diff --git a/.github/workflows/merge-schedule.yml b/.github/workflows/merge-schedule.yml
index c23a0f2..6ebb14b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/merge-schedule.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/merge-schedule.yml
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
-name: Scheduled Merge
+name: Scheduled Merge Reminder
 
-# Enables scheduling a PR merge by adding `/schedule YYYY-MM-DD` to the PR body.
-# The PR must already be approved; this workflow only enables auto-merge, which
-# then goes through the normal merge queue like any other PR.
+# Posts a reminder comment on a PR when its scheduled merge date arrives,
+# triggered by `/remind YYYY-MM-DD` (or the legacy `/schedule YYYY-MM-DD`)
+# in the PR body. The author then enables auto-merge manually so the
+# merge_group event fires under a human actor and CI runs on the queued ref.
 #
 # Usage: add this line anywhere in the PR description:
-#   /schedule 2026-05-15
+#   /remind 2026-05-15
 #
 # Runs daily at 9–10am Eastern (10am EDT / 9am EST). Use workflow_dispatch to trigger immediately.
 
@@ -15,9 +16,8 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
 
 permissions:
-  contents: write
   pull-requests: write
 
 jobs:
-  merge-scheduled-prs:
-    uses: generative-computing/.github/.github/workflows/merge-schedule.yml@b8cf2e2d426256f94f9d908e5fc1bcc134b776a1
+  remind-scheduled-prs:
+    uses: generative-computing/.github/.github/workflows/merge-schedule.yml@d04be3163e78797e20d222e23addb93d74729750
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index 6fc664b..ebc7bb4 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -141,15 +141,17 @@ tags: ["tag1", "tag2", "etc"]
 | `excerpt` | Yes      | Shown on cards and listing page |
 | `tags`    | No       | Array of strings                |
 
+Set `date` to a future date matching when the post will go live, not when it was drafted — PRs typically take days to review.
+
 Use **US spelling** throughout (`color` not `colour`, `organized` not `organised`). This applies regardless of the author's locale — consistency across posts matters more than author preference.
 
-**Scheduling a publish date** — if you want to delay merging until a specific date, optionally add this line anywhere in the PR description:
+**Publish-date reminder** — include this line in the PR description, matching the front matter `date`:
 
 ```text
-/schedule 2026-05-15
+/remind 2026-05-15
 ```
 
-The PR must be approved before the scheduled date; the workflow runs daily at ~9am Eastern and will add the PR to the merge queue when the date arrives.
+A workflow runs daily at ~9am Eastern and posts a reminder comment on the PR once the date arrives, asking the author to enable auto-merge. The PR should be approved by then so it can be enqueued immediately.
 
 Verify with `npm run build` — no config changes or code edits needed.
 
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index a40ea8c..099afa6 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ There are two distinct ways to contribute:
 5. Open a PR against `main` on this repository. A member of the
    **mellea-maintainers** team must approve the PR before it can be merged.
 
-   To delay merging until a specific publish date, optionally add this line anywhere in the PR description:
+   Include this line in the PR description to get a reminder when the post is due to publish:
 
    ```text
-   /schedule 2026-05-15
+   /remind 2026-05-15
    ```
 
-   The PR must be approved before the scheduled date. A workflow runs daily at ~9am Eastern and will add the PR to the merge queue automatically when the date arrives.
+   Use the same date as the front matter `date` field. A workflow runs daily at ~9am Eastern and posts a reminder comment on the PR once the date arrives, asking you to enable auto-merge. The PR should be approved by then so it can be enqueued immediately.
 
 6. Once merged, the CI pipeline builds and deploys the site automatically —
    your post will be live at `mellea.ai/blogs/your-slug` within a few minutes.
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ There are two distinct ways to contribute:
 | `excerpt`     | Yes      | Short summary shown on cards and the listing page    |
 | `tags`        | No       | Array of tag strings                                 |
 
+Set `date` to a future date that reflects when the post will go live, not when it was drafted — PRs typically take days to review.
+
 ### Adding images
 
 Place image files in `public/images/` and reference them with an absolute path from the site root: