diff --git a/src/manifest.ts b/src/manifest.ts
index d2746c1..96fea15 100644
--- a/src/manifest.ts
+++ b/src/manifest.ts
@@ -154,6 +154,48 @@ const customScriptsSchema = z.object({
   releaseVerification: z.string().min(1).optional()
 });
 
+const DEFAULT_RELEASE_CHANGELOG_CATEGORIES = [
+  { title: "Features", labels: ["type:feature"] },
+  { title: "Fixes", labels: ["type:bug"] },
+  { title: "Operations", labels: ["area:infra", "area:qa"] },
+  { title: "Documentation", labels: ["kind:docs", "documentation"] }
+];
+
+const releaseChangelogCategorySchema = z.object({
+  title: z.string().min(1),
+  labels: z.array(z.string().min(1)).min(1)
+});
+
+const releaseChangelogSchema = z.object({
+  enabled: z.boolean().optional(),
+  mode: z.enum(["github-generated-notes"]).optional(),
+  categories: z.array(releaseChangelogCategorySchema).optional()
+});
+
+const releaseVersionSchema = z.object({
+  type: z.enum(["npm", "python", "container"]),
+  path: z.string().min(1)
+});
+
+const releaseArtifactSchema = z.object({
+  directory: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+  checksum: z.enum(["sha256", "none"]).optional(),
+  sbom: z.enum(["required", "optional", "disabled"]).optional()
+});
+
+const releaseContainerPublishSchema = z.object({
+  image: z.string().min(1),
+  updateMajorTag: z.boolean().optional(),
+  updateMinorTag: z.boolean().optional(),
+  updateLatestTag: z.boolean().optional()
+});
+
+const releasePublishSchema = z.object({
+  githubReleaseAssets: z.boolean().optional(),
+  packages: z.array(z.string().min(1)).optional(),
+  containers: z.array(releaseContainerPublishSchema).optional()
+});
+
 const manifestSchema = z.object({
   version: z.literal(1).optional(),
   project: z.object({
@@ -240,7 +282,11 @@ const manifestSchema = z.object({
       updateMajorTag: z.boolean().optional(),
       updateMinorTag: z.boolean().optional(),
       reusableWorkflowRepo: z.string().min(1).optional(),
-      reusableWorkflowRef: z.string().min(1).optional()
+      reusableWorkflowRef: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+      changelog: releaseChangelogSchema.optional(),
+      versions: z.array(releaseVersionSchema).optional(),
+      artifacts: releaseArtifactSchema.optional(),
+      publish: releasePublishSchema.optional()
     })
     .optional(),
   agents: z
@@ -524,7 +570,29 @@ export function normalizeManifest(raw: z.input<typeof manifestSchema>): Bootstra
       updateMajorTag: parsed.release?.updateMajorTag ?? true,
       updateMinorTag: parsed.release?.updateMinorTag ?? true,
       reusableWorkflowRepo: parsed.release?.reusableWorkflowRepo ?? `${parsed.project.owner}/bootstrap`,
-      reusableWorkflowRef: parsed.release?.reusableWorkflowRef ?? "refs/heads/main"
+      reusableWorkflowRef: parsed.release?.reusableWorkflowRef ?? "refs/heads/main",
+      changelog: {
+        enabled: parsed.release?.changelog?.enabled ?? true,
+        mode: parsed.release?.changelog?.mode ?? "github-generated-notes",
+        categories: parsed.release?.changelog?.categories ?? DEFAULT_RELEASE_CHANGELOG_CATEGORIES
+      },
+      versions: parsed.release?.versions ?? [],
+      artifacts: {
+        directory: parsed.release?.artifacts?.directory ?? "dist/release",
+        checksum: parsed.release?.artifacts?.checksum ?? "sha256",
+        sbom: parsed.release?.artifacts?.sbom ?? "optional"
+      },
+      publish: {
+        githubReleaseAssets: parsed.release?.publish?.githubReleaseAssets ?? true,
+        packages: parsed.release?.publish?.packages ?? [],
+        containers:
+          parsed.release?.publish?.containers?.map((container) => ({
+            image: container.image,
+            updateMajorTag: container.updateMajorTag ?? true,
+            updateMinorTag: container.updateMinorTag ?? true,
+            updateLatestTag: container.updateLatestTag ?? false
+          })) ?? []
+      }
     },
     agents: {
       manageCodexHome: parsed.agents?.manageCodexHome ?? true,
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index 0c8d2b7..7bbf484 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,46 @@ export interface CustomScriptsConfig {
   releaseVerification?: string;
 }
 
+export type ReleaseChangelogMode = "github-generated-notes";
+export type ReleaseVersionType = "npm" | "python" | "container";
+export type ReleaseChecksumType = "sha256" | "none";
+export type ReleaseSbomMode = "required" | "optional" | "disabled";
+
+export interface ReleaseChangelogCategory {
+  title: string;
+  labels: string[];
+}
+
+export interface ReleaseChangelogConfig {
+  enabled: boolean;
+  mode: ReleaseChangelogMode;
+  categories: ReleaseChangelogCategory[];
+}
+
+export interface ReleaseVersionSurface {
+  type: ReleaseVersionType;
+  path: string;
+}
+
+export interface ReleaseArtifactConfig {
+  directory: string;
+  checksum: ReleaseChecksumType;
+  sbom: ReleaseSbomMode;
+}
+
+export interface ReleaseContainerPublishConfig {
+  image: string;
+  updateMajorTag: boolean;
+  updateMinorTag: boolean;
+  updateLatestTag: boolean;
+}
+
+export interface ReleasePublishConfig {
+  githubReleaseAssets: boolean;
+  packages: string[];
+  containers: ReleaseContainerPublishConfig[];
+}
+
 export interface OrganizationSecurityDefaults {
   dependabotAlerts: boolean;
   dependabotSecurityUpdates: boolean;
@@ -150,6 +190,10 @@ export interface BootstrapManifest {
     updateMinorTag: boolean;
     reusableWorkflowRepo: string;
     reusableWorkflowRef: string;
+    changelog: ReleaseChangelogConfig;
+    versions: ReleaseVersionSurface[];
+    artifacts: ReleaseArtifactConfig;
+    publish: ReleasePublishConfig;
   };
   agents: {
     manageCodexHome: boolean;
diff --git a/tests/manifest.test.ts b/tests/manifest.test.ts
index 73fc439..63f9fa7 100644
--- a/tests/manifest.test.ts
+++ b/tests/manifest.test.ts
@@ -45,7 +45,28 @@ describe("normalizeManifest", () => {
       updateMajorTag: true,
       updateMinorTag: true,
       reusableWorkflowRepo: "acme/bootstrap",
-      reusableWorkflowRef: "refs/heads/main"
+      reusableWorkflowRef: "refs/heads/main",
+      changelog: {
+        enabled: true,
+        mode: "github-generated-notes",
+        categories: [
+          { title: "Features", labels: ["type:feature"] },
+          { title: "Fixes", labels: ["type:bug"] },
+          { title: "Operations", labels: ["area:infra", "area:qa"] },
+          { title: "Documentation", labels: ["kind:docs", "documentation"] }
+        ]
+      },
+      versions: [],
+      artifacts: {
+        directory: "dist/release",
+        checksum: "sha256",
+        sbom: "optional"
+      },
+      publish: {
+        githubReleaseAssets: true,
+        packages: [],
+        containers: []
+      }
     });
     expect(manifest.environments.stage.reviewers).toEqual(["alice", "acme/platform"]);
     expect(manifest.environments.prod.branches).toEqual(["main"]);
@@ -206,7 +227,30 @@ describe("normalizeManifest", () => {
         createGitHubRelease: false,
         updateMajorTag: true,
         updateMinorTag: false,
-        reusableWorkflowRef: "refs/tags/v1"
+        reusableWorkflowRef: "refs/tags/v1",
+        changelog: {
+          enabled: false,
+          categories: [{ title: "Infrastructure", labels: ["area:infra"] }]
+        },
+        versions: [
+          { type: "npm", path: "package.json" },
+          { type: "python", path: "pyproject.toml" }
+        ],
+        artifacts: {
+          directory: "build/release",
+          checksum: "none",
+          sbom: "disabled"
+        },
+        publish: {
+          githubReleaseAssets: false,
+          packages: ["npm"],
+          containers: [
+            {
+              image: "ghcr.io/omt-global/release-repo",
+              updateLatestTag: true
+            }
+          ]
+        }
       }
     });
 
@@ -217,7 +261,67 @@ describe("normalizeManifest", () => {
       updateMajorTag: true,
       updateMinorTag: false,
       reusableWorkflowRepo: "OMT-Global/bootstrap",
-      reusableWorkflowRef: "refs/tags/v1"
+      reusableWorkflowRef: "refs/tags/v1",
+      changelog: {
+        enabled: false,
+        mode: "github-generated-notes",
+        categories: [{ title: "Infrastructure", labels: ["area:infra"] }]
+      },
+      versions: [
+        { type: "npm", path: "package.json" },
+        { type: "python", path: "pyproject.toml" }
+      ],
+      artifacts: {
+        directory: "build/release",
+        checksum: "none",
+        sbom: "disabled"
+      },
+      publish: {
+        githubReleaseAssets: false,
+        packages: ["npm"],
+        containers: [
+          {
+            image: "ghcr.io/omt-global/release-repo",
+            updateMajorTag: true,
+            updateMinorTag: true,
+            updateLatestTag: true
+          }
+        ]
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("normalizes release automation extension defaults", () => {
+    const manifest = normalizeManifest({
+      project: {
+        name: "release-repo",
+        owner: "OMT-Global"
+      },
+      archetype: {
+        kind: "generic-empty"
+      }
+    });
+
+    expect(manifest.release.changelog).toEqual({
+      enabled: true,
+      mode: "github-generated-notes",
+      categories: [
+        { title: "Features", labels: ["type:feature"] },
+        { title: "Fixes", labels: ["type:bug"] },
+        { title: "Operations", labels: ["area:infra", "area:qa"] },
+        { title: "Documentation", labels: ["kind:docs", "documentation"] }
+      ]
+    });
+    expect(manifest.release.versions).toEqual([]);
+    expect(manifest.release.artifacts).toEqual({
+      directory: "dist/release",
+      checksum: "sha256",
+      sbom: "optional"
+    });
+    expect(manifest.release.publish).toEqual({
+      githubReleaseAssets: true,
+      packages: [],
+      containers: []
     });
   });