@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ name: CI
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [main]
+    branches: [main, dev]
   pull_request:
     branches: [main]
   workflow_dispatch:
 
@@ -45,8 +45,12 @@ jobs:
         shell: powershell
         run: .\pack.ps1 -OutDir dist
 
+      # vX.Y.Z-beta.N is a test release: marked as pre-release, never "Latest", so 'xpplens update' does not offer it
+      # ('xpplens update --pre' does).
       - name: Publish the release
         shell: pwsh
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
-        run: gh release create $env:TAG "dist/xpp-lens-$env:VERSION.zip" --title "xpp-lens $env:VERSION" --notes-file dist/notes.md --verify-tag --latest
+        run: |
+          $kind = if ($env:TAG -match '-') { '--prerelease' } else { '--latest' }
+          gh release create $env:TAG "dist/xpp-lens-$env:VERSION.zip" --title "xpp-lens $env:VERSION" --notes-file dist/notes.md --verify-tag $kind
@@ -3,6 +3,22 @@
 All notable changes to xpp-lens (called xpp-graft up to 1.2.0). Versions follow `<Version>` in
 `src/XppLens/XppLens.csproj`; release tags are `vX.Y.Z`.
 
+## 1.3.0 — unreleased
+
+### Added
+- Test releases: a version can first be published as `X.Y.Z-beta.N`, marked as a pre-release on GitHub.
+  `xpplens update` never offers it; `xpplens update --install --pre` installs the newest release including test
+  releases, so a new version can be tried on one machine before everyone gets it. The regular `X.Y.Z` later
+  replaces a test release through the usual `xpplens update --install`.
+- `xpplens version`, `status` and the MCP server report the full version of a test release (`1.3.0-beta.1`); versions
+  compare with test releases before their final version (`1.3.0-beta.2` < `1.3.0`).
+
+### Development
+- Work happens on the branch `dev`; `main` always holds the last regular release. `release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z -Pre`
+  publishes a test release from `dev`; `release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z` opens the pull request `dev` → `main`, waits
+  for its CI, merges it (merge commit), tags the merge and publishes the release, then moves `dev` to `main`.
+  CI also runs for pushes to `dev`. The release notes of a test release come from the section of its final version.
+
 ## 1.2.9 — 2026-10-14
 
 ### Fixed
 
@@ -43,7 +43,8 @@ it (SHA-256 checked) and runs its installer — settings and index are kept. Run
 does the same. Claude does not have to be closed: an `xpplens.exe` used by an open session is renamed to `*.old`
 (deleted later), so that session keeps the old version and new sessions start the new one. At the end the installer
 offers to restart Claude Desktop (`xpplens update --install --restart-claude` or `install.ps1 -RestartClaude`: without
-asking); in Claude Code `/mcp` → reconnect xpp-lens does the same for one session.
+asking); in Claude Code `/mcp` → reconnect xpp-lens does the same for one session. Test releases (`X.Y.Z-beta.N`)
+are offered only with `--pre`: `xpplens update --install --pre`.
 
 Useful parameters:
 
@@ -255,15 +256,19 @@ Adding a test: put the XML the case needs into `Fixtures` (keep names neutral
 
 ### Releasing a new version
 
-Add the section `## X.Y.Z — unreleased` to `CHANGELOG.md`, then:
+Work happens on the branch `dev`; `main` always holds the last regular release. Add the section
+`## X.Y.Z — unreleased` to `CHANGELOG.md`, then on `dev`:
 
 ```powershell
-.\release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z          # everything below, stops at the first failure
+.\release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z -Pre     # test release X.Y.Z-beta.N (pre-release; xpplens update --install --pre)
+.\release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z          # regular release: pull request dev -> main, merge, tag, publish
 .\release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z -DryRun  # checks, scan, build and tests only
 ```
 
-It dates the section, sets `<Version>`, scans every file for private names, builds and tests, commits and pushes
-`main`, waits for CI, tags, waits for the Release workflow and checks the published package (SHA-256, layout).
+Both stop at the first failure. They set `<Version>`, scan every file for private names, build and test, commit
+and push `dev` and wait for CI. A test release is then tagged on `dev`; a regular release dates the CHANGELOG
+section, merges `dev` into `main` through a pull request (merge commit) and is tagged on `main`, after which `dev` is
+moved to `main`. Both wait for the Release workflow and check the published package (SHA-256, layout, kind).
 The private names (customers, partners, people) come from a local list that is never part of the repository:
 `-ScanList <file>`, the `XPPLENS_SCAN_LIST` variable, or `%USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills\xpp-lens-release\scan-names.txt`
 — one regular expression per line, `!word` for allowed words. Without the list the release stops.
 
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ z nowszej paczki. Nie trzeba zamykać Claude'a: `xpplens.exe` używany przez otw
 (usuwaną później), więc ta sesja działa dalej na starej wersji, a nowe sesje startują już na nowej. Na końcu instalator
 proponuje ponowne uruchomienie Claude Desktop (`xpplens update --install --restart-claude` albo
 `install.ps1 -RestartClaude` — bez pytania); w Claude Code to samo dla jednej sesji daje `/mcp` → reconnect xpp-lens.
+Wydania testowe (`X.Y.Z-beta.N`) są proponowane tylko z `--pre`: `xpplens update --install --pre`.
 
 Przydatne parametry:
 
@@ -256,16 +257,20 @@ w `QueryTests.cs`, który woła zapytanie i sprawdza tekst odpowiedzi. Uruchamia
 
 ### Wydanie nowej wersji
 
-Dopisz w `CHANGELOG.md` sekcję `## X.Y.Z — unreleased`, potem:
+Praca idzie na gałęzi `dev`; `main` zawsze zawiera ostatnie zwykłe wydanie. Dopisz w `CHANGELOG.md` sekcję
+`## X.Y.Z — unreleased`, potem na `dev`:
 
 ```powershell
-.\release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z          # wszystko poniżej, staje na pierwszym błędzie
+.\release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z -Pre     # wydanie testowe X.Y.Z-beta.N (pre-release; xpplens update --install --pre)
+.\release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z          # zwykłe wydanie: pull request dev -> main, scalenie, tag, publikacja
 .\release.ps1 -Version X.Y.Z -DryRun  # tylko kontrole, skan, build i testy
 ```
 
-Skrypt wstawia datę w sekcji, ustawia `<Version>`, skanuje wszystkie pliki pod nazwy prywatne, buduje i testuje,
-robi commit i push `main`, czeka na CI, zakłada tag, czeka na workflow Release i sprawdza opublikowaną paczkę
-(SHA-256, układ). Nazwy prywatne (klienci, partnerzy, ludzie) pochodzą z lokalnej listy, która nigdy nie trafia do
+Oba warianty stają na pierwszym błędzie. Ustawiają `<Version>`, skanują wszystkie pliki pod nazwy prywatne,
+budują i testują, robią commit i push `dev` i czekają na CI. Wydanie testowe dostaje tag na `dev`; zwykłe wstawia
+datę w sekcji CHANGELOG, scala `dev` do `main` przez pull request (zwykłe scalanie) i dostaje tag na `main`, po czym
+`dev` przesuwa się do `main`. Oba czekają na workflow Release i sprawdzają opublikowaną paczkę (SHA-256, układ,
+rodzaj wydania). Nazwy prywatne (klienci, partnerzy, ludzie) pochodzą z lokalnej listy, która nigdy nie trafia do
 repozytorium: `-ScanList <plik>`, zmienna `XPPLENS_SCAN_LIST` albo
 `%USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills\xpp-lens-release\scan-names.txt` — jedno wyrażenie regularne w linii, `!słowo` dla
 dozwolonych słów. Bez listy wydanie się zatrzymuje.
 
@@ -21,20 +21,33 @@ $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
 $changelog = [IO.File]::ReadAllText((Join-Path $PSScriptRoot 'CHANGELOG.md'), [Text.Encoding]::UTF8) -replace "`r`n", "`n"
 $lines = $changelog -split "`n"
 
+# A test release (1.3.0-beta.2) is described by the section of the version it leads to (## 1.3.0 - unreleased).
+$isTest = $Version -match '-'
+$sectionVersion = ($Version -split '-')[0]
 $start = -1
 for ($i = 0; $i -lt $lines.Count; $i++) {
-    if ($lines[$i] -match ('^## ' + [regex]::Escape($Version) + '(\s|$)')) { $start = $i; break }
+    if ($lines[$i] -match ('^## ' + [regex]::Escape($sectionVersion) + '(\s|$)')) { $start = $i; break }
 }
-if ($start -lt 0) { throw "CHANGELOG.md has no section '## $Version'" }
+if ($start -lt 0) { throw "CHANGELOG.md has no section '## $sectionVersion'" }
 $end = $lines.Count
 for ($i = $start + 1; $i -lt $lines.Count; $i++) {
     if ($lines[$i] -match '^## ') { $end = $i; break }
 }
 $section = if ($end - 1 -gt $start) { ($lines[($start + 1)..($end - 1)] -join "`n").Trim() } else { '' }
 if (-not $section) { throw "the CHANGELOG.md section for $Version is empty" }
 
+$testNote = if ($isTest) {
+    @"
+**Test release** of $sectionVersion, for trying it out before the regular release. ``xpplens update`` does not offer
+it; install it with ``xpplens update --install --pre`` (available from 1.3.0). The regular $sectionVersion replaces it
+through the usual ``xpplens update --install``.
+
+
+"@
+} else { '' }
+
 $notes = @"
-X++ (Dynamics 365 F&O) code index served to AI assistants over MCP.
+$($testNote)X++ (Dynamics 365 F&O) code index served to AI assistants over MCP.
 
 ## Install
 
@@ -44,9 +57,9 @@ Download ``xpp-lens-$Version.zip``, unzip it and run in a regular (non-admin) Po
 powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\xpp-lens\install.ps1 -Languages en-US,pl
 ``````
 
-Self-contained build - no .NET required on the target machine. Already installed? Close Claude and run
+Self-contained build - no .NET required on the target machine. Already installed? Run
 ``xpplens update --install`` (available from 1.2.2), or ``install.ps1`` from this package - your settings and
-index are kept.
+index are kept, Claude may stay open (from 1.2.5).
 
 ## Changes