Release Branch
A branch cut to stabilize a set of features before they ship, usually mapped to a UAT org.
Definition
A release branch is a Git branch cut from develop, or main, once a set of features is ready to ship, used to stabilize a release, apply final fixes, and cut a production deployment without pulling in new, unrelated work that lands afterward. In GitFlow and similar models, the release branch becomes the source of truth for what actually ships, and gets merged back into both main and develop once released, so the fix history stays consistent everywhere. For Salesforce teams, a release branch typically corresponds to a UAT or staging org, giving stakeholders a stable environment to validate before production. The coordination challenge is real: someone has to decide what's included, freeze the branch, and manage any late fixes without reopening it to unrelated changes. Our Salesforce DevOps guide covers release management as part of a full DevOps process.
How it works in Serpent
Serpent builds a release from the set of tasks marked ready, giving the same stabilization benefit as a release branch without a developer managing branch creation, merges, and cleanup manually. Staging and UAT environments stay synced automatically as part of the release process, so stakeholders get the equivalent of a release branch's stable environment without extra setup. Late fixes are added as their own tracked tasks, keeping the release scope clear throughout. See release management in Serpent for how releases are built and shipped.
Start free. No credit card, no install, no commitment.
Set up in under 15 minutes. No DevOps hire needed.