diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index c2314f08..743c15dd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -71,11 +71,24 @@ jobs:
       - if: github.event_name == 'push'
         name: Publish the libraries
         run: |
-          if [[ "${{ github.ref }}" == *"-alpha"* ]]; then
-            pnpm publish -r --access=public --no-git-checks --tag=alpha
-          else
+          # Prerelease tags publish under their own identifier (alpha, beta, rc);
+          # only a plain vX.Y.Z tag is allowed to move the `latest` dist-tag.
+          VERSION="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}"
+          if [[ "$VERSION" != *-* ]]; then
             pnpm publish -r --access=public --no-git-checks
+            exit 0
           fi
+
+          PREID="${VERSION#*-}"
+          PREID="${PREID%%.*}"
+          # npm rejects a dist-tag that parses as a semver range, so a numeric
+          # identifier has no channel to publish under, and `latest` is the
+          # stable channel a prerelease must never take over.
+          if [[ ! "$PREID" =~ ^[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9-]*$ || "${PREID,,}" == "latest" ]]; then
+            echo "Refusing to publish $GITHUB_REF_NAME: '$PREID' cannot be a prerelease dist-tag" >&2
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          pnpm publish -r --access=public --no-git-checks --tag="$PREID"
         env:
           NPM_CONFIG_PROVENANCE: true
           # Surfaces npm's OIDC token exchange, which is otherwise silent.
@@ -85,6 +98,10 @@ jobs:
         name: Create a draft release
         run: |
           NEW_VERSION=$(pnpm lerna list --json | jq -r '.[] | select(.name == "@codspeed/core") | .version')
-          gh release create v$NEW_VERSION --title "v$NEW_VERSION" --generate-notes -d
+          PRERELEASE=""
+          if [[ "$NEW_VERSION" == *-* ]]; then
+            PRERELEASE="--prerelease"
+          fi
+          gh release create "v$NEW_VERSION" --title "v$NEW_VERSION" --generate-notes -d $PRERELEASE
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f1ce6c8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+# Contributing
+
+## Releasing a New Version
+
+To create a new version, run:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/release.sh patch  # Increment PATCH component (e.g., 1.2.3 -> 1.2.4)
+./scripts/release.sh minor  # Increment MINOR component (e.g., 1.2.3 -> 1.3.0)
+./scripts/release.sh major  # Increment MAJOR component (e.g., 1.2.3 -> 2.0.0)
+```
+
+All packages share a single version, bumped in lockstep by `lerna version`.
+
+### Prereleases
+
+A new prerelease series is started by passing the version explicitly, and
+continued with `prerelease`, which keeps the identifier it already has (the
+label between the `-` and the counter):
+
+```bash
+./scripts/release.sh 5.8.0-beta.0  # 5.7.1        -> 5.8.0-beta.0
+./scripts/release.sh prerelease    # 5.8.0-beta.0 -> 5.8.0-beta.1
+```
+
+The identifier becomes the npm dist-tag, so a prerelease is installed only by
+asking for it:
+
+```bash
+pnpm add @codspeed/vitest-plugin@beta
+```
+
+`latest` keeps pointing at the most recent stable release, and `^5` never
+resolves to a prerelease.
+
+### What happens
+
+1. **`scripts/release.sh`**:
+   - Refuses to run outside `main` or with a dirty working tree
+   - Runs `lerna version`, which bumps every package, commits, creates a signed
+     `vX.Y.Z` tag and pushes it
+
+2. **CI release workflow** (`.github/workflows/release.yml`):
+   - Triggered automatically when the tag is pushed
+   - Builds the native addon prebuilds for linux-arm and darwin-arm
+   - Builds the libraries
+   - Publishes to npm via OIDC trusted publishing, under the dist-tag derived
+     from the tag's prerelease identifier (`latest` for a plain `vX.Y.Z` tag)
+   - Creates a draft GitHub release, flagged as a prerelease when the version
+     has a prerelease identifier
diff --git a/scripts/release.sh b/scripts/release.sh
index 46b9b932..2a605156 100755
--- a/scripts/release.sh
+++ b/scripts/release.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,21 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# Usage: ./scripts/release.sh <major|minor|patch>
+#
+# Usage: ./scripts/release.sh <version>
+#
+#   version   major | minor | patch   stable release
+#             prerelease              next prerelease of the current version,
+#                                     keeping its identifier
+#             X.Y.Z-<id>.N            explicit version, used to start a new
+#                                     prerelease series
+#
+# The identifier of a prerelease version (e.g. "beta" in 5.8.0-beta.0) becomes
+# the npm dist-tag the release workflow publishes under, so consumers opt in
+# with `pnpm add @codspeed/core@beta` while `latest` keeps pointing at the last
+# stable release.
+#
+#   ./scripts/release.sh patch          5.7.1        -> 5.7.2         (dist-tag latest)
+#   ./scripts/release.sh 5.8.0-beta.0   5.7.1        -> 5.8.0-beta.0  (dist-tag beta)
+#   ./scripts/release.sh prerelease     5.8.0-beta.0 -> 5.8.0-beta.1  (dist-tag beta)
 set -ex
 
 # Fail if not on main
@@ -9,7 +25,7 @@ if [ "$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)" != "main" ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ $# -ne 1 ]; then
-  echo "Usage: ./release.sh <major|minor|patch>"
+  echo "Usage: ./release.sh <major|minor|patch|prerelease|X.Y.Z-id.N>"
   exit 1
 fi