diff --git a/DOCS-STYLE.md b/DOCS-STYLE.md
index 093f84b..0ad02b6 100644
--- a/DOCS-STYLE.md
+++ b/DOCS-STYLE.md
@@ -80,3 +80,14 @@ parent project) is a delta on the skeleton, not a separate template.
 - The section sits between Development and License.
 - At maturity, the section is deleted wholesale, along with the intro's stability hedge. It is
   never softened in place.
+
+## Changelog
+
+- `CHANGELOG.md` at the repository root. Title heading `# Changelog`.
+- One section per release: `## <version> - YYYY-MM-DD`, newest first. Versions carry no leading `v`.
+- A `## Unreleased` section sits above the newest release section while unreleased changes exist. A pull request that changes observable behavior adds its entry to this section in the same pull request.
+- At release, the `## Unreleased` heading becomes `## <version> - <date>`.
+- An entry is one bullet: a complete sentence, verb-first past tense ("Added", "Fixed", "Removed") or the artifact as subject with "now" stating the new behavior, ending with the pull-request reference in parentheses (`(#NN)`).
+- Entries state observable behavior: API, configuration, wire formats, platform and toolchain support, shipped dependencies. Internal refactors, CI changes, and documentation-only changes get no entry.
+- `**BACKWARDS INCOMPATIBLE:**` prefixes a breaking-change entry; such entries lead their section. `**SECURITY:**` prefixes a security-fix entry. Neither carries further apparatus.
+- An entry for changed existing behavior names the old and the new behavior.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 205509e..5d0e1dc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ Includes:
 - **GitHub Actions CI** — lint / types / docs / test matrix (`python_min` through 3.14)
 - **Release pipeline** — PyPI via Trusted Publishing; projects with a Dockerfile (web services,
   currently) also push a multi-arch image to GHCR. No tokens in either path — Trusted Publishing
-  and `GITHUB_TOKEN` respectively. Once the publish jobs succeed, a tag push creates a GitHub
-  Release with notes from the matching `## <version>` section of `CHANGELOG.md`; the release fails
-  if that section is missing.
+  and `GITHUB_TOKEN` respectively. Once the publish jobs succeed and the published package is
+  verified to install and import, a tag push creates a GitHub Release with notes from the matching
+  `## <version>` section of `CHANGELOG.md`; the release fails if that section is missing.
 - **Dependabot** for actions and dependencies
 - A generated **SETUP.md** — the go-public checklist (branch protection, RTD import, Trusted
   Publisher registration)
diff --git a/template/.github/workflows/release.yml.jinja b/template/.github/workflows/release.yml.jinja
index af0a938..e763d42 100644
--- a/template/.github/workflows/release.yml.jinja
+++ b/template/.github/workflows/release.yml.jinja
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ jobs:
           labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
 [% endif %]
   release:
-    needs: [ [% if native_extension %]wheels, sdist[% else %]build[% endif %], check-version[% if publish_to_pypi %], publish[% endif %][% if web_service %], image[% endif %] ]
+    needs: [ [% if native_extension %]wheels, sdist[% else %]build[% endif %], check-version[% if publish_to_pypi %], publish, smoke[% endif %][% if web_service %], image[% endif %] ]
     if: github.event_name == 'push' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
diff --git a/template/CHANGELOG.md.jinja b/template/CHANGELOG.md.jinja
index 69609bf..8ab2ff6 100644
--- a/template/CHANGELOG.md.jinja
+++ b/template/CHANGELOG.md.jinja
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Changelog
 
-## 0.0.1.dev0
+## Unreleased
 
 - Initial project scaffold.
diff --git a/template/SETUP.md.jinja b/template/SETUP.md.jinja
index 52037b8..ea08b82 100644
--- a/template/SETUP.md.jinja
+++ b/template/SETUP.md.jinja
@@ -51,7 +51,8 @@ Then create the GitHub environment: `gh api -X PUT repos/[[ github_org ]]/[[ rep
 ## 4. Release
 
 ```
-# bump pyproject version and add a matching `## <version>` section to CHANGELOG.md,
+# bump pyproject version and rename CHANGELOG.md's `## Unreleased` heading to
+# `## <version> - <date>` (e.g. `## 0.1.0 - 2026-01-15`),
 # THEN regenerate the lock (uv sync --locked fails otherwise):
 uv lock
 git commit -am "Release 0.1.0" && git push        # via PR if main is protected