release: use isolated changelog fragments

.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md

@@ -19,8 +19,10 @@ repeat the entire CI suite locally only to fill this checklist: CI expands the
 selected tier from documentation checks, through affected-package tests, to
 the complete high-risk suite.
 
-- [ ] Exact in-place `CHANGELOG.md`-only check (otherwise `N/A`):
-  `./scripts/policy/check-changelog-pr.sh --fast-path "$(git merge-base HEAD origin/main)" HEAD`
+- [ ] Release fragment added for a user-visible behavior/interface change (otherwise `N/A`):
+  `.changes/<unique-name>.md`; ordinary PRs must not edit `CHANGELOG.md`.
+- [ ] Release-seal validation (otherwise `N/A`):
+  `./scripts/policy/check-changelog-pr.sh --content-only "$(git merge-base HEAD origin/main)" HEAD`
 - [ ] Targeted test/check commands and results:
 - [ ] Behavior evidence (test name, CLI output shape, or before/after result):
 - [ ] Documentation links/content/rendering checked (documentation-only, otherwise

.github/workflows/ci.yml

@@ -1283,6 +1283,12 @@ jobs:
           ./scripts/policy/check-changelog-pr.sh \
             "$mode" "$PR_BASE_SHA" HEAD
 
+      - name: Validate release fragment lifecycle
+        if: github.event_name == 'pull_request'
+        env:
+          PR_BASE_SHA: ${{ github.event.pull_request.base.sha }}
+        run: ./scripts/policy/check-release-fragments.sh "$PR_BASE_SHA" HEAD
+
       - name: Validate trusted main CHANGELOG-only push
         if: github.event_name == 'push' && needs.lint.outputs.changelog_only == 'true'
         env:

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -2793,7 +2793,7 @@ jobs:
             fi
             if test "${{ needs.dispatch-contract.outputs.mode }}" = plan_release; then
               echo
-              echo "Plan only: no tag or package was created. Add the exact \`CHANGELOG.md\` section, merge it to main, then run publish."
+              echo "Plan only: no tag or package was created. Render pending \`.changes/*.md\` fragments into the exact \`CHANGELOG.md\` section, merge the release-seal PR to main, then run publish."
             fi
           } >> "$GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY"