diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 1864620..0ee53ab 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -2,12 +2,11 @@ name: Release and Publish
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ main ]
     tags: [ 'v[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+' ]
 
 permissions:
   id-token: write
-  contents: write
+  contents: read
 
 jobs:
   build:
@@ -17,6 +16,8 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - name: Checkout code
         uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
       - name: Set up Python
         uses: actions/setup-python@v6
         with:
@@ -33,27 +34,10 @@ jobs:
           name: dist
           path: dist/
           retention-days: 1
-  release:
-    name: Release to GitHub
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: build
-    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
-    steps:
-      - name: Download artifact
-        uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
-        with:
-          name: dist
-          path: dist/
-      - name: Publish to GitHub release page
-        uses: softprops/action-gh-release@v3
-        with:
-          files: |
-            ./dist/*.whl
-            ./dist/*.tar.gz
   publish:
     name: Publish to PyPI
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: release
+    needs: build
     environment: pypi
     steps:
       - name: Download artifact
diff --git a/.github/workflows/semantic-release.yml b/.github/workflows/semantic-release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..306e3dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/semantic-release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+name: Semantic Release
+
+on:
+  schedule:
+    # 2 AM on Sunday
+    - cron: "0 2 * * 0"
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+concurrency:
+  group: release
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+jobs:
+  semantic-release:
+    if: github.repository == 'substrait-io/substrait-python'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/create-github-app-token@v3
+        id: app-token
+        with:
+          client-id: ${{ secrets.RELEASER_ID }}
+          private-key: ${{ secrets.RELEASER_KEY }}
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v6
+        with:
+          token: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
+          fetch-depth: 0
+          persist-credentials: false
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v6
+        with:
+          node-version: "24"
+      - name: Get bot user ID
+        id: bot-user-id
+        run: |
+          echo "user-id=$(gh api "/users/${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}[bot]" --jq .id)" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
+      - name: Run semantic-release
+        run: ./ci/release/run.sh
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ steps.app-token.outputs.token }}
+          GIT_AUTHOR_NAME: "${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}[bot]"
+          GIT_COMMITTER_NAME: "${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}[bot]"
+          GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL: "${{ steps.bot-user-id.outputs.user-id }}+${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
+          GIT_COMMITTER_EMAIL: "${{ steps.bot-user-id.outputs.user-id }}+${{ steps.app-token.outputs.app-slug }}[bot]@users.noreply.github.com"
diff --git a/.releaserc.json b/.releaserc.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c042b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.releaserc.json
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+{
+  "branches": ["main"],
+  "preset": "conventionalcommits",
+  "plugins": [
+    "@semantic-release/release-notes-generator",
+    [
+      "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer",
+      {
+        "releaseRules": [
+          { "breaking": true, "release": "minor" }
+        ]
+      }
+    ],
+    [
+      "@semantic-release/changelog",
+      {
+        "changelogTitle": "Release Notes\n---",
+        "changelogFile": "CHANGELOG.md"
+      }
+    ],
+    [
+      "@semantic-release/github",
+      {
+        "successComment": false
+      }
+    ],
+    [
+      "@semantic-release/git",
+      {
+        "assets": ["CHANGELOG.md"],
+        "message": "chore(release): ${nextRelease.version}"
+      }
+    ]
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/RELEASING.md b/RELEASING.md
index 300868c..c7e1af0 100644
--- a/RELEASING.md
+++ b/RELEASING.md
@@ -1,14 +1,49 @@
 # Releasing substrait-python
 
-Given that you are a Substrait committer or PMC member and have the appropriate permissions, releasing a new version of substrait-python is done by simply creating new Github Release through the UI:
+Releases of substrait-python are **fully automated** using
+[semantic-release](https://semantic-release.gitbook.io/) and follow the same model
+as the other Substrait projects (e.g. substrait-java).
 
-1. Go to https://github.com/substrait-io/substrait-python/releases
-2. Click `Draft a new release`
-3. Enter the version to be released in the `Tag` field prefixed with a lower case `v`, e.g. `v0.99.0`. Then click `Create new tag` which tells Github to create the tag on publication of the release.
-4. Click `Generate release notes` which will automatically populate the release title and release notes fields.
-5. If you are happy with the release notes and you are ready for an immediate release simply click `Publish release` otherwise save the release as a draft for later.
-6. Monitor the Github Actions release build for the newly created release and tag.
+The [Semantic Release](.github/workflows/semantic-release.yml) workflow runs on a
+weekly schedule (2 AM UTC on Sundays). It inspects the [Conventional
+Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/) merged since the last
+release, computes the next version, updates `CHANGELOG.md`, creates the `vX.Y.Z`
+git tag, and publishes a GitHub Release with auto-generated notes.
+
+Creating the tag triggers the [Release and Publish](.github/workflows/release.yml)
+workflow, which builds the package (the version is derived from the tag via
+`setuptools_scm`) and publishes it to [PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/substrait/)
+using Trusted Publishing.
+
+As a result, there is nothing to do by hand for a normal release — just make sure
+your PR titles/commit messages follow the Conventional Commits specification (this
+is enforced by the [PR Title Check](.github/workflows/pr_title.yml) workflow).
+
+## Triggering an off-cycle release
+
+If you need a release before the next scheduled run (and you are a Substrait
+committer or PMC member with the appropriate permissions):
+
+1. Go to https://github.com/substrait-io/substrait-python/actions/workflows/semantic-release.yml
+2. Click `Run workflow` and select the `main` branch.
+3. Monitor the workflow run, then the triggered `Release and Publish` run, to
+   confirm the new version reaches PyPI.
+
+If there are no release-worthy commits since the last release (only `chore`, `docs`,
+`ci`, etc.), semantic-release will report that no release is necessary and do
+nothing.
 
 ## Versioning
 
-substrait-python follows semantic versioning as described for the Substrait specification here: https://substrait.io/spec/versioning/.
\ No newline at end of file
+Version bumps are derived from commit types:
+
+| Commit type                                  | Version bump |
+| -------------------------------------------- | ------------ |
+| `fix:`                                       | patch        |
+| `feat:`                                      | minor        |
+| breaking change (`feat!:`, `BREAKING CHANGE`)| minor        |
+
+substrait-python follows semantic versioning as described for the Substrait
+specification here: https://substrait.io/spec/versioning/. Because the project is
+pre-1.0, breaking changes produce a **minor** bump rather than a major one (matching
+substrait-java).
diff --git a/ci/release/run.sh b/ci/release/run.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..2f7e8e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/release/run.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+npx --yes \
+  -p semantic-release \
+  -p "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer" \
+  -p "@semantic-release/release-notes-generator" \
+  -p "@semantic-release/changelog" \
+  -p "@semantic-release/github" \
+  -p "@semantic-release/git" \
+  -p "conventional-changelog-conventionalcommits" \
+  semantic-release --ci