diff --git a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
index 6c97bfd4..e295ab5c 100644
--- a/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
+++ b/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
@@ -33,7 +33,11 @@ e.g.
 ## How to test
 
 <!-- Give reviewers some hits or code snippets on how could this be tested -->
-
+```cmd
+make devenv
+source .venv/bin/activate
+make play
+```
 
 ## Checklist
 
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 6667fa3b..635ef2d5 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -11,8 +11,9 @@ SHELL = /bin/bash
 
 OUTPUT_DIR = $(CURDIR)/.output
 TEMPLATE = $(CURDIR)
+VERSION := $(shell cat VERSION)
 
-#-----------------------------------
+# PYTHON ENVIRON -----------------------------------
 .PHONY: devenv
 .venv:
 	@python3 --version
@@ -23,13 +24,9 @@ TEMPLATE = $(CURDIR)
 		wheel \
 		setuptools
 
-requirements.txt: requirements.in
-	# freezes requirements
-	.venv/bin/pip-compile --upgrade --build-isolation --output-file $@ $(word2, $^)
-
 devenv: .venv  ## create a python virtual environment with tools to dev, run and tests cookie-cutter
 	# installing extra tools
-	@$</bin/pip3 install -r requirements.txt
+	@$</bin/pip3 install -r requirements-dev.txt
 	# your dev environment contains
 	@$</bin/pip3 list
 	@echo "To activate the virtual environment, run 'source $</bin/activate'"
@@ -46,7 +43,7 @@ tests: ## tests backed cookie
 		$(CURDIR)/tests
 
 
-#-----------------------------------
+# COOKIECUTTER -----------------------------------
 .PHONY: play
 
 $(OUTPUT_DIR):
@@ -71,6 +68,7 @@ endif
 	@echo "To see generated code, lauch 'code $(OUTPUT_DIR)'"
 
 
+# VERSION BUMP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 .PHONY: version-patch version-minor version-major
 version-patch version-minor version-major: ## commits version as patch (bug fixes not affecting the API), minor/minor (backwards-compatible/INcompatible API addition or changes)
@@ -78,34 +76,82 @@ version-patch version-minor version-major: ## commits version as patch (bug fixe
 	@bump2version --verbose  --list $(subst version-,,$@)
 
 
-#-----------------------------------
-.PHONY: help
-# thanks to https://marmelab.com/blog/2016/02/29/auto-documented-makefile.html
-help: ## this colorful help
-	@echo "Recipes for '$(notdir $(CURDIR))':"
-	@echo ""
-	@awk --posix 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*?## "} /^[[:alpha:][:space:]_-]+:.*?## / {printf "\033[36m%-20s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2}' $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
-	@echo ""
 
-git_clean_args = -dxf --exclude=.vscode/ --exclude=.venv/ --exclude=.python
+# RELEASE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+prod_prefix := v
+_git_get_current_branch = $(shell git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD)
+
+# NOTE: be careful that GNU Make replaces newlines with space which is why this command cannot work using a Make function
+_url_encoded_title = $(VERSION)
+_url_encoded_tag = $(prod_prefix)$(VERSION)
+_url_encoded_target = $(if $(git_sha),$(git_sha),master)
+_prettify_logs = $$(git log \
+		$$(git describe --match="$(prod_prefix)*" --abbrev=0 --tags)..$(if $(git_sha),$(git_sha),HEAD) \
+		--pretty=format:"- %s")
+define _url_encoded_logs
+$(shell \
+	scripts/url-encoder.bash \
+	"$(_prettify_logs)"\
+)
+endef
+_git_get_repo_orga_name = $(shell git config --get remote.origin.url | \
+							grep --perl-regexp --only-matching "((?<=git@github\.com:)|(?<=https:\/\/github\.com\/))(.*?)(?=.git)")
+
+.PHONY: .check-master-branch
+.check-master-branch:
+	@if [ "$(_git_get_current_branch)" != "master" ]; then\
+		echo -e "\e[91mcurrent branch is not master branch."; exit 1;\
+	fi
+
+.PHONY: release
+release pre-release: .check-master-branch ## Creates github release link. Usage: make release-prod git_sha=optional
+	# ensure tags are up-to-date
+	@git pull --tags
+	@echo -e "\e[33mOpen the following link to create a release:";
+	@echo -e "\e[32mhttps://github.com/$(_git_get_repo_orga_name)/releases/new?prerelease=$(if $(findstring pre-, $@),1,0)&target=$(_url_encoded_target)&tag=$(_url_encoded_tag)&title=$(_url_encoded_title)&body=$(_url_encoded_logs)";
+	@echo -e "\e[33mOr open the following link to create a release and paste the logs:";
+	@echo -e "\e[32mhttps://github.com/$(_git_get_repo_orga_name)/releases/new?prerelease=$(if $(findstring pre-, $@),1,0)&target=$(_url_encoded_target)&tag=$(_url_encoded_tag)&title=$(_url_encoded_title)";
+	@echo -e "\e[34m$(_prettify_logs)"
+
+
+# TOOLS  -----------------------------------
+
+.PHONY: info
+info: ## displays info about the scope
+	# python
+	@which python
+	@python --version
+	@which pip
+	@pip --version
+	@pip list
+	@cookiecutter --version
+	# environs
+	@echo "VERSION   : $(VERSION)"
+	@echo "OUTPUT_DIR: $(OUTPUT_DIR)"
+	@echo "TEMPLATE: $(CURDIR)"
+	# cookiecutter config
+	@jq '.' cookiecutter.json
 
 .PHONY: clean clean-force
+
+git_clean_args = -dx --force --exclude=.vscode/ --exclude=.venv/ --exclude=.python
+
 clean: ## cleans all unversioned files in project and temp files create by this makefile
 	# Cleaning unversioned
 	@git clean -n $(git_clean_args)
 	@echo -n "Are you sure? [y/N] " && read ans && [ $${ans:-N} = y ]
 	@echo -n "$(shell whoami), are you REALLY sure? [y/N] " && read ans && [ $${ans:-N} = y ]
 	@git clean $(git_clean_args)
-	-rm -rf $(OUTPUT_DIR)
+	-rm -r --force $(OUTPUT_DIR)
 
 clean-force: clean
 	# removing .venv
-	-@rm -rf .venv
-
+	-@rm -r --force .venv
 
-.PHONY: info
-info: ## displays info about the scope
-	# python
-	@echo $(shell which python)
-	@python --version
-	@echo $(shell which pip)
+.PHONY: help
+help: ## this colorful help
+	@echo "Recipes for '$(notdir $(CURDIR))':"
+	@echo ""
+	@awk --posix 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*?## "} /^[[:alpha:][:space:]_-]+:.*?## / {printf "\033[36m%-20s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2}' $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
+	@echo ""
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements-dev.txt
similarity index 55%
rename from requirements.txt
rename to requirements-dev.txt
index e3e79b8b..e82149b4 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements-dev.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,3 @@ pytest-sugar
 
 # package management
 bump2version
-pip-tools
-yolk3k              # obtains info about installed packages or available in PyPi
-semantic_version    # check compatibility versioning
diff --git a/setup.cfg b/setup.cfg
index b3752bde..db956fbe 100644
--- a/setup.cfg
+++ b/setup.cfg
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [bumpversion]
 current_version = 0.4.0
 commit = True
-message = cookiecutter version: {current_version} → {new_version}
+message = cookiecutter-osparc-service version: {current_version} → {new_version}
 tag = False
 
 [bumpversion:file:VERSION]