diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 77d1f7cec0545a216b17f4e1a22820c3f2a27832..fac5f4f55c78b4901a29f5303c3b4932a6b2e9e9 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /.cache/
 /.idea/
 /.nyc_output/
+/build/
 /node_modules/
 /packages/*/node_modules/
 /reports/
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.adoc b/CHANGELOG.adoc
index fed906bbcb2691d0d02461a2f938584632e4e5fe..864f70ebd7069bd2c5c0aee95c9db1049b7fe419 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.adoc
+++ b/CHANGELOG.adoc
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ For a detailed view of what's changed, refer to the {url-repo}/commits[commit hi
 === Changed
 
 * upgrade isomorphic-git and make use of new force flag on branch function
+* automatically set release AsciiDoc attributes in docs descriptor during release (#6)
 
 === Fixed
 
diff --git a/docs/antora.yml b/docs/antora.yml
index bd412138db39963a41b8c35ac108ee46c2861836..2b8ba5e7ce94dc21f0f8f41cff4ef4284b3469de 100644
--- a/docs/antora.yml
+++ b/docs/antora.yml
@@ -4,8 +4,12 @@ version: '1.0'
 prerelease: '.0-alpha.2'
 asciidoc:
   attributes:
-    antora-minimum-version: '3.1'
-    node-version: '16.17.0'
+    version-antora-min: '3.1'
+    version-node-min: '16'
+    version-node: '18.12.0'
+    release-version: '1.0.0-alpha.2'
+    release-dist-tag: latest
+    release-date: '2022-09-02'
     url-repo: https://gitlab.com/antora/antora-collector-extension
     url-chat: https://chat.antora.org
 nav:
diff --git a/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/install.adoc b/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/install.adoc
index fd8f8f5c0c2c4848e2c35630c7881c6fecc5dfec..07f4d902b52010e114a28ffe5d47633da4c0428e 100644
--- a/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/install.adoc
+++ b/docs/modules/ROOT/pages/install.adoc
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 = Install the Collector Extension
 :navtitle: Install
 
-The Antora Collector extension requires Node.js 16 or greater and Antora {antora-minimum-version} or greater.
+The Antora Collector extension requires Node.js {version-node-min} or greater and Antora {version-antora-min} or greater.
 
 == Prerequisites
 
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ If you install the prerequisites and Collector extension globally, conflicts wit
 
 === Node.js
 
-This software requires Node.js 16 or greater.
+This software requires Node.js {version-node-min} or greater.
 To see if you have Node.js installed, and which version, type:
 
  $ node -v
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ You should see a version string, such as:
 
 [subs=attributes+]
  $ node -v
- v{node-version}
+ v{version-node}
 
 If no version number is displayed in your terminal, you need to install Node.js.
 Follow one of these guides to learn how to install nvm and Node.js on your platform.
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ Follow one of these guides to learn how to install nvm and Node.js on your platf
 
 === Antora
 
-The Collector extension requires Antora {antora-minimum-version} or greater.
-To confirm you have Antora {antora-minimum-version} or greater installed in your playbook directory, run:
+The Collector extension requires Antora {version-antora-min} or greater.
+To confirm you have a suitable version of Antora installed, run:
 
  $ npx antora -v
 
 The command should report the version of the Antora CLI and site generator you have installed.
-If you're not yet using Antora {antora-minimum-version} or greater, you need to xref:antora:install:upgrade-antora.adoc[upgrade] to use the Collector extension.
+If you're not yet using Antora {version-antora-min} or greater, you need to xref:antora:install:upgrade-antora.adoc[upgrade] to use the Collector extension.
 
 Once you've satisfied the prerequisites, you're ready to install the Collector extension in your playbook project.
 
diff --git a/npm/postrelease.js b/npm/postrelease.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..36887a06b5b73a2d8b5272b205846ee4b7eac666
--- /dev/null
+++ b/npm/postrelease.js
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const { promises: fsp } = require('fs')
+const ospath = require('path')
+
+const PROJECT_ROOT_DIR = ospath.join(__dirname, '..')
+const DOCS_CONFIG_FILE = ospath.join(PROJECT_ROOT_DIR, 'docs/antora.yml')
+const VERSION = process.env.npm_package_version
+
+function updateDocsConfig () {
+  const hyphenIdx = VERSION.indexOf('-')
+  const main = ~hyphenIdx ? VERSION.substr(0, hyphenIdx) : VERSION
+  const prerelease = ~hyphenIdx ? VERSION.substr(hyphenIdx + 1) : undefined
+  const [major, minor, patch] = main.split('.')
+  return fsp.readFile(DOCS_CONFIG_FILE, 'utf8').then((docsConfig) => {
+    docsConfig = docsConfig
+      .replace(/^version: \S+$/m, `version: ${q(major + '.' + minor)}`)
+      .replace(/^prerelease: \S+$/m, `prerelease: ${prerelease ? q('.' + patch + '-' + prerelease) : 'false'}`)
+    return fsp.writeFile(DOCS_CONFIG_FILE, docsConfig, 'utf8')
+  })
+}
+
+function q (str) {
+  return `'${str}'`
+}
+
+;(async () => {
+  await updateDocsConfig()
+})()
diff --git a/npm/release.sh b/npm/release.sh
index 5bdc423c1fce623c99839d65c265716120253380..7f5a07e1fe15c2805ab32316742591a68a7c7160 100755
--- a/npm/release.sh
+++ b/npm/release.sh
@@ -70,10 +70,12 @@ echo -e "//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=$RELEASE_NPM_TOKEN" > $HOME/.npmrc
   if case $RELEASE_VERSION in 1.0.0-*) ;; *) false;; esac; then
     RELEASE_NPM_TAG=latest
   fi
-  git commit -a -m "release $RELEASE_VERSION [skip ci]"
+  git commit -a -m "release $RELEASE_VERSION"
   git tag -m "version $RELEASE_VERSION" v$RELEASE_VERSION
   git push origin $(git describe --tags --exact-match)
   npm publish --access public --tag $RELEASE_NPM_TAG $(node npm/publish-workspace-args.js)
+  npm run postrelease
+  git commit -a -m "prepare branch for development [skip ci]"
   git push origin $RELEASE_BRANCH
 )
 exit_code=$?
diff --git a/npm/version.js b/npm/version.js
index 44fc8b56f02a0a40cfc22062ec95bedf5dc1d791..cd6d22bef9b6c71c30d34f5d66788fdde9a4db4f 100644
--- a/npm/version.js
+++ b/npm/version.js
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const { promises: fsp } = require('fs')
+const https = require('https')
 const ospath = require('path')
 
+const NODEJS_RELEASES_URL = 'https://nodejs.org/dist/index.json'
 const PROJECT_ROOT_DIR = ospath.join(__dirname, '..')
 const CHANGELOG_FILE = ospath.join(PROJECT_ROOT_DIR, 'CHANGELOG.adoc')
 const DOCS_CONFIG_FILE = ospath.join(PROJECT_ROOT_DIR, 'docs/antora.yml')
@@ -10,27 +12,63 @@ const PACKAGE_LOCK_FILE = ospath.join(PROJECT_ROOT_DIR, 'package-lock.json')
 const PACKAGES_DIR = ospath.join(PROJECT_ROOT_DIR, 'packages')
 const VERSION = process.env.npm_package_version
 
-function getCurrentDate () {
-  const now = new Date()
+function compareSemVer (a, b) {
+  const componentsA = a.split('.')
+  const componentsB = b.split('.')
+  for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+    const numA = Number(componentsA[i])
+    const numB = Number(componentsB[i])
+    if (numA > numB) return 1
+    if (numB > numA) return -1
+  }
+  return 0
+}
+
+function getCurrentDate (now = new Date()) {
   return new Date(now.getTime() - now.getTimezoneOffset() * 60000)
 }
 
-function updateDocsConfig () {
-  const hyphenIdx = VERSION.indexOf('-')
-  const base = ~hyphenIdx ? VERSION.substr(0, hyphenIdx) : VERSION
-  const [major, minor, patch] = base.split('.')
-  const prerelease = ~hyphenIdx ? VERSION.substr(hyphenIdx + 1) : undefined
-  return fsp
-    .readFile(DOCS_CONFIG_FILE, 'utf8')
-    .then((docsConfig) =>
-      fsp.writeFile(
-        DOCS_CONFIG_FILE,
-        docsConfig
-          .replace(/^version: \S+$/m, `version: ${q(major + '.' + minor)}`)
-          .replace(/^prerelease: \S+$/m, `prerelease: ${prerelease ? q('.' + patch + '-' + prerelease) : 'false'}`),
-        'utf8'
-      )
-    )
+function getToolVersions (major) {
+  return readFromURL(NODEJS_RELEASES_URL)
+    .then(JSON.parse)
+    .then((data) => {
+      data.forEach((it) => {
+        if (it.version.charAt() === 'v') it.version = it.version.substr(1)
+      })
+      data.sort(({ version: a }, { version: b }) => compareSemVer(b, a))
+      const { version, npm } = data.find(major ? ({ version }) => version.startsWith(major + '.') : ({ lts }) => lts)
+      return { nodeVersion: version, npmVersion: npm }
+    })
+}
+
+function readFromURL (url) {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const buffer = []
+    https
+      .get(url, (response) => {
+        response.on('data', (chunk) => buffer.push(chunk.toString()))
+        response.on('end', () => resolve(buffer.join('').trimRight()))
+      })
+      .on('error', reject)
+  })
+}
+
+function updateDocsConfig (releaseDate) {
+  return getToolVersions().then(({ nodeVersion }) =>
+    fsp.readFile(DOCS_CONFIG_FILE, 'utf8').then((contents) => {
+      const prerelease = ~VERSION.indexOf('-')
+      const distTag = prerelease && !VERSION.startsWith('1.0.0-') ? 'testing' : 'latest'
+      contents = contents
+        .replace(/^(version:) \S+$/m, `$1 ${q(VERSION)}`)
+        .replace(/^(prerelease:) \S+$/m, `$1 ${prerelease ? 'true' : 'false'}`)
+        .replace(/^( {4}release-version:) \S+$/m, `$1 ${q(VERSION)}`)
+        .replace(/^( {4}release-dist-tag:) \S+$/m, `$1 ${distTag}`)
+        .replace(/^( {4}release-date:) \S+$/m, `$1 ${q(releaseDate)}`)
+        .replace(/^( {4}version-node-major:) \S+$/m, `$1 ${q(nodeVersion.split('.')[0])}`)
+        .replace(/^( {4}version-node:) \S+$/m, `$1 ${q(nodeVersion)}`)
+      return fsp.writeFile(DOCS_CONFIG_FILE, contents, 'utf8')
+    })
+  )
 }
 
 function updateChangelog (releaseDate) {
@@ -89,7 +127,7 @@ function q (str) {
 
 ;(async () => {
   const releaseDate = getCurrentDate().toISOString().split('T')[0]
-  await updateDocsConfig()
+  await updateDocsConfig(releaseDate)
   await updateChangelog(releaseDate)
   await updatePackageLock()
 })()
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 946dc217657973b399766a7e2d9b6ba2f395e09c..0d004da70929078235285c279fe81efd25171d00 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
     "coverage": "nyc _mocha",
     "format": "node npm/format.js packages/${npm_config_package},npm",
     "lint": "eslint \"{docs,npm}/**/*.js\" \"packages/${npm_config_package:-*}/{lib,test}/**/*.js\"",
+    "postrelease": "node npm/postrelease.js",
     "test": "_mocha",
     "version": "node npm/version.js"
   },