diff --git a/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/README.md b/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/README.md
index 1b6ecdc..10f4a80 100644
--- a/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/README.md
+++ b/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/README.md
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@ This GitHub Action deploys a WordPress plugin to the WordPress.org marketplace v
     test-mode: false
 ```
 
+**Note**: For test mode, use `TEST_SVN_USERNAME` and `TEST_SVN_PASSWORD` secrets instead.
+
 ### Testing with dry-run
 
 ```yaml
@@ -40,6 +42,8 @@ Add these secrets to your repository:
 - `TEST_SVN_USERNAME`: Your test SVN username (optional, for test mode)
 - `TEST_SVN_PASSWORD`: Your test SVN password (optional, for test mode)
 
+**Note**: The workflows handle credential selection automatically based on the `test-mode` input.
+
 ### Required GitHub Variables
 
 Add these variables to your repository (Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions > Variables):
@@ -71,9 +75,10 @@ Add these variables to your repository (Settings > Secrets and variables > Actio
 - Standard commit messages
 
 ### Test Mode
-- Uses test SVN credentials (if provided) or defaults
+- Uses test SVN credentials (if provided) or default test credentials
 - Marks commits with "TEST:" prefix
 - Safe for testing without affecting production
+- If test credentials are not set, uses default test values
 
 ### Dry Run Mode
 - No SVN operations performed
diff --git a/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/action.yml b/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/action.yml
index f3575cc..57da155 100644
--- a/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/action.yml
+++ b/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/action.yml
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ runs:
   steps:
     - name: Checkout code
       uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      shell: bash
 
     - name: Deploy to WordPress Marketplace
       run: |
@@ -56,14 +55,9 @@ runs:
         export DRY_RUN="${{ inputs.dry-run }}"
         export TEST_MODE="${{ inputs.test-mode }}"
         
-        # Set SVN credentials based on mode
-        if [ "${{ inputs.test-mode }}" = "true" ]; then
-          export SVN_USERNAME="${{ secrets.TEST_SVN_USERNAME || 'test-user' }}"
-          export SVN_PASSWORD="${{ secrets.TEST_SVN_PASSWORD || 'test-pass' }}"
-        else
-          export SVN_USERNAME="${{ inputs.svn-username }}"
-          export SVN_PASSWORD="${{ inputs.svn-password }}"
-        fi
+        # Set SVN credentials
+        export SVN_USERNAME="${{ inputs.svn-username }}"
+        export SVN_PASSWORD="${{ inputs.svn-password }}"
         
         # Run deployment script
         .github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/scripts/deploy.sh
diff --git a/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/scripts/deploy.sh b/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/scripts/deploy.sh
index dfa106e..43e7410 100755
--- a/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/scripts/deploy.sh
+++ b/.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress/scripts/deploy.sh
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ validate_inputs() {
         exit 1
     fi
     
+    # Set default test credentials if in test mode and credentials are empty
+    if is_test_mode && [ -z "$SVN_USERNAME" ]; then
+        print_status $YELLOW "Warning: TEST_SVN_USERNAME not set, using default test credentials"
+        export SVN_USERNAME="test-user"
+    fi
+    
+    if is_test_mode && [ -z "$SVN_PASSWORD" ]; then
+        print_status $YELLOW "Warning: TEST_SVN_PASSWORD not set, using default test credentials"
+        export SVN_PASSWORD="test-pass"
+    fi
+    
     if ! is_dry_run && [ -z "$SVN_USERNAME" ]; then
         print_status $RED "Error: SVN_USERNAME is required when not in dry-run mode"
         exit 1
@@ -62,6 +73,9 @@ setup_environment() {
             sudo apt-get update
             sudo apt-get install -y subversion
         fi
+        
+        # Check SVN version and capabilities
+        print_status $YELLOW "SVN version: $(svn --version --quiet)"
     fi
 }
 
@@ -145,19 +159,27 @@ handle_svn_operations() {
         cp -r "$ASSETS_DIR"/* svn-repo/assets/
     fi
     
-    # Create version tag
-    print_status $YELLOW "Creating version tag..."
-    svn copy svn-repo/trunk svn-repo/tags/$VERSION -m "Tagging version $VERSION"
-    
-    # Add new files to SVN
+    # Add new files to SVN first (before creating tag)
     print_status $YELLOW "Adding files to SVN..."
     cd svn-repo
-    svn add --force trunk/*
-    svn add --force tags/$VERSION/*
+    
+    # Add trunk files with error handling
+    print_status $YELLOW "Adding trunk files..."
+    svn add --force trunk/* 2>/dev/null || true
+    
+    # Add assets if they exist
     if [ -d "assets" ]; then
+        print_status $YELLOW "Adding assets..."
         svn add --force assets/* 2>/dev/null || true
     fi
     
+    # Create version tag (after adding files to trunk)
+    print_status $YELLOW "Creating version tag..."
+    svn copy trunk tags/$VERSION
+    
+    # Add files in the new tag
+    print_status $YELLOW "Adding tag files..."
+    svn add --force tags/$VERSION/* 2>/dev/null || true
     
     # Commit changes to SVN
     print_status $YELLOW "Committing changes to SVN..."
@@ -165,6 +187,11 @@ handle_svn_operations() {
     if is_test_mode; then
         commit_message="TEST: $commit_message"
     fi
+    
+    # Show status before commit
+    print_status $YELLOW "SVN status before commit:"
+    svn status
+    
     svn commit -m "$commit_message" --username "$SVN_USERNAME" --password "$SVN_PASSWORD" --non-interactive --trust-server-cert
     
     cd ..
diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy-wordpress.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy-wordpress.yml
index 9aa92aa..510232b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy-wordpress.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy-wordpress.yml
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ on:
       version:
         description: 'Plugin version to deploy'
         required: true
-        default: '2.0.8'
+        default: ''
       dry-run:
         description: 'Perform dry run (no actual deployment)'
         required: false
@@ -37,8 +37,8 @@ jobs:
         with:
           version: ${{ github.event.inputs.version || github.ref_name }}
           plugin-slug: ${{ vars.WP_PLUGIN_SLUG || 'siteimprove' }}
-          svn-username: ${{ secrets.WP_SVN_USERNAME }}
-          svn-password: ${{ secrets.WP_SVN_PASSWORD }}
+          svn-username: ${{ github.event.inputs.test-mode && secrets.TEST_SVN_USERNAME || secrets.WP_SVN_USERNAME }}
+          svn-password: ${{ github.event.inputs.test-mode && secrets.TEST_SVN_PASSWORD || secrets.WP_SVN_PASSWORD }}
           svn-url: ${{ vars.WP_SVN_URL || 'https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/siteimprove/' }}
           assets-dir: ${{ vars.WP_ASSETS_DIR || 'wordpress-assets' }}
           dry-run: ${{ github.event.inputs.dry-run || false }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index c96f699..893e23e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ on:
     # Sequence of patterns matched against refs/tags
     tags:
       - 'v*' # Push events to matching v*, i.e. v1.0, v20.15.10
+
 jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -20,14 +21,50 @@ jobs:
         with:
           artifacts: 'siteimprove.zip'
           token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
-      - name: Deploy to WordPress Marketplace
+
+  deploy:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: build
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        include:
+          # Dry run mode
+          - tag_pattern: '-dry-run'
+            mode: 'dry-run'
+            svn_username: ${{ secrets.WP_SVN_USERNAME }}
+            svn_password: ${{ secrets.WP_SVN_PASSWORD }}
+            svn_url: ${{ vars.WP_SVN_URL || 'https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/siteimprove/' }}
+            dry_run: true
+            test_mode: false
+          # Test mode
+          - tag_pattern: '-test'
+            mode: 'test'
+            svn_username: ${{ secrets.TEST_SVN_USERNAME }}
+            svn_password: ${{ secrets.TEST_SVN_PASSWORD }}
+            svn_url: ${{ vars.TEST_SVN_URL }}
+            dry_run: false
+            test_mode: true
+          # Production mode
+          - tag_pattern: 'production'
+            mode: 'production'
+            svn_username: ${{ secrets.WP_SVN_USERNAME }}
+            svn_password: ${{ secrets.WP_SVN_PASSWORD }}
+            svn_url: ${{ vars.WP_SVN_URL || 'https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/siteimprove/' }}
+            dry_run: false
+            test_mode: false
+    if: |
+      (contains(github.ref_name, matrix.tag_pattern) && matrix.tag_pattern != 'production') ||
+      (!contains(github.ref_name, '-test') && !contains(github.ref_name, '-dry-run') && matrix.tag_pattern == 'production')
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@master
+      - name: Deploy to WordPress Marketplace (${{ matrix.mode }})
         uses: ./.github/actions/deploy-to-wordpress
         with:
           version: ${{ github.ref_name }}
           plugin-slug: ${{ vars.WP_PLUGIN_SLUG || 'siteimprove' }}
-          svn-username: ${{ secrets.WP_SVN_USERNAME }}
-          svn-password: ${{ secrets.WP_SVN_PASSWORD }}
-          svn-url: ${{ vars.WP_SVN_URL || 'https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/siteimprove/' }}
+          svn-username: ${{ matrix.svn_username }}
+          svn-password: ${{ matrix.svn_password }}
+          svn-url: ${{ matrix.svn_url }}
           assets-dir: ${{ vars.WP_ASSETS_DIR || 'wordpress-assets' }}
-          dry-run: false
-          test-mode: false
+          dry-run: ${{ matrix.dry_run }}
+          test-mode: ${{ matrix.test_mode }}
diff --git a/RELEASE_GUIDE.md b/RELEASE_GUIDE.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d887215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/RELEASE_GUIDE.md
@@ -0,0 +1,154 @@
+# WordPress Plugin Release Guide
+
+This guide explains how to release your WordPress plugin using different deployment modes.
+
+## 🏷️ **Tag Patterns for Different Modes**
+
+The release workflow automatically detects the deployment mode based on your git tag:
+
+### **1. Dry Run Mode** (Safe Testing)
+```bash
+git tag v2.0.8-dry-run
+git push origin v2.0.8-dry-run
+```
+**What happens:**
+- ✅ Creates GitHub release with zip file
+- ✅ Runs deployment in dry-run mode
+- ✅ Shows what would be deployed
+- ❌ No actual SVN operations
+- ❌ No changes made to any repository
+
+### **2. Test Mode** (Test Repository)
+```bash
+git tag v2.0.8-test
+git push origin v2.0.8-test
+```
+**What happens:**
+- ✅ Creates GitHub release with zip file
+- ✅ Deploys to test SVN repository
+- ✅ Uses test credentials
+- ✅ Marks commits as "TEST:"
+- ❌ No changes to production WordPress.org
+
+### **3. Production Mode** (Live Deployment)
+```bash
+git tag v2.0.8
+git push origin v2.0.8
+```
+**What happens:**
+- ✅ Creates GitHub release with zip file
+- ✅ Deploys to WordPress.org marketplace
+- ✅ Uses production credentials
+- ✅ Live deployment to users
+
+## 🔧 **Prerequisites**
+
+### **Required Secrets**
+- `WP_SVN_USERNAME`: Your WordPress.org SVN username
+- `WP_SVN_PASSWORD`: Your WordPress.org SVN password
+- `TEST_SVN_USERNAME`: Your test SVN username (for test mode)
+- `TEST_SVN_PASSWORD`: Your test SVN password (for test mode)
+
+### **Required Variables**
+- `WP_PLUGIN_SLUG`: Your WordPress.org plugin slug
+- `WP_SVN_URL`: Your WordPress.org SVN repository URL
+- `TEST_SVN_URL`: Your test SVN repository URL
+- `WP_ASSETS_DIR`: Directory containing plugin assets
+
+## 📋 **Release Process**
+
+### **Step 1: Prepare Your Release**
+1. Update version in `siteimprove/siteimprove.php`
+2. Update changelog in `siteimprove/readme.txt`
+3. Commit and push your changes
+4. Test locally with `./scripts/test-deploy.sh`
+
+### **Step 2: Choose Deployment Mode**
+
+#### **For Testing (Recommended First)**
+```bash
+# Dry run to validate everything
+git tag v2.0.8-dry-run
+git push origin v2.0.8-dry-run
+
+# Test with actual SVN operations
+git tag v2.0.8-test
+git push origin v2.0.8-test
+```
+
+#### **For Production**
+```bash
+# Live deployment to WordPress.org
+git tag v2.0.8
+git push origin v2.0.8
+```
+
+### **Step 3: Monitor the Workflow**
+1. Go to **Actions** tab in your repository
+2. Watch the workflow run
+3. Check the logs for any issues
+4. Verify the deployment was successful
+
+## 🎯 **Recommended Workflow**
+
+### **For New Versions:**
+1. **Dry Run**: `v2.0.8-dry-run` - Validate files and process
+2. **Test**: `v2.0.8-test` - Test with real SVN operations
+3. **Production**: `v2.0.8` - Deploy to WordPress.org
+
+### **For Minor Updates:**
+1. **Test**: `v2.0.8-test` - Quick validation
+2. **Production**: `v2.0.8` - Deploy to WordPress.org
+
+## 🔍 **What to Check After Each Release**
+
+### **Dry Run Mode:**
+- ✅ Files are prepared correctly
+- ✅ Version is updated
+- ✅ No errors in the process
+- ✅ Deployment preview looks correct
+
+### **Test Mode:**
+- ✅ Files are committed to test repository
+- ✅ Tag is created in test repository
+- ✅ Commit message starts with "TEST:"
+- ✅ All files are present
+
+### **Production Mode:**
+- ✅ Files are committed to WordPress.org
+- ✅ Tag is created on WordPress.org
+- ✅ Plugin appears on WordPress.org
+- ✅ Version is available for download
+
+## 🚨 **Troubleshooting**
+
+### **Common Issues:**
+
+**"Workflow not triggered"**
+- Ensure tag matches pattern: `v*`, `v*-test`, or `v*-dry-run`
+- Check that tag was pushed to the repository
+
+**"SVN authentication failed"**
+- Verify credentials are set correctly
+- Check that credentials have write access
+- For test mode, ensure test repository exists
+
+**"Files not found"**
+- Ensure `siteimprove/` directory exists
+- Check that main plugin file is present
+- Verify file paths in the action
+
+**"Version already exists"**
+- Use a different version number
+- Delete existing tag if needed
+- Check WordPress.org for existing versions
+
+## 📊 **Workflow Summary**
+
+| Tag Pattern | Mode | SVN Operations | Credentials | Purpose |
+|-------------|------|----------------|-------------|---------|
+| `v2.0.8-dry-run` | Dry Run | ❌ None | Production | Validate files |
+| `v2.0.8-test` | Test | ✅ Test repo | Test | Test deployment |
+| `v2.0.8` | Production | ✅ WordPress.org | Production | Live release |
+
+This approach ensures safe, controlled releases with multiple validation steps before going live. 
\ No newline at end of file