---
title: Releases and promotion
description: Pinned release bundles, environment promotion, and approval gates in Relpin.
section: Concepts
sidebarLabel: Releases and promotion
order: 40
updated: "2026-06-11"
status: beta
llms: true
keywords:
  - ReleaseBundle
  - DEV
  - TEST
  - PROD
  - approval gates
---

Relpin separates editing from releasing. An app can change quickly in Studio, but production should run a known release with reviewable content.

## Pinned releases

A release points to a deterministic app artifact. The goal is simple: if an operator asks what is running, the answer should not be "whatever the browser last saved."

Pinned releases make app state reviewable and repeatable.

## Environments

Organizations can promote apps through environment stages such as DEV, TEST, and PROD. The exact workflow can vary by organization, but production promotion should remain explicit.

## Approval gates

Approval gates are used when a release or environment promotion needs separation of duties. They are especially important for apps that touch sensitive operational data.

## Audit trail

Release and promotion events belong in the audit path. That gives teams a history of who changed what, when it moved, and which app version users reached.

## What to avoid

Do not model production publish as a browser-local state change. The release path should stay server-authoritative and content-addressed.