diff --git a/.github/workflows/check-release.yml b/.github/workflows/check-release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..335ab9d037
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/check-release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+name: Check Release
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: ["master"]
+  pull_request:
+    branches: ["*"]
+
+jobs:
+  check_release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v2
+      - name: Install Python
+        uses: actions/setup-python@v2
+        with:
+          python-version: 3.9
+          architecture: "x64"
+      - name: Get pip cache dir
+        id: pip-cache
+        run: |
+          echo "::set-output name=dir::$(pip cache dir)"
+      - name: Cache pip
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
+        with:
+          path: ${{ steps.pip-cache.outputs.dir }}
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-pip-${{ hashFiles('setup.cfg') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-pip-
+            ${{ runner.os }}-pip-
+      - name: Cache checked links
+        uses: actions/cache@v2
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cache/pytest-link-check
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-linkcheck-${{ hashFiles('**/.md') }}-md-links
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-linkcheck-
+      - name: Upgrade packaging dependencies
+        run: |
+          pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel --user
+      - name: Install Dependencies
+        run: |
+          pip install -e .
+      - name: Check Release
+        uses: jupyter-server/jupyter_releaser/.github/actions/check-release@v1
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-linux.yml b/.github/workflows/python-linux.yml
index 8fedfc3ecc..eed4081e39 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-linux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-linux.yml
@@ -68,13 +68,3 @@ jobs:
         pushd test_install
         ./bin/pytest --pyargs jupyter_server
         popd
-    - name: Check the Manifest
-      run: |
-        pip install check-manifest
-        git clean -dfx
-        check-manifest -v
-    - name: Check Version Bump
-      run: |
-        pip install tbump
-        tbump --non-interactive --only-patch 100.1.1
-        git checkout .
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 4295da3404..8771c93299 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
+<!-- <START NEW CHANGELOG ENTRY> -->
+
 ## 1.6.4
 
 ([Full Changelog](https://github.com/jupyter-server/jupyter_server/compare/v1.6.3...68a64ea13be5d0d86460f04e0c47eb0b6662a0af))
@@ -16,6 +18,8 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 [@afshin](https://github.com/search?q=repo%3Ajupyter-server%2Fjupyter_server+involves%3Aafshin+updated%3A2021-04-21..2021-04-21&type=Issues)
 
+<!-- <END NEW CHANGELOG ENTRY> -->
+
 ## 1.6.3
 
 ([Full Changelog](https://github.com/jupyter-server/jupyter_server/compare/v1.6.2...aa2636795ae1d87e3055febb3931f891dd6b4451))
diff --git a/MANIFEST.in b/MANIFEST.in
index 84c24303cc..70ccbaaa91 100644
--- a/MANIFEST.in
+++ b/MANIFEST.in
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@ prune docs/dist
 global-exclude *~
 global-exclude *.pyc
 global-exclude *.pyo
-global-exclude .git
-global-exclude .ipynb_checkpoints
-global-exclude .pytest_cache
-global-exclude .coverage
+prune .git
+prune **/.ipynb_checkpoints
+prune **/.pytest_cache
+prune **/.coverage
+prune **/.pytest_cache
diff --git a/RELEASE.md b/RELEASE.md
index b492af54d0..a785a28701 100644
--- a/RELEASE.md
+++ b/RELEASE.md
@@ -1,36 +1,48 @@
 # Making a Jupyter Server Release
-To create a release, perform the following steps...
 
-## Set up
-```
+## Using `jupyter_releaser`
+
+The recommended way to make a release is to use [`jupyter_releaser`](https://github.com/jupyter-server/jupyter_releaser#checklist-for-adoption).
+
+## Manual Release
+
+To create a manual release, perform the following steps:
+
+### Set up
+
+```bash
 pip install tbump twine build
 git pull origin $(git branch --show-current)
 git clean -dffx
 ```
 
-## Update the version and apply the tag
-```
+### Update the version and apply the tag
+
+```bash
 echo "Enter new version"
 read script_version
 tbump ${script_version}
 ```
 
-## Build the artifacts
-```
+### Build the artifacts
+
+```bash
 rm -rf dist
 python -m build .
 ```
 
-## Update the version back to dev
-```
+### Update the version back to dev
+
+```bash
 echo "Enter dev version"
 read dev_version
 tbump ${dev_version} --no-tag
 git push origin $(git branch --show-current)
 ```
 
-## Publish the artifacts to pypi
-```
+### Publish the artifacts to pypi
+
+```bash
 twine check dist/*
 twine upload dist/*
 ```