diff --git a/.github/skills/prepare-release/SKILL.md b/.github/skills/prepare-release/SKILL.md
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+---
+name: prepare-release
+description: Prepare a release for the Azure App Configuration JavaScript Provider. Use when user mentions release preparation, version bump, creating merge PRs, preview release, or stable release for this project.
+---
+
+# Prepare Release
+
+This skill automates the release preparation workflow for the [Azure App Configuration JavaScript Provider](https://github.com/Azure/AppConfiguration-JavaScriptProvider) project.
+
+## When to Use This Skill
+
+Use this skill when you need to:
+- Bump the package version for a new stable or preview release
+- Create merge PRs to sync branches (test-main → test-preview, test-main → test-release/stable, test-preview → test-release)
+- Prepare all the PRs needed before publishing a new release
+- Resolve merge conflicts between test-main and test-preview branches
+
+## Background
+
+### Repository Information
+- **GitHub Repo**: https://github.com/Azure/AppConfiguration-JavaScriptProvider
+- **Package Name**: `@azure/app-configuration-provider`
+
+### Branch Structure
+- `test-main` – primary development branch for stable releases
+- `test-preview` – development branch for preview releases
+- `test-release/stable/v{major}` – release branch for stable versions (e.g., `test-release/stable/v2`)
+- `test-release/v{major}` – release branch for preview versions (e.g., `test-release/v2`)
+
+### Version Files
+The version must be updated in **all four locations** simultaneously:
+1. `src/version.ts` – line 4: `export const VERSION = "<version>";`
+2. `package.json` – line 3: `"version": "<version>",`
+3. `package-lock.json` – line 3: `"version": "<version>",`
+4. `package-lock.json` – line 9: `"version": "<version>",`
+
+### Version Format
+- **Stable**: `{major}.{minor}.{patch}` (e.g., `2.4.0`)
+- **Preview**: `{major}.{minor}.{patch}-preview` (e.g., `2.4.1-preview`)
+
+## Quick Start
+
+Ask the user whether this is a **stable** or **preview** release, and what the **new version number** should be. Then follow the appropriate workflow below.
+
+---
+
+### Workflow A: Stable Release
+
+#### Step 1: Version Bump PR
+
+Create a version bump PR targeting `test-main` by running the version bump script:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/version-bump.sh <new_version>
+```
+
+For example: `./scripts/version-bump.sh 2.5.0`
+
+The script will automatically:
+1. Read the current version from `src/version.ts`.
+2. Create a new branch from `test-main` named `<username>/version-<new_version>` (e.g., `linglingye/version-2.5.0`).
+3. Update the version in all four files (`src/version.ts`, `package.json`, `package-lock.json` lines 3 and 9).
+4. Commit, push, and create a PR to `test-main` with title: `Version bump <new_version>`.
+
+When the script prompts `Proceed? [y/N]`, confirm by entering `y`.
+
+#### Step 2: Merge Main to Release Branch
+
+After the version bump PR is merged, create a PR to merge `test-main` into the stable release branch by running:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/merge-to-release.sh <new_version>
+```
+
+For example: `./scripts/merge-to-release.sh 2.5.0`
+
+When the script prompts `Proceed? [y/N]`, confirm by entering `y`.
+
+> **Important**: Use "Merge commit" (not squash) when merging this PR to preserve commit history.
+
+---
+
+### Workflow B: Preview Release
+
+#### Step 1: Merge Main to Preview (Conflict Resolution)
+
+Create a PR to merge `test-main` into `test-preview`. This will likely have conflicts.
+
+1. Fetch the latest `test-main` and `test-preview` branches.
+2. Create a new branch from `test-preview` named `<username>/resolve-conflict` (or similar).
+3. Merge `test-main` into this branch. If there are conflicts, inform the user and let them resolve manually.
+4. Push the branch and create a PR targeting `test-preview` with title: `Merge test-main to test-preview`.
+
+> **Important**: Use "Merge commit" (not squash) when merging this PR.
+
+**Sample PR**: https://github.com/Azure/AppConfiguration-JavaScriptProvider/pull/272
+
+#### Step 2: Version Bump PR
+
+After the merge-to-preview PR is merged, create a version bump PR targeting `test-preview` by running the version bump script with the `--preview` flag:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/version-bump.sh <new_version> --preview
+```
+
+For example: `./scripts/version-bump.sh 2.5.1-preview --preview`
+
+When the script prompts `Proceed? [y/N]`, confirm by entering `y`.
+
+#### Step 3: Merge Preview to Release Branch
+
+After the version bump PR is merged, create a PR to merge `test-preview` into the preview release branch by running:
+
+```bash
+./scripts/merge-to-release.sh <new_version> --preview
+```
+
+For example: `./scripts/merge-to-release.sh 2.5.1-preview --preview`
+
+When the script prompts `Proceed? [y/N]`, confirm by entering `y`.
+
+> **Important**: Use "Merge commit" (not squash) when merging this PR.
+
+---
+
+## Review Checklist
+
+Each PR should be reviewed with the following checks:
+- [ ] Version is updated consistently across all 3 files
+- [ ] No unintended file changes are included
+- [ ] Merge PRs use **merge commit** strategy (not squash)
+- [ ] Branch names follow the naming conventions
+- [ ] All CI checks pass
diff --git a/scripts/merge-to-release.sh b/scripts/merge-to-release.sh
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index 00000000..4005718e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/merge-to-release.sh
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+#!/bin/bash
+
+# ============================================================================
+# merge-to-release.sh
+#
+# Creates a PR to merge a development branch into its corresponding release
+# branch. Used after a version bump PR has been merged.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./scripts/merge-to-release.sh <version> [--preview]
+#
+# Examples:
+#   ./scripts/merge-to-release.sh 2.5.0             # test-main → test-release/stable/v2
+#   ./scripts/merge-to-release.sh 2.5.1-preview --preview  # test-preview → test-release/v2
+#
+# Prerequisites:
+#   - git and gh (GitHub CLI) must be installed and authenticated
+# ============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# ── Helpers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<EOF
+Usage: $(basename "$0") <version> [--preview]
+
+Arguments:
+  version       The version that was just bumped (used to determine major version)
+  --preview     Merge test-preview → test-release/v{major} instead of
+                test-main → test-release/stable/v{major}
+
+Examples:
+  $(basename "$0") 2.5.0                    # test-main → test-release/stable/v2
+  $(basename "$0") 2.5.1-preview --preview  # test-preview → test-release/v2
+EOF
+  exit 1
+}
+
+error() {
+  echo "ERROR: $1" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+info() {
+  echo "── $1"
+}
+
+# ── Parse arguments ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+VERSION=""
+IS_PREVIEW=false
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --preview)
+      IS_PREVIEW=true
+      shift
+      ;;
+    -h|--help)
+      usage
+      ;;
+    *)
+      if [[ -z "$VERSION" ]]; then
+        VERSION="$1"
+      else
+        error "Unexpected argument: $1"
+      fi
+      shift
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+[[ -z "$VERSION" ]] && usage
+
+# Validate version format
+if ! echo "$VERSION" | grep -qE '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-preview)?$'; then
+  error "Invalid version format '$VERSION'. Expected: X.Y.Z or X.Y.Z-preview"
+fi
+
+# ── Determine branches ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+# Extract major version (e.g. "2" from "2.5.0" or "2.5.1-preview")
+MAJOR_VERSION=$(echo "$VERSION" | cut -d. -f1)
+
+if [[ "$IS_PREVIEW" == true ]]; then
+  SOURCE_BRANCH="test-preview"
+  TARGET_BRANCH="test-release/v${MAJOR_VERSION}"
+  PR_TITLE="Merge test-preview to test-release/v${MAJOR_VERSION}"
+else
+  SOURCE_BRANCH="test-main"
+  TARGET_BRANCH="test-release/stable/v${MAJOR_VERSION}"
+  PR_TITLE="Merge test-main to test-release/stable/v${MAJOR_VERSION}"
+fi
+
+info "Source branch : $SOURCE_BRANCH"
+info "Target branch : $TARGET_BRANCH"
+info "PR title      : $PR_TITLE"
+echo ""
+
+# ── Confirm with user ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+read -rp "Proceed? [y/N] " confirm
+if [[ ! "$confirm" =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
+  echo "Aborted."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# ── Resolve project directory ────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_DIR="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+
+# ── Fetch latest branches ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+info "Fetching latest branches..."
+git fetch origin "$SOURCE_BRANCH"
+git fetch origin "$TARGET_BRANCH"
+
+# ── Create PR ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+info "Creating pull request..."
+PR_URL=$(gh pr create \
+  --base "$TARGET_BRANCH" \
+  --head "$SOURCE_BRANCH" \
+  --title "$PR_TITLE" \
+  --body "Merge \`$SOURCE_BRANCH\` into \`$TARGET_BRANCH\` after version bump \`$VERSION\`.
+
+> **Important**: Use **Merge commit** (not squash) when merging this PR to preserve commit history.
+
+---
+*This PR was created automatically by \`scripts/merge-to-release.sh\`.*")
+
+echo ""
+info "Done! PR created: $PR_URL"
+echo ""
+echo "⚠️  Remember: Use \"Merge commit\" (not squash) when merging this PR."
diff --git a/scripts/version-bump.sh b/scripts/version-bump.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f396060a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/version-bump.sh
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+#!/bin/bash
+
+# ============================================================================
+# version-bump.sh
+#
+# Automates the version bump workflow for @azure/app-configuration-provider.
+# Updates version in all required files, creates a branch, commits, pushes,
+# and opens a PR via the GitHub CLI (gh).
+#
+# Usage:
+#   ./scripts/version-bump.sh <new_version> [--preview]
+#
+# Examples:
+#   ./scripts/version-bump.sh 2.5.0             # stable release → PR to test-main
+#   ./scripts/version-bump.sh 2.5.1-preview --preview  # preview release → PR to test-preview
+#
+# Prerequisites:
+#   - git, sed, and gh (GitHub CLI) must be installed and authenticated
+# ============================================================================
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# ── Helpers ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+usage() {
+  cat <<EOF
+Usage: $(basename "$0") <new_version> [--preview]
+
+Arguments:
+  new_version   The version to bump to (e.g. 2.5.0 or 2.5.1-preview)
+  --preview     Target the test-preview branch instead of test-main
+
+Examples:
+  $(basename "$0") 2.5.0                    # stable → PR to test-main
+  $(basename "$0") 2.5.1-preview --preview  # preview → PR to test-preview
+EOF
+  exit 1
+}
+
+error() {
+  echo "ERROR: $1" >&2
+  exit 1
+}
+
+info() {
+  echo "── $1"
+}
+
+# ── Parse arguments ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+NEW_VERSION=""
+IS_PREVIEW=false
+
+while [[ $# -gt 0 ]]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --preview)
+      IS_PREVIEW=true
+      shift
+      ;;
+    -h|--help)
+      usage
+      ;;
+    *)
+      if [[ -z "$NEW_VERSION" ]]; then
+        NEW_VERSION="$1"
+      else
+        error "Unexpected argument: $1"
+      fi
+      shift
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+[[ -z "$NEW_VERSION" ]] && usage
+
+# Validate version format: major.minor.patch or major.minor.patch-preview
+if ! echo "$NEW_VERSION" | grep -qE '^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+(-preview)?$'; then
+  error "Invalid version format '$NEW_VERSION'. Expected: X.Y.Z or X.Y.Z-preview"
+fi
+
+# If version ends with -preview, ensure --preview flag is set
+if echo "$NEW_VERSION" | grep -qE '\-preview$'; then
+  if [[ "$IS_PREVIEW" == false ]]; then
+    error "Version '$NEW_VERSION' looks like a preview version. Did you forget --preview?"
+  fi
+fi
+
+# ── Resolve paths & context ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+PROJECT_DIR="$(dirname "$SCRIPT_DIR")"
+
+VERSION_TS="$PROJECT_DIR/src/version.ts"
+PACKAGE_JSON="$PROJECT_DIR/package.json"
+PACKAGE_LOCK="$PROJECT_DIR/package-lock.json"
+
+# Determine target branch and branch prefix
+if [[ "$IS_PREVIEW" == true ]]; then
+  TARGET_BRANCH="test-preview"
+else
+  TARGET_BRANCH="test-main"
+fi
+
+# Get git username for branch naming (e.g. "linglingye" from "linglingye/version-2.4.0")
+GIT_USERNAME=$(git config user.name 2>/dev/null || echo "")
+if [[ -z "$GIT_USERNAME" ]]; then
+  error "Could not determine git user.name. Please set it with: git config user.name <name>"
+fi
+# Use the first token (lowercase, no spaces) as the branch prefix
+BRANCH_PREFIX=$(echo "$GIT_USERNAME" | awk '{print $1}' | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]')
+
+BRANCH_NAME="${BRANCH_PREFIX}/version-${NEW_VERSION}"
+
+# ── Show plan ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+info "New version     : $NEW_VERSION"
+info "Target branch   : $TARGET_BRANCH"
+info "New branch      : $BRANCH_NAME"
+echo ""
+
+# ── Confirm with user ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+read -rp "Proceed? [y/N] " confirm
+if [[ ! "$confirm" =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
+  echo "Aborted."
+  exit 0
+fi
+
+echo ""
+
+# ── Create branch from target ────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+cd "$PROJECT_DIR"
+
+info "Fetching latest $TARGET_BRANCH..."
+git fetch origin "$TARGET_BRANCH"
+
+info "Creating branch '$BRANCH_NAME' from origin/$TARGET_BRANCH..."
+git checkout -b "$BRANCH_NAME" "origin/$TARGET_BRANCH"
+
+# ── Read current version (after checkout so we read from the target branch) ──
+
+CURRENT_VERSION=$(grep -oP 'VERSION = "\K[^"]+' "$VERSION_TS")
+info "Current version : $CURRENT_VERSION"
+
+if [[ "$CURRENT_VERSION" == "$NEW_VERSION" ]]; then
+  error "Current version is already $NEW_VERSION. Nothing to do."
+fi
+
+# ── Update version in all files ──────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+info "Updating src/version.ts..."
+sed -i "s/export const VERSION = \"$CURRENT_VERSION\"/export const VERSION = \"$NEW_VERSION\"/" "$VERSION_TS"
+
+info "Updating package.json..."
+sed -i "0,/\"version\": \"$CURRENT_VERSION\"/s//\"version\": \"$NEW_VERSION\"/" "$PACKAGE_JSON"
+
+info "Updating package-lock.json (line 3)..."
+# package-lock.json has the version on line 3 and line 9 — update both
+sed -i "0,/\"version\": \"$CURRENT_VERSION\"/s//\"version\": \"$NEW_VERSION\"/" "$PACKAGE_LOCK"
+
+info "Updating package-lock.json (line 9)..."
+sed -i "0,/\"version\": \"$CURRENT_VERSION\"/s//\"version\": \"$NEW_VERSION\"/" "$PACKAGE_LOCK"
+
+# ── Verify changes ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+info "Verifying updates..."
+
+verify_version() {
+  local file="$1"
+  local expected="$2"
+  if ! grep -q "\"$expected\"" "$file" 2>/dev/null && ! grep -q "\"$expected\"" "$file" 2>/dev/null; then
+    error "Version not found in $file after update. Please check manually."
+  fi
+}
+
+# Check src/version.ts specifically
+if ! grep -q "export const VERSION = \"$NEW_VERSION\"" "$VERSION_TS"; then
+  error "Version not updated in src/version.ts"
+fi
+verify_version "$PACKAGE_JSON" "$NEW_VERSION"
+verify_version "$PACKAGE_LOCK" "$NEW_VERSION"
+
+info "All version files updated ✓"
+echo ""
+
+# ── Commit, push, and create PR ─────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+COMMIT_MSG="version bump $NEW_VERSION"
+
+info "Committing changes..."
+git add "$VERSION_TS" "$PACKAGE_JSON" "$PACKAGE_LOCK"
+git commit -m "$COMMIT_MSG"
+
+info "Pushing branch '$BRANCH_NAME'..."
+git push origin "$BRANCH_NAME"
+
+info "Creating pull request..."
+PR_URL=$(gh pr create \
+  --base "$TARGET_BRANCH" \
+  --head "$BRANCH_NAME" \
+  --title "Version bump $NEW_VERSION" \
+  --body "Bump version from \`$CURRENT_VERSION\` to \`$NEW_VERSION\`.
+
+### Changes
+- \`src/version.ts\` – updated VERSION constant
+- \`package.json\` – updated version field
+- \`package-lock.json\` – updated version fields (lines 3 and 9)
+
+---
+*This PR was created automatically by \`scripts/version-bump.sh\`.*")
+
+echo ""
+info "Done! PR created: $PR_URL"