diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
index 808f69b99..d06c71db7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -27,14 +27,15 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       release-type:
-        description: "Release type (patch/minor/major)"
+        description: "Release type — 'auto' derives it from conventional commits since the last tag"
         type: choice
         required: true
         options:
+          - auto
           - patch
           - minor
           - major
-        default: patch
+        default: auto
       prerelease:
         description: "Prerelease channel (or 'none' for stable)"
         type: choice
@@ -271,7 +272,13 @@ jobs:
         env:
           GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REPO_TOKEN }}
         run: |
-          ARGS="${{ inputs.release-type }} --ci"
+          # 'auto' → pass no increment so @release-it/conventional-changelog derives
+          # the bump (feat→minor, fix→patch, BREAKING/! →major) from the commits since
+          # the last tag. patch/minor/major stay available as an explicit override.
+          ARGS="--ci"
+          if [ "${{ inputs.release-type }}" != "auto" ]; then
+            ARGS="${{ inputs.release-type }} $ARGS"
+          fi
           if [ "${{ inputs.prerelease }}" != "none" ]; then
             ARGS="$ARGS --preRelease=${{ inputs.prerelease }}"
           fi
diff --git a/RELEASING.md b/RELEASING.md
index ad5d49aef..d35a489ea 100644
--- a/RELEASING.md
+++ b/RELEASING.md
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Releases are cut from `main` via a GitHub Actions workflow. Only maintainers wit
 1. Go to **Actions** → **Publish** in the repository.
 2. Click **Run workflow**.
 3. Choose inputs:
-   - **Release type**: `patch`, `minor`, or `major` (semver bump).
+   - **Release type**: `auto` (default) derives the semver bump from the conventional commits since the last tag. Pick `patch`, `minor`, or `major` only to force a specific bump.
    - **Prerelease channel**:
      - `none` — stable release (publishes to npm with tag `latest`).
      - `alpha`, `beta`, or `rc` — prerelease (publishes with matching npm tag).
@@ -24,6 +24,20 @@ The workflow:
 - Publishes the updated packages to npm with the appropriate dist-tag.
 - Verifies the published dist-tags.
 
+## Automatic version selection (`auto`)
+
+With `release-type: auto` you don't pick the bump — `@release-it/conventional-changelog`
+computes it from the commit types since the last `vX.Y.Z` tag:
+
+- any `BREAKING CHANGE` / `!` → **major**
+- any `feat` → **minor**
+- otherwise (`fix`, `perf`, …) → **patch**
+
+**Breaking changes must be marked in the commit title.** Merges are squashed, so the
+PR title becomes the only commit message and the PR body (and any `BREAKING CHANGE:`
+footer) is dropped. A breaking change therefore has to use the `!` form in the PR
+title — `feat(x)!: …` or `fix(x)!: …` — or `auto` will under-bump it to a minor/patch.
+
 ## Release Cycles
 
 Typical paths through the workflow, assuming the repo is currently at `2.0.0-alpha.33`.