diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index f846cbc7..f59051ce 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -315,14 +315,15 @@ jobs:
 
   publish-npm:
     needs: [release-context, asset-gate]
-    # Temporarily disable npm publishing by setting repo variable SKIP_NPM=true
-    # (e.g. while the npm token can't publish — 2FA-bypass granular token not yet
-    # configured). The job is cleanly SKIPPED (gray), not failed/masked. Clear
-    # the SKIP_NPM repo variable to re-enable. See RELEASE.md.
+    # Temporarily disable npm publishing by setting repo variable SKIP_NPM=true.
+    # The job is cleanly SKIPPED (gray), not failed/masked. Clear the SKIP_NPM
+    # repo variable to re-enable. Publishing authenticates through npm trusted
+    # publishing (OIDC), configured per package on npmjs.com. See RELEASE.md.
     if: ${{ vars.SKIP_NPM != 'true' }}
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
+      id-token: write # npm trusted publishing (OIDC), no token secret
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
@@ -333,6 +334,11 @@ jobs:
           node-version: 22
           registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org
 
+      # Trusted publishing needs npm 11.5.1 or later; the npm bundled with
+      # Node 22 is older.
+      - name: Update npm for trusted publishing
+        run: npm install -g npm@latest
+
       - name: Download and verify platform release assets
         shell: bash
         env:
@@ -352,7 +358,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Idempotent publish (platform packages)
         shell: bash
         env:
-          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
           VERSION: ${{ needs.release-context.outputs.version }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
@@ -405,7 +410,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Idempotent publish (main package)
         shell: bash
         env:
-          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
           VERSION: ${{ needs.release-context.outputs.version }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
@@ -576,6 +580,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       contents: read
+      id-token: write # npm trusted publishing (OIDC), no token secret
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
         with:
@@ -586,6 +591,11 @@ jobs:
           node-version: 22
           registry-url: https://registry.npmjs.org
 
+      # Trusted publishing needs npm 11.5.1 or later; the npm bundled with
+      # Node 22 is older.
+      - name: Update npm for trusted publishing
+        run: npm install -g npm@latest
+
       - name: Build + test
         shell: bash
         run: |
@@ -598,7 +608,6 @@ jobs:
       - name: Idempotent publish
         shell: bash
         env:
-          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
           VERSION: ${{ needs.release-context.outputs.version }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
diff --git a/RELEASE.md b/RELEASE.md
index f3fa9ecf..9f497b43 100644
--- a/RELEASE.md
+++ b/RELEASE.md
@@ -48,15 +48,17 @@ The pipeline is idempotent — re-run is safe.
 
 ### Temporarily disabling npm publishing
 
-If the npm token can't publish (npm now rejects classic automation tokens with
-`403 ... two-factor authentication ... required`), set the repo variable
-`SKIP_NPM=true` (`gh variable set SKIP_NPM --body true`). `publish-npm` is then
-cleanly **skipped** (gray, not failed) and `verify-publish` records npm as
-`skipped` — the release goes green on every other registry. **Re-enable** by
-clearing it (`gh variable delete SKIP_NPM`) once `NPM_TOKEN` is a *granular*
-access token with publish permission (these bypass 2FA), or after configuring
-npm OIDC trusted publishing for each package (the workflow already grants
-`id-token: write`).
+npm publishing uses **trusted publishing** (OIDC): no token secret, nothing to
+rotate. Each package on npmjs.com lists this repository and `release.yml` as its
+trusted publisher (package page > Settings > Trusted Publisher > GitHub Actions:
+user `us`, repository `crw`, workflow filename `release.yml`, no environment).
+The packages are `crw-mcp`, `crw-mcp-darwin-arm64`, `crw-mcp-darwin-x64`,
+`crw-mcp-linux-arm64`, `crw-mcp-linux-x64` and `crw-sdk`. A new platform
+package needs that entry once before its first release. If npm publishing has
+to be paused, set the repo variable `SKIP_NPM=true`
+(`gh variable set SKIP_NPM --body true`): `publish-npm` and `publish-npm-sdk` are
+then cleanly **skipped** (gray, not failed) and `verify-publish` records npm as
+`skipped`. Re-enable with `gh variable delete SKIP_NPM`.
 
 ### A version was published with broken metadata (e.g. wrong npm optionalDeps)
 
@@ -77,7 +79,7 @@ These tags were cut while the release pipeline silently failed (cargo publish ou
 | -------------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
 | `CARGO_REGISTRY_TOKEN` | `publish-crates`               | crates.io account → API tokens → revoke + create new with `publish-update` scope |
 | `PYPI_TOKEN`         | `publish-pypi`                   | pypi.org account → API tokens → scoped to project `crw` |
-| `NPM_TOKEN`          | `publish-npm`                    | npmjs.com → access tokens → automation token |
+| npm (no secret)      | `publish-npm`, `publish-npm-sdk` | trusted publishing, configured per package on npmjs.com; nothing to rotate |
 | `GH_DISPATCH_PAT`    | `dispatch-release`, `update-apt`, `update-homebrew` | GitHub fine-grained PAT with `actions:write` on this repo + `us/apt-crw` + `us/homebrew-crw` |
 
 `GITHUB_TOKEN` is auto-provisioned and does not need rotation.