Releases Manager

Releases Manager collects releases from the projects you build. Add their local folders to see release history, download counts and changes waiting to ship.

Install and connect GitHub

After buying, connect your GitHub account in Polar and accept the invitation. Download the Mac app from the customer releases, unzip it, and move it to Applications. You need macOS 14 or later.

For private project releases, sign in to the GitHub CLI with gh auth login using an account that can read those repositories. Releases Manager can use that token. It also supports GH_TOKEN or GITHUB_TOKEN in its environment.

Public repositories can be read without signing in, subject to GitHub’s anonymous API limit. If a private project’s releases are missing, check GitHub access before assuming the repository has no releases.

Add a project

Drop a project folder on the window. Alternatively, press ⌘O or choose Add More…, then use Choose Folder….

For example, add your recipe app’s Git repository. Releases Manager reads the remote and version information, then fetches its GitHub releases. Select the project to see its branch, current version, release list and pending commits.

Add More… also discovers eligible apps beside your tracked projects. Hide a suggestion you do not plan to ship with its eye button. Removing a tracked project from Releases Manager leaves its source folder alone.

Double-click a project’s displayed name to rename it in Releases Manager. This does not rename the repository.

Read the release views

Latest Releases combines all tracked projects into one timeline. First Releases shows when each app first shipped. Release details include available notes and asset download counts.

Downloads shows totals and trends. GitHub reports cumulative totals, so Releases Manager saves daily observations to build its history. A newly added project does not have months of historical daily measurements waiting to download.

Waiting to Ship lists projects with commits since their latest release or a newer local version. Read the pending commits before deciding whether a release is useful.

Refresh immediately with ⌘R. The app also refreshes periodically and when you switch back to it.

Prepare a release

Choose Create Release… for one project. Select a version using Patch, Minor or Major, or enter your own. Add notes for the agent, such as which change should lead the release notes.

Continue in Codex opens a chat with the prompt ready. Copy Prompt lets you use another agent. Opening the prompt does not publish the release: review it and send it to begin the work.

For several pending projects, Create Releases… prepares a combined request. Uncheck anything you want to leave for later. Check with Agent asks an agent to inspect the pending work and recommend which projects deserve releases before publishing anything.

Use the CLI

The releases command uses the same project list. With Xcode 26 or a Swift 6.2 toolchain installed, run this from the purchased source checkout:

./Scripts/install-cli.sh

It installs in ~/.local/bin by default, which needs to be on your PATH. These commands inspect pending projects and prepare a prompt:

releases list --waiting
releases show recipe-box
releases prompt recipe-box --bump patch

Here, recipe-box is the folder name of a project you added. The last command prints a prompt; adding --codex opens it in Codex. Use releases help or releases capabilities for other tasks and JSON options.

Updates and troubleshooting

Download app updates manually from customer Releases. Existing public update checks cannot read private releases.

If a local version looks wrong, inspect the project’s version source. The app checks project.yml, package.json, supported Swift version constants and Xcode project settings. A folder without a release can still be tracked; its first release is a separate publishing action performed by you or your agent.