larger release made up of several independent features, use a release branch to
+collect the changes before promoting them to `main`. This is different from a
+[stacked pull request](https://msx.no/docs/Ways-of-Working/Branching-and-Merging/#stacked-pull-requests),
+where each layer depends on the preceding layer.
+
+Before creating the release branch, make sure the module repository's caller workflow
+triggers on it as well as `main`. The standard example filters pull requests to `main`:
+
+```yaml
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - 'release/**'
+```
+
+Then:
+
+1. Cut a release branch such as `release/v1` from `main`.
+2. Open a draft release pull request from the release branch to `main`.
+3. Cut each independent feature branch from the release branch and open its pull request
+   against the release branch.
+4. Merge feature pull requests into the release branch as they become ready. Use a
+   [stack](https://msx.no/docs/Ways-of-Working/Branching-and-Merging/#stacked-pull-requests)
+   only when two features genuinely depend on each other.
+5. When the release branch is complete and all checks pass, mark the release pull request
+   ready and merge it into `main`.
+
+Pull requests targeting the release branch can publish preview versions when they carry
+the `Prerelease` label. Only the final merge into the repository's default branch can
+produce the stable release, because the workflow authorizes stable publication only when
+the merged pull request targets that branch.
+
+Each feature pull request follows the
+[MSX PR Format](https://msx.no/docs/Ways-of-Working/PR-Format/) and closes its own
+scoped issue. The release pull request should summarize the combined user-facing
+release and link the included feature pull requests; it must not replace their
+issue-closing references with a second aggregate closure.
+
 ## Prereleases
 
 A pull request labelled `Prerelease` publishes a prerelease version (for example `v1.2.3-pr.1.5`) that is installable

docs/content/reference/powershell-module-standard.md

@@ -115,7 +115,9 @@ The release process treats each merged PR as a release on a single linear ancest
 
 ### Release and feature branches
 
-For large work, open a release branch and target it from feature branches. Apply the `Prerelease` label on the release branch PR to publish preview versions before the final merge to `main`.
+For large work, follow the [release branch pattern](../guides/versioning-and-releases.md#release-branch-pattern):
+open a release branch and target it from feature branches. Apply the `Prerelease` label on
+the release branch PR to publish preview versions before the final merge to `main`.
 
 ## CI/CD pipeline
 

docs/content/specification/principles-and-practices.md

@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ patch.
 
 ## Release and feature branches
 
-If you need to work forth a bigger release, create a branch representing the release (a release branch) and open a PR towards `main` for this branch.
+If you need to work toward a bigger release, follow the [release branch pattern](../guides/versioning-and-releases.md#release-branch-pattern):
+create a branch representing the release and open a PR toward `main` for this branch.
 For each topic or feature to add to the release, open a new branch representing the feature (a feature branch) and open a PR towards the release
 branch. Optionally add the `Prerelease` label on the PR for the release branch, to release preview versions before merging and releasing a published
 version of the PowerShell module.