Add RELEASE_TOKEN secret as token input to prepare-release workflow

[Copilot]

Overview

This PR adds the RELEASE_TOKEN secret as the token input parameter to the peter-evans/create-pull-request action in the prepare-release workflow.

Changes

• .github/workflows/prepare-release.yml: Added token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }} parameter to the Create Pull Request step
• CHANGELOG.md: Documented the workflow configuration change

Motivation

By using a custom RELEASE_TOKEN secret instead of the default GITHUB_TOKEN, the workflow can:

1. Trigger downstream workflows: The default GITHUB_TOKEN cannot trigger other GitHub Actions workflows for security reasons. A custom PAT can enable workflow chaining.
2. Custom permissions: Provides flexibility to use a token with specific permissions tailored to the release process.
3. Cross-repository access: Enables the workflow to interact with other repositories if needed in the future.

Implementation

The change is minimal and surgical - adding a single line to configure the authentication token used by the peter-evans/create-pull-request action:

- name: Create Pull Request
  uses: peter-evans/create-pull-request@271a8d0340265f705b14b6d32b9829c1cb33d45e # v7.0.8
  with:
    token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_TOKEN }}  # ← New line
    commit-message: "chore(release): bump version to ${{ inputs.version }}"
    # ... rest of configuration

Notes

The RELEASE_TOKEN secret must be configured in the repository settings before this workflow is triggered. The secret should contain a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) with appropriate permissions (contents: write and pull-requests: write at minimum).

Original prompt

Add RELEASE_TOKEN secret as the token input to prepare-release workflow

---

💬 Share your feedback on Copilot coding agent for the chance to win a $200 gift card! Click here to start the survey.