Studio Admin Guide: Gated release - from Promote to live in production

Last updated: July 16, 2026

Gated release: from Promote to live in production

This picks up after your repository is connected. For the one-time connection setup (GitHub App or GitLab token), see Studio Admin Guide.

When your organization uses Gated release, publishing in Studio and going live on your Canvas instance are two separate steps, owned by two different people:

  1. You Promote (in Studio). At Final Review, click Promote to (your repo). Studio opens a pull request (GitHub) or merge request (GitLab) in your team's repository containing the finished plugin's source. That's where Studio's job ends — it does not install anything on your Canvas instance.

  2. Your technical team reviews and merges (in GitHub/GitLab). A reviewer approves and merges the request on your team's schedule. The plugin's code is now in your repository.

  3. Your team installs it on your Canvas instance. Merging alone does not put the plugin on production — a final install step is required, and your team controls it. This usually happens one of two ways:

    • Manually, with the Canvas CLI pointed at your production instance: canvas install <plugin> --host <your-instance> (this validates, packages, and uploads the plugin).

    • Automatically, through a pipeline your team sets up — for example, a GitHub Action that runs on merge and installs the plugin for you.



Because that last step is yours, Gated release gives your technical team the final say over what reaches production — that's the "gate." (If you'd rather Studio install straight to a Canvas instance with no repository step, your Studio Admin can switch you to Direct release instead.)

Shipping updates later. After a plugin is Promoted, the project's final stage reads Promoted. To send a change downstream, ask the assistant to bump the plugin's version, then click Promote updates — Studio adds the change to the open request, or opens a new one if the previous request was already merged or closed. Your team reviews and installs it just like the first time.

FAQ additions

Q: I merged the request Studio opened, but the plugin isn't on my Canvas instance. Why?
A: Merging only puts the code in your repository. Under Gated release, a separate install step — run by your technical team, manually or through your own pipeline — is what puts the plugin on your Canvas instance. Check with whoever owns your deployment process.

Q: Who installs the plugin under Gated release?
A: Your technical team, using their own process. Studio hands off a reviewed pull/merge request and does not install to your instance itself. (Under Direct release, Studio does the install for you.)

Keywords to append: gated release, promote, pull request, merge request, production install, canvas install, CI/CD