diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
index 1101091..73becda 100644
--- a/.gitattributes
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -17,3 +17,21 @@
 /handoff.md export-ignore
 /kickoff-prompt.md export-ignore
 /docs export-ignore
+
+# Release tooling + the dev-only in-dashboard release bridge — private-CI / dev-box only.
+/scripts/promote.sh export-ignore
+/app/Livewire/Release export-ignore
+/app/Services/ReleaseBridge.php export-ignore
+/app/Services/ReleasePlanner.php export-ignore
+/app/Services/PipelineStatus.php export-ignore
+/resources/views/livewire/release export-ignore
+/lang/de/release.php export-ignore
+/lang/en/release.php export-ignore
+/docker/release export-ignore
+# …and their tests (which reference the dev-only classes above). NOTE: ReleaseChecker.php,
+# ReleaseCheckerTest.php and VersionUpdateCheckTest.php are PUBLIC (the update-available check) — do NOT ignore them.
+/tests/Feature/PipelineStatusTest.php export-ignore
+/tests/Feature/ReleaseBridgeTest.php export-ignore
+/tests/Feature/ReleaseGatingTest.php export-ignore
+/tests/Feature/ReleasePageTest.php export-ignore
+/tests/Unit/ReleasePlannerTest.php export-ignore