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+.. _release_managers:
+
+**************************
+Release Manager Guidelines
+**************************
+
+.. contents:: Topics
+
+The release manager's purpose is to ensure a smooth release.  To achieve that goal, they need to
+coordinate between:
+
+* Developers with commit privileges on the `Ansible GitHub repository <https://github.com/ansible/ansible/>`_
+* Contributors without commit privileges
+* The community
+* Ansible documentation team
+* Ansible Tower team
+
+Pre-releases: what and why
+==========================
+
+Pre-releases exist to draw testers. They give people who don't feel comfortable running from source
+control a means to get an early version of the code to test and give us feedback. To ensure we get
+good feedback about a release, we need to make sure all major changes in a release are put into
+a pre-release. Testers must be given time to test those changes before the final release. Ideally we
+want there to be sufficient time between pre-releases for people to install and test one version for
+a span of time. Then they can spend more time using the new code than installing the latest
+version.
+
+The right length of time for a tester is probably around two weeks. However, for our three-to-four month
+development cycle to work, we compress this down to one week; any less runs the risk
+of people spending more time installing the code instead of running it. However, if there's a time
+crunch (with a release date that cannot slip), it is better to release with new changes than to hold
+back those changes to give people time to test between. People cannot test what is not released, so
+we have to get those tarballs out there even if people feel they have to install more frequently.
+
+
+Beta releases
+-------------
+
+In a beta release, we know there are still bugs.  We will continue to accept fixes for these.
+Although we review these fixes, sometimes they can be invasive or potentially destabilize other
+areas of the code.
+
+During the beta, we will no longer accept feature submissions.
+
+
+Release candidates
+------------------
+
+In a release candidate, we've fixed all known blockers. Any remaining bugfixes are
+ones that we are willing to leave out of the release. At this point we need user testing to
+determine if there are any other blocker bugs lurking.
+
+Blocker bugs generally are those that cause significant problems for users. Regressions are
+more likely to be considered blockers because they will break present users' usage of Ansible.
+
+The Release Manager will cherry-pick fixes for new release blockers. The release manager will also
+choose whether to accept bugfixes for isolated areas of the code or defer those to the next minor
+release. By themselves, non-blocker bugs will not trigger a new release; they will only make it
+into the next major release if blocker bugs require that a new release be made.
+
+The last RC should be as close to the final as possible. The following things may be changed:
+
+    * Version numbers are changed automatically and will differ as the pre-release tags are removed from
+      the versions.
+    * Tests and :file:`docs/docsite/` can differ if really needed as they do not break runtime.
+      However, the release manager may still reject them as they have the potential to cause
+      breakage that will be visible during the release process.
+
+.. note:: We want to specifically emphasize that code (in :file:`bin/`, :file:`lib/ansible/`, and
+    :file:`setup.py`) must be the same unless there are extraordinary extenuating circumstances.  If
+    there are extenuating circumstances, the Release Manager is responsible for notifying groups
+    (like the Tower Team) which would want to test the code.
+
+
+Ansible release process
+=======================
+
+The release process is kept in a `separate document
+<https://docs.google.com/document/d/10EWLkMesi9s_CK_GmbZlE_ZLhuQr6TBrdMLKo5dnMAI/edit#heading=h.ooo3izcel3cz>`_
+so that it can be easily updated during a release.  If you need access to edit this, please ask one
+of the current release managers to add you.