build: harden local release verification

docs/reference/RELEASING.md

@@ -34,17 +34,27 @@ OpenClaw has three public release lanes:
 
 ## Release preflight
 
+- Run `pnpm build` before `pnpm release:check` so the expected `dist/*` release
+  artifacts exist for the pack validation step
 - Run `pnpm release:check` before every tagged release
 - Run `RELEASE_TAG=vYYYY.M.D node --import tsx scripts/openclaw-npm-release-check.ts`
   (or the matching beta/correction tag) before approval
 - npm release preflight fails closed unless the tarball includes both
   `dist/control-ui/index.html` and a non-empty `dist/control-ui/assets/` payload
   so we do not ship an empty browser dashboard again
+- Stable macOS release readiness also includes the updater surfaces:
+  - the GitHub release must end up with the packaged `.zip`, `.dmg`, and `.dSYM.zip`
+  - `appcast.xml` on `main` must point at the new stable zip after publish
+  - the packaged app must keep a non-debug bundle id, a non-empty Sparkle feed
+    URL, and a `CFBundleVersion` at or above the canonical Sparkle build floor
+    for that release version
 
 ## Public references
 
 - [`.github/workflows/openclaw-npm-release.yml`](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/main/.github/workflows/openclaw-npm-release.yml)
 - [`scripts/openclaw-npm-release-check.ts`](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/main/scripts/openclaw-npm-release-check.ts)
+- [`scripts/package-mac-dist.sh`](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/main/scripts/package-mac-dist.sh)
+- [`scripts/make_appcast.sh`](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/blob/main/scripts/make_appcast.sh)
 
 Maintainers use the private release docs in
 [`openclaw/maintainers/release/README.md`](https://github.com/openclaw/maintainers/blob/main/release/README.md)