@@ -347,8 +347,8 @@ jobs:
 
   # The umbrella release is created as a draft, so no `release` event reaches a subscriber
   # before its bundle, distributions and video are attached. Publishing it sends the event
-  # with everything in place. A failed video does not hold the release back; a failed bundle
-  # or distribution does, and the release stays a draft for a person to see.
+  # with everything in place. A failed video, bundle or distribution holds the release back, and it
+  # stays a draft for a person to see: no announcement goes out without its video.
   # `--latest` is set here: GitHub refuses it on a draft. GitHub marks whichever release is
   # created last as "Latest", and release-please creates the umbrella and every plugin release
   # in one unordered run, so a plugin release can outrank the marketplace version. Bare
@@ -362,6 +362,7 @@ jobs:
       needs.release-please.outputs.release_created == 'true' &&
       needs.build-and-attach.result == 'success' &&
       needs.build-per-tool.result == 'success' &&
+      needs.build-release-video.result == 'success' &&
       (needs.build-plugin.result == 'success' || needs.build-plugin.result == 'skipped')
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
 
@@ -11,11 +11,6 @@ name: Promote next to main
 
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:
-    inputs:
-      skip_video:
-        description: Promote without checking the release video covers what ships. Urgent only.
-        type: boolean
-        default: false
 
 concurrency:
   group: promote
@@ -44,7 +39,6 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
           REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
           RUN_ID: ${{ github.run_id }}
-          SKIP_VIDEO: ${{ inputs.skip_video }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -61,10 +55,8 @@ jobs:
 
           # What ships needs a scene in the release video, or a written reason to be left out.
           # Checked here, before anything is pushed, so a refusal leaves no branch or PR behind.
-          if [ "${SKIP_VIDEO}" != "true" ]; then
-            git checkout --detach origin/next
-            node .claude/skills/release-video/assets/check-release-video.js
-          fi
+          git checkout --detach origin/next
+          node .claude/skills/release-video/assets/check-release-video.js
 
           # A snapshot of next, never next itself: a PR headed by the live branch widens as
           # work merges in during review. The snapshot is next's exact tip, so the merge base
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ flowchart LR
 2. Open the [promotion `next` to `main`](https://github.com/ai-driven-dev/framework/actions/workflows/promote.yml) once the week's work is ready.
 3. release-please opens a Release PR on `main`: it is auto-merged.
 4. Tags and version bumps are created. The umbrella release is a draft: the bundle, the distributions and the rendered video are attached to it, then it is published. Announcements fire on that publication, with everything in place.
-5. The video is rendered by CI from the plan the promotion checked. A failed video does not hold the release; a failed bundle or distribution does, and the release stays a draft. Publish it by hand with `gh release edit <tag> --draft=false --latest` once fixed.
+5. The video is rendered by CI from the plan the promotion checked. A failed video, bundle or distribution holds the release, and it stays a draft. Publish it by hand with `gh release edit <tag> --draft=false --latest` once fixed.
 6. `main` is back-merged into `next` automatically.
 
 ## 🚑 Hotfix
 
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ Where the project runs and how it ships: CI/CD, environments, and release.
 | `cli-ci.yml` | the `cli` and `kanban` gates, jobs in the CLI bank. No `paths:` filter: a `changes` job decides in bash what has work. Mutations skip only for a verified `promote/next-to-main-*` snapshot; anything unproven keeps normal scopes |
 | `validate.yml` | manifests against their schemas, plus the whole pre-commit over the whole tree |
 | `codeql.yml` | code scanning |
-| `promote.yml` | checks the release video covers what ships (`skip_video` bypasses), opens the `next` to `main` PR, auto-merges |
+| `promote.yml` | checks the release video covers what ships, opens the `next` to `main` PR, auto-merges |
 | `back-merge.yml` | folds `main` into `next` after each release |
 | `dependabot-auto-merge.yml` | merges dependency PRs that pass |
 | `close-finished-milestones.yml` | closes a milestone once its issues are |
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ flowchart TD
 - The Release PR merges with `--merge --admin`: the only method `.github/rulesets/main.json` allows, so `main` never holds merged but unversioned code.
 - Tags: umbrella, `cli-v<semver>`, `<plugin>-v<semver>`. `scripts/credit-release-authors.cjs` appends each author as `(@login)`, a workaround until [googleapis/release-please#2892](https://github.com/googleapis/release-please/pull/2892) ships.
 - The umbrella stays a draft until every asset is attached; its publication is the event n8n listens to.
-- A failed video build does not block publication, and a failed YouTube upload does not stop Discord and Skool: they post without the video link.
+- A failed video build keeps the release a draft, so nothing is announced without its video. A failed YouTube upload does not stop Discord and Skool: they post without the video link.
 
 Config: `release-please-config.json`, eleven packages. Manifest: `.release-please-manifest.json`.
 
 
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ test("a draft cannot be the latest release, so latest is set when it is publishe
   assert.match(publishScript, /gh release edit "\$\{TAG\}" --draft=false --latest/);
 });
 
-test("the release is published once its bundle and distributions are attached, video or not", () => {
+test("the release is published once its bundle, distributions and video are attached", () => {
   assert.deepEqual(publish.needs.sort(), [
     "build-and-attach",
     "build-per-tool",
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ test("the release is published once its bundle and distributions are attached, v
   assert.match(publish.if, /always\(\)/);
   assert.match(publish.if, /needs\.build-and-attach\.result == 'success'/);
   assert.match(publish.if, /needs\.build-per-tool\.result == 'success'/);
-  assert.doesNotMatch(publish.if, /build-release-video/);
+  assert.match(publish.if, /needs\.build-release-video\.result == 'success'/);
 });
 
 test("publishing uses the App token so the release event reaches the other workflows", () => {
 
@@ -11,12 +11,9 @@ const open = promote.jobs.promote.steps.find(
   (step) => step.name === "Open the promote PR, enable merge auto-merge",
 );
 
-test("promote offers a way to skip the release video check", () => {
-  const input = promote.on.workflow_dispatch.inputs.skip_video;
-
-  assert.equal(input.type, "boolean");
-  assert.equal(input.default, false);
-  assert.equal(open.env.SKIP_VIDEO, "${{ inputs.skip_video }}");
+test("promote has no way to skip the release video check", () => {
+  assert.equal(promote.on.workflow_dispatch?.inputs, undefined);
+  assert.equal(open.env.SKIP_VIDEO, undefined);
 });
 
 test("promote checks the release video on next's tip, before it pushes anything", () => {
@@ -28,6 +25,7 @@ test("promote checks the release video on next's tip, before it pushes anything"
   assert.match(open.run, /git checkout --detach origin\/next/);
 });
 
-test("the skip is the only way past the check", () => {
-  assert.match(open.run, /if \[ "\$\{SKIP_VIDEO\}" != "true" \]; then\n\s+git checkout --detach origin\/next\n\s+node \.claude\/skills\/release-video\/assets\/check-release-video\.js\nfi/);
+test("the check runs on every promotion", () => {
+  assert.doesNotMatch(open.run, /SKIP_VIDEO/);
+  assert.match(open.run, /git checkout --detach origin\/next\nnode \.claude\/skills\/release-video\/assets\/check-release-video\.js/);
 });