diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 56a08eb..03233d9 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.PHONY: install sync test lint format typecheck check generate docs clean build
+.PHONY: install sync test lint format typecheck check generate docs clean build bump release
 
 # Bootstrap: install + dev deps, build the local venv.
 install sync:
@@ -73,3 +73,21 @@ clean:
 # Build wheel + sdist via hatchling.
 build:
 	uv build
+
+# Bump the version (pyproject.toml + src/zenrows/__version__.py) and relock.
+# PART defaults to patch; pass PART=minor, PART=major, or an explicit X.Y.Z.
+# Local-only: stages the change but does not commit, push, or tag.
+PART ?= patch
+bump:
+	uv run python scripts/bump_version.py $(PART)
+	uv lock
+	git add pyproject.toml src/zenrows/__version__.py uv.lock
+
+# Bump, commit, push to main, and cut the GitHub release that triggers the
+# PyPI publish workflow (.github/workflows/release.yml). Pushes to main and
+# publishes a public release — confirm the diff before running this.
+release: bump
+	$(eval NEW_VERSION := $(shell grep -m1 '^version = ' pyproject.toml | sed -E 's/version = "(.*)"/\1/'))
+	git commit -m "chore: bump version to $(NEW_VERSION)"
+	git push origin main
+	gh release create "v$(NEW_VERSION)" --title "v$(NEW_VERSION)" --generate-notes
diff --git a/scripts/bump_version.py b/scripts/bump_version.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6ef1d1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/bump_version.py
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+"""Bump the SDK version in pyproject.toml and src/zenrows/__version__.py.
+
+Usage:
+    uv run python scripts/bump_version.py patch|minor|major|<explicit-version>
+
+Keeps the two hardcoded version strings in sync (there's no dynamic
+versioning set up — hatchling reads pyproject.toml's `version` directly).
+"""
+
+import re
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent
+PYPROJECT = ROOT / "pyproject.toml"
+VERSION_FILE = ROOT / "src" / "zenrows" / "__version__.py"
+
+VERSION_RE = re.compile(r"^(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)$")
+
+
+def current_version() -> str:
+    text = PYPROJECT.read_text()
+    match = re.search(r'^version = "(.*)"$', text, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+    if not match:
+        raise SystemExit("could not find version = \"...\" in pyproject.toml")
+    return match.group(1)
+
+
+def next_version(current: str, bump: str) -> str:
+    match = VERSION_RE.match(current)
+    if match:
+        major, minor, patch = (int(part) for part in match.groups())
+        if bump == "major":
+            return f"{major + 1}.0.0"
+        if bump == "minor":
+            return f"{major}.{minor + 1}.0"
+        if bump == "patch":
+            return f"{major}.{minor}.{patch + 1}"
+    # Not patch/minor/major, or current version isn't plain semver: treat
+    # the argument as an explicit version string.
+    if not VERSION_RE.match(bump):
+        raise SystemExit(f"'{bump}' is not 'patch', 'minor', 'major', or a X.Y.Z version")
+    return bump
+
+
+def write_version(path: Path, pattern: str, replacement: str) -> None:
+    text = path.read_text()
+    new_text, count = re.subn(pattern, replacement, text, count=1, flags=re.MULTILINE)
+    if count != 1:
+        raise SystemExit(f"could not find version string to replace in {path}")
+    path.write_text(new_text)
+
+
+def main() -> None:
+    if len(sys.argv) != 2:
+        raise SystemExit(__doc__)
+
+    old = current_version()
+    new = next_version(old, sys.argv[1])
+
+    write_version(PYPROJECT, r'^version = ".*"$', f'version = "{new}"')
+    write_version(VERSION_FILE, r'^__version__ = ".*"$', f'__version__ = "{new}"')
+
+    print(f"{old} -> {new}")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()