fix: gate release on a release-worthy conventional commit

[TMHSDigital]

Summary

Implements what AGENTS.md/CONTRIBUTING.md already promise: docs:/chore:/ci: pushes no longer cut spurious patch releases. We've been hand-applying [skip ci] to work around this; the commit-type gate makes that optional.

Gating logic (in the "Determine bump type" step)

Scans commit subjects since the last tag and sets a release output:

• feat!: / fix!: / BREAKING CHANGE → release=true, bump major
• feat: → release=true, bump minor
• fix: → release=true, bump patch
• no last tag (initial release) → release=true (held at current VERSION)
• anything else (docs:/chore:/ci:/refactor:/test:/…) → release=false

All five mutating steps (VERSION write, doc-sync, bump commit, tag, GitHub release) are gated if: steps.check.outputs.skip == 'false' && steps.bump.outputs.release == 'true', mirroring the existing skip guard. The [skip ci] job guard is kept as an optional override. Initial-release hold and floating-tag force-push paths are untouched. No paths: filter (would risk masking a real fix: in a mixed push); the commit-type scan is the source of truth.

Proof (decision logic unit-tested locally — same grep as the workflow)

docs-only      -> release=false   chore+ci   -> release=false   refactor   -> release=false
fix-only       -> release=true patch         feat-only  -> release=true minor
feat!-breaking -> release=true major         MIXED docs+fix -> release=true patch (fix not masked)
initial(no tag)-> release=true

Live SKIP-path and RELEASE-path runs against main will be performed after merge (see below).

Docs aligned (same PR)

AGENTS.md and CONTRIBUTING.md reworded to state the scan-based gate, that non-release types run-and-exit without tagging, and that [skip ci] is now an optional override.

This merge

Labeled fix: (it corrects a real defect). The old release.yml evaluates this merge (the new logic only governs pushes after it lands), so this fix: merge will cut one patch release — expected and correct. Not editing CHANGELOG / CLAUDE **Version:** / ROADMAP **Current:** (release-owned).

🤖 Generated with Claude Code