Fix derived lifecycle for date-based release bundles

config/changelog.example.yml

@@ -279,7 +279,9 @@ bundle:
     # Example: Serverless release profile (filter by promotion report, PR, or issue list)
     # serverless-release:
     #   output: "serverless-{version}.yaml"
-    #   output_products: "cloud-serverless {version}"
+    #   output_products: "cloud-serverless {version}"           # omit lifecycle
+    #   # output_products: "cloud-serverless {version} {lifecycle}"  # derive (ga for ISO dates)
+    #   # output_products: "cloud-serverless {version} preview"      # hardcode for exceptional releases
     #   # Optional: profile-specific GitHub repo name (overrides bundle.repo if set).
     #   # Only needed when this profile's product ID differs from the repository name.
     #     repo: elasticsearch

docs/cli/changelog/cmd-bundle.md

@@ -126,6 +126,13 @@ For standard profiles, `{version}` is copied verbatim from your command argument
 | `9.2.0` | `9.2.0` | `ga` |
 | `9.2.0-beta.1` | `9.2.0-beta.1` | `beta` |
 | `9.2.0-preview.1` | `9.2.0-preview.1` | `preview` |
+| `2026-07-21` | `2026-07-21` | `ga` |
+
+Profile mode does not accept lifecycle on the command line. For semver and date-based releases alike, set lifecycle in the profile YAML:
+
+- Omit lifecycle from the pattern (for example, `"cloud-serverless {version}"`) to leave the field out of the bundle.
+- Use `{lifecycle}` to derive it from the version or date argument (as in the table above).
+- Hardcode a lifecycle (for example, `"cloud-serverless {version} ga"` or `"cloud-serverless {version} preview"`) when you need an explicit value. Non-`ga` date-based releases are exceptional and should use a hardcoded lifecycle.
 
 For more information about acceptable product and lifecycle values, go to [Product format](#product-format).
 

docs/contribute/bundle-changelogs.md

@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@ bundle:
 1. This profile collects all changelogs from the `directory`.
 2. This profile collects any changelogs that have `product: cloud-serverless`, any lifecycle, and the date partially specified in the command.
 3. This profile collects any changelogs that have `product: elasticsearch`, `lifecycle: ga`, and the version specified in the command.
-4. In this case, the lifecycle is inferred from the version specified in the command. For example, if the version is `9.2.0-beta.1` the lifecycle is `beta`. Refer to [](/cli/changelog/bundle.md#lifecycle-inference).
+4. In this case, the lifecycle is inferred from the version specified in the command. For example, if the version is `9.2.0-beta.1` the lifecycle is `beta`. ISO date arguments (for example, `2026-07-21`) derive `ga`. Refer to [](/cli/changelog/bundle.md#lifecycle-inference).
+
+For date-based and semver profiles, lifecycle is controlled only in the profile YAML: omit it from the pattern, use `{lifecycle}` to derive it, or hardcode `ga`, `beta`, or `preview`. Non-`ga` date-based releases are exceptional and should hardcode the lifecycle.
 
 :::{note}
 The `products` field determines which changelog files are gathered for consideration. You can still apply [rules](#rules) afterward to further filter changelogs from the bundle. The input stage and bundle filtering stage are conceptually separate.

docs/contribute/configure-changelogs-ref.md

@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ These settings are located in the `bundle.profiles.<name>` section of the config
 :   When set, the products array in the bundle is exactly the value you specify, replacing anything that would be derived from the matched changelogs. Use this to publish a single, authoritative product entry with a specific version and lifecycle.
 :   The `{lifecycle}` placeholder is substituted at runtime with the inferred lifecycle. For `source: github_release` profiles this comes from the release tag suffix. For standard profiles it comes from the version argument. Refer to [](/cli/changelog/bundle.md#lifecycle-inference).
 :   If you omit lifecycle from the pattern (for example, `"elasticsearch {version}"`), the lifecycle field is omitted from the products array entirely.
-:   Example: `"elasticsearch {version} {lifecycle}"` or `"elasticsearch {version} ga"` to hardcode GA regardless of tag.
+:   Example: `"elasticsearch {version} {lifecycle}"` or `"elasticsearch {version} ga"` to hardcode GA regardless of tag. The same omit, derive, and hardcode patterns apply to date-based targets (for example, `"cloud-serverless {version}"`, `"cloud-serverless {version} {lifecycle}"`, or `"cloud-serverless {version} preview"` for exceptional non-GA date releases).
 :   Refer to [](/cli/changelog/bundle.md#product-format).
 
 `owner`

src/Elastic.Documentation.Configuration/Changelog/VersionLifecycleInference.cs

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 // Elasticsearch B.V licenses this file to you under the Apache 2.0 License.
 // See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information
 
+using System.Globalization;
+
 namespace Elastic.Documentation.Configuration.Changelog;
 
 /// <summary>
@@ -10,12 +12,15 @@ namespace Elastic.Documentation.Configuration.Changelog;
 public static class VersionLifecycleInference
 {
 	/// <summary>
-	/// Infers the lifecycle from a semantic version string.
+	/// Infers the lifecycle from a semantic version string or ISO date target.
 	/// </summary>
-	/// <param name="version">The version string (e.g., "1.0.0", "1.0.0-beta.1", "1.0.0-alpha")</param>
+	/// <param name="version">The version string (e.g., "1.0.0", "1.0.0-beta.1", "2026-07-21")</param>
 	/// <returns>The inferred lifecycle string: "ga", "beta", or "preview"</returns>
 	public static string InferLifecycle(string version)
 	{
+		if (DateOnly.TryParseExact(version, "yyyy-MM-dd", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.None, out _))
+			return "ga";
+
 		// Parse semver prerelease
 		var dashIndex = version.IndexOf('-');
 		if (dashIndex < 0)

tests/Elastic.Changelog.Tests/Changelogs/BundleChangelogsTests.cs

@@ -2931,6 +2931,70 @@ public async Task BundleChangelogs_WithProfile_MalformedProductsPattern_EmitsErr
 			d.Message.Contains("elasticsearch 9.2.0 ga extra bad", StringComparison.Ordinal));
 	}
 
+	[Fact]
+	public async Task BundleChangelogs_WithProfile_DateVersionAndLifecyclePlaceholder_WritesGaLifecycle()
+	{
+		// language=yaml
+		var configContent =
+			"""
+			bundle:
+			  profiles:
+			    serverless-release:
+			      output: "serverless-{version}.yaml"
+			      output_products: "cloud-serverless {version} {lifecycle}"
+			""";
+
+		var configPath = FileSystem.Path.Join(Paths.WorkingDirectoryRoot.FullName, Guid.NewGuid().ToString(), "changelog.yml");
+		FileSystem.Directory.CreateDirectory(FileSystem.Path.GetDirectoryName(configPath)!);
+		await FileSystem.File.WriteAllTextAsync(configPath, configContent, TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+
+		// language=yaml
+		var changelog1 =
+			"""
+			title: Serverless feature
+			type: feature
+			products:
+			  - product: cloud-serverless
+			    target: 2026-07-21
+			    lifecycle: ga
+			prs:
+			  - https://github.com/elastic/kibana/pull/100
+			""";
+
+		var file1 = FileSystem.Path.Join(_changelogDir, "1755268130-serverless-feature.yaml");
+		await FileSystem.File.WriteAllTextAsync(file1, changelog1, TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+
+		var prListPath = FileSystem.Path.Join(Paths.WorkingDirectoryRoot.FullName, Guid.NewGuid().ToString(), "prs.txt");
+		FileSystem.Directory.CreateDirectory(FileSystem.Path.GetDirectoryName(prListPath)!);
+		await FileSystem.File.WriteAllTextAsync(prListPath, "https://github.com/elastic/kibana/pull/100\n", TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+
+		var outputDir = FileSystem.Path.Join(Paths.WorkingDirectoryRoot.FullName, Guid.NewGuid().ToString());
+		FileSystem.Directory.CreateDirectory(outputDir);
+
+		var input = new BundleChangelogsArguments
+		{
+			Directory = _changelogDir,
+			Profile = "serverless-release",
+			ProfileArgument = "2026-07-21",
+			ProfileReport = prListPath,
+			Config = configPath,
+			OutputDirectory = outputDir
+		};
+
+		var result = await ServiceWithConfig.BundleChangelogs(Collector, input, TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+
+		result.Should().BeTrue($"Expected bundling to succeed, but got errors: {string.Join("; ", Collector.Diagnostics.Select(d => d.Message))}");
+		Collector.Errors.Should().Be(0);
+
+		var outputFiles = FileSystem.Directory.GetFiles(outputDir, "*.yaml");
+		outputFiles.Should().NotBeEmpty("Expected an output file to be created");
+		var bundleContent = await FileSystem.File.ReadAllTextAsync(outputFiles[0], TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
+
+		bundleContent.Should().Contain("target: 2026-07-21");
+		bundleContent.Should().Contain("lifecycle: ga", "ISO date version args should derive ga lifecycle, not preview");
+		bundleContent.Should().NotContain("lifecycle: preview");
+	}
+
 	[Fact]
 	public async Task BundleChangelogs_WithProfile_RepoAndOwner_WritesValuesToProductEntries()
 	{

tests/Elastic.Documentation.Configuration.Tests/ReleaseNotes/VersionLifecycleInferenceTests.cs

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V under one or more agreements.
+// Elasticsearch B.V licenses this file to you under the Apache 2.0 License.
+// See the LICENSE file in the project root for more information
+
+using AwesomeAssertions;
+using Elastic.Documentation.Configuration.Changelog;
+
+namespace Elastic.Documentation.Configuration.Tests.ReleaseNotes;
+
+public class VersionLifecycleInferenceTests
+{
+	[Theory]
+	[InlineData("9.2.0", "ga")]
+	[InlineData("9.2.0-beta.1", "beta")]
+	[InlineData("9.2.0-preview.1", "preview")]
+	[InlineData("9.2.0-alpha.1", "preview")]
+	[InlineData("9.2.0-rc.1", "ga")]
+	[InlineData("2026-07-21", "ga")]
+	[InlineData("2025-06-01", "ga")]
+	public void InferLifecycle_InfersCorrectly(string version, string expected)
+	{
+		VersionLifecycleInference.InferLifecycle(version).Should().Be(expected);
+	}
+}