diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8d5d374..ef77578 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -174,6 +174,10 @@ jobs:
             echo "failed=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
 
+      # Every CI, build and release outcome goes to #pipelines only (operator
+      # decision 2026-10-06). A failed release is flagged with 🚨 because it can
+      # leave a version on npm without its tag or GitHub release, which blocks
+      # every following release PR.
       - name: "Post to #pipelines"
         uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@v2
         with:
@@ -181,13 +185,13 @@ jobs:
           webhook-type: incoming-webhook
           payload: |
             {
-              "text": "${{ steps.payload.outputs.failed == 'true' && '🔴' || needs.release.outputs.proceed == 'true' && '📦' || '🟢' }} 10x-cli pipeline",
+              "text": "${{ needs.release.result == 'failure' && '🚨 10x-cli release failure' || format('{0} 10x-cli pipeline', steps.payload.outputs.failed == 'true' && '🔴' || needs.release.outputs.proceed == 'true' && '📦' || '🟢') }}",
               "blocks": [
                 {
                   "type": "header",
                   "text": {
                     "type": "plain_text",
-                    "text": "${{ steps.payload.outputs.failed == 'true' && '🔴' || needs.release.outputs.proceed == 'true' && '📦' || '🟢' }} 10x-cli${{ needs.release.outputs.proceed == 'true' && format(' — v{0}', needs.release.outputs.version) || '' }}"
+                    "text": "${{ needs.release.result == 'failure' && '🚨' || steps.payload.outputs.failed == 'true' && '🔴' || needs.release.outputs.proceed == 'true' && '📦' || '🟢' }} 10x-cli${{ needs.release.result == 'failure' && ' — RELEASE FAILURE' || '' }}${{ needs.release.outputs.proceed == 'true' && format(' — v{0}', needs.release.outputs.version) || '' }}"
                   }
                 },
                 {
@@ -202,60 +206,7 @@ jobs:
                   "elements": [
                     {
                       "type": "mrkdwn",
-                      "text": "📝 <${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/commit/${{ github.sha }}|`${{ github.sha }}`> ${{ steps.payload.outputs.commit_msg }}  ·  👤 ${{ github.actor }}  ·  <${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}|🔗 Workflow>${{ needs.release.result == 'failure' && '  ·  🔔 see #alerting' || '' }}"
-                    }
-                  ]
-                }
-              ]
-            }
-
-      # #alerting carries production problems only. A test failure on master is
-      # reported above; a failed release can leave a version on npm without its
-      # tag or GitHub release, which blocks every following release PR.
-      - name: "Post to #alerting"
-        if: needs.release.result == 'failure'
-        uses: slackapi/slack-github-action@v2
-        with:
-          webhook: ${{ secrets.SLACK_ALERTS_WEBHOOK_URL }}
-          webhook-type: incoming-webhook
-          payload: |
-            {
-              "text": "🚨 10x-cli release failure",
-              "blocks": [
-                {
-                  "type": "header",
-                  "text": {
-                    "type": "plain_text",
-                    "text": "🚨 10x-cli — RELEASE FAILURE"
-                  }
-                },
-                {
-                  "type": "section",
-                  "fields": [
-                    { "type": "mrkdwn", "text": "*npm + release*\n❌ failed${{ needs.release.outputs.version != '' && format(' (v{0}, {1})', needs.release.outputs.version, needs.release.outputs.reason) || '' }}" }
-                  ]
-                },
-                {
-                  "type": "divider"
-                },
-                {
-                  "type": "section",
-                  "text": {
-                    "type": "mrkdwn",
-                    "text": "📝 *Commit:* <${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/commit/${{ github.sha }}|`${{ github.sha }}`>\n${{ steps.payload.outputs.commit_msg }}\n\n👤 *Author:* ${{ github.actor }}"
-                  },
-                  "accessory": {
-                    "type": "button",
-                    "text": { "type": "plain_text", "text": "View Run" },
-                    "url": "${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}"
-                  }
-                },
-                {
-                  "type": "context",
-                  "elements": [
-                    {
-                      "type": "mrkdwn",
-                      "text": "🔍 <${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/commit/${{ github.sha }}|Commit diff>  ·  📜 <${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}|Full logs>  ·  📦 <https://www.npmjs.com/package/@przeprogramowani/10x-cli|npm package>"
+                      "text": "📝 <${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/commit/${{ github.sha }}|`${{ github.sha }}`> ${{ steps.payload.outputs.commit_msg }}  ·  👤 ${{ github.actor }}  ·  <${{ github.server_url }}/${{ github.repository }}/actions/runs/${{ github.run_id }}|🔗 Workflow>${{ needs.release.result == 'failure' && '  ·  🚨 release failure: check npm for a version without its tag or GitHub release' || '' }}"
                     }
                   ]
                 }
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 5c94cbc..6260b84 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ bun run generate-types     # refetch /openapi.json → src/generated/api-types.t
 
 `generate-types` hits the production delivery API by default. To regenerate against a local backend: `API_BASE_URL=http://localhost:8787 bun run generate-types`. The same env var is read at CLI runtime by `resolveApiBase()` to point the CLI at a non-production API. **The allowlist is strict**: only the exact production host or `http://localhost` / `http://127.0.0.1` (any port) are accepted — any other URL throws and exits 2. If you need a staging host, add it explicitly to `PROD_HOSTNAME` / `DEV_HOSTNAMES` in `src/lib/api-client.ts`.
 
-CI (`.github/workflows/ci.yml`) retains typecheck, lint, helper validation, unit/integration tests, both builds and smoke on every PR. The Linux unit suite also exercises the shared runner regressions; Windows retains native checks, which run on master pushes only (PRs skip `check-windows`). Pipeline status goes to Slack #pipelines; only a failed release also posts to #alerting. Use `bun run quality:fast` after edits, `bun run quality:affected --base <SHA>` for branch changes, and `bun run quality:gate` for the complete matching offline scope; see `.quality/README.md`.
+CI (`.github/workflows/ci.yml`) retains typecheck, lint, helper validation, unit/integration tests, both builds and smoke on every PR. The Linux unit suite also exercises the shared runner regressions; Windows retains native checks, which run on master pushes only (PRs skip `check-windows`). Pipeline status, including a failed release (flagged 🚨), goes to Slack #pipelines only. Use `bun run quality:fast` after edits, `bun run quality:affected --base <SHA>` for branch changes, and `bun run quality:gate` for the complete matching offline scope; see `.quality/README.md`.
 
 ## Architecture
 
diff --git a/tests/release-workflow.test.ts b/tests/release-workflow.test.ts
index 9c359e4..83d0d6e 100644
--- a/tests/release-workflow.test.ts
+++ b/tests/release-workflow.test.ts
@@ -99,16 +99,21 @@ describe("the notification reports the publication that actually exists", () =>
     expect(rendered).toContain("needs.release.outputs.version");
   });
 
-  // #alerting is for production problems. Test failures stay in #pipelines;
-  // only a failed release (possibly a half-finished publication) pages.
-  it("sends only a failed release to #alerting", () => {
+  // Operator decision 2026-10-06: CI, build and release failures go to
+  // #pipelines only. The alerts webhook (#observability) is not for CI, and a
+  // failed release must stand out there instead of pointing elsewhere.
+  it("posts every outcome, including a failed release, to #pipelines only", () => {
+    const source = readFileSync(new URL("../.github/workflows/ci.yml", import.meta.url), "utf8");
+    expect(source.includes("SLACK_ALERTS_WEBHOOK_URL"), "ci.yml must not post to the alerts webhook").toBe(false);
     const steps = workflow.jobs["notify-slack"].steps;
-    const alerting = steps.filter((step: any) => JSON.stringify(step).includes("SLACK_ALERTS_WEBHOOK_URL"));
-    expect(alerting).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(alerting[0].if).toBe("needs.release.result == 'failure'");
-    const pipelines = steps.find((step: any) => step.with?.webhook === "${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL }}");
+    const slack = steps.filter((step: any) => step.uses?.startsWith("slackapi/slack-github-action@"));
+    expect(slack).toHaveLength(1);
+    const pipelines = slack[0];
+    expect(pipelines.with.webhook).toBe("${{ secrets.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL }}");
     expect(pipelines.if).toBeUndefined();
-    expect(pipelines.with.payload).toContain("needs.release.result == 'failure' && '  ·  🔔 see #alerting'");
+    expect(pipelines.with.payload).toContain("needs.release.result == 'failure' && '🚨 10x-cli release failure'");
+    expect(pipelines.with.payload).toContain("needs.release.result == 'failure' && ' — RELEASE FAILURE'");
+    expect(pipelines.with.payload).not.toContain("#alerting");
   });
 
   it("keeps the commit message out of the payload expression", () => {
@@ -156,7 +161,7 @@ describe("version preparation stays a trusted, narrow writer", () => {
 });
 
 describe("step and job names render as written", () => {
-  // An unquoted `name: Post to #alerting` is a YAML comment from ` #` on, so the
+  // An unquoted `name: Post to #pipelines` is a YAML comment from ` #` on, so the
   // run page showed both Slack steps as "Post to" (VG33).
   const prepare = parse(readFileSync(new URL("../.github/workflows/prepare-version.yml", import.meta.url), "utf8"));
   const names = Object.entries({ "ci.yml": workflow, "publish-npm.yml": publish, "prepare-version.yml": prepare }).flatMap(([file, wf]) =>
@@ -174,7 +179,6 @@ describe("step and job names render as written", () => {
   it("names the Slack channel each notification step posts to", () => {
     const steps = (workflow.jobs["notify-slack"].steps as Array<{ name?: string }>).map((s) => s.name);
     expect(steps).toContain("Post to #pipelines");
-    expect(steps).toContain("Post to #alerting");
   });
 });