diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 90623ca..c612ee4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -161,10 +161,16 @@ jobs:
             "$month"*) ;;
             *) echo "::error::$version is not a release of this month ($month<patch>); see RELEASING.md"; exit 1 ;;
           esac
+          # A release candidate (a/b/rc) goes to TestPyPI; a dev release
+          # (2026.11.0.dev1) goes to PyPI as a pre-release, which pip and uv
+          # install only on request (--pre or an exact pin).
           candidate=""
           echo "$version" | grep -Eq '(a|b|rc)[0-9]+$' && candidate=yes
+          prerelease=""
+          echo "$version" | grep -Eq '((a|b|rc)[0-9]+|\.dev[0-9]+)$' && prerelease=yes
           echo "version=$version" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo "candidate=$candidate" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          echo "prerelease=$prerelease" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
       - name: Build the wheel and sdist
         run: bash scripts/build-packages.sh --clean --check
       - name: Write the release notes
@@ -183,7 +189,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@3bb12739c298aeb8a4eeaf626c5b8d85266b0e65 # v2
         with:
           body_path: notes.md
-          prerelease: ${{ steps.tag.outputs.candidate == 'yes' }}
+          prerelease: ${{ steps.tag.outputs.prerelease == 'yes' }}
           files: dist/robotframework_plugins-*
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02 # v4
         with:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 69608b3..7ef4e22 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Tiers and what they mean: [GOVERNANCE.md](GOVERNANCE.md). Full details per plugi
 
 The Python installer bundles these plugin versions:
 
-| robotframework-plugins 2026.11.0 bundles | Version | Tier |
+| robotframework-plugins 2026.11.0.dev1 bundles | Version | Tier |
 |---|---|---|
 | `rf-agentskills` | 4.0.0 | verified |
 | `rf-api` | 1.0.0 | verified |
diff --git a/RELEASING.md b/RELEASING.md
index 903dd87..80edd11 100644
--- a/RELEASING.md
+++ b/RELEASING.md
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ The installer version is the year and month of the release, then a patch number:
 
 A release candidate (`2026.11.0rc1`) goes through the same steps; it publishes to TestPyPI first, to check the flow.
 
+A dev release (`2026.11.0.dev1`) also goes through the same steps, but publishes to PyPI, marked as a pre-release on GitHub. pip and uv install it only with `--pre` (`uv tool install --prerelease allow`) or an exact pin, so users of the latest release don't get it, while a tool that depends on unreleased API changes can pin it. The first one also reserves the `robotframework-plugins` name on PyPI.
+
 ## What the version table says
 
 Each installer release bundles the active and deprecated plugins at their current versions. `build-catalog.py` writes that table into the README and `docs/catalog.md`, and `robotframework-plugins catalog --json` and `robotframework-plugins version` print it:
diff --git a/docs/catalog.md b/docs/catalog.md
index 29577b7..7a753a9 100644
--- a/docs/catalog.md
+++ b/docs/catalog.md
@@ -13,9 +13,9 @@
 
 ## Installer
 
-`pip install robotframework-plugins==2026.11.0` installs these plugin versions:
+`pip install robotframework-plugins==2026.11.0.dev1` installs these plugin versions:
 
-| robotframework-plugins 2026.11.0 bundles | Version | Tier |
+| robotframework-plugins 2026.11.0.dev1 bundles | Version | Tier |
 |---|---|---|
 | `rf-agentskills` | 4.0.0 | verified |
 | `rf-api` | 1.0.0 | verified |
diff --git a/installer/CHANGELOG.md b/installer/CHANGELOG.md
index d2a698c..80ed0bf 100644
--- a/installer/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/installer/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 The installer has calendar versions (`YYYY.M.PATCH`), independent of the plugins' own versions; each release states which plugin versions it bundles. Up to 0.8.0 it was published as `rf-agentskills`. See `RELEASING.md` at the repo root.
 
+## 2026.11.0.dev1 — 2026-11-13
+
+First upload to PyPI, as a pre-release: install it with `uv tool install --prerelease allow robotframework-plugins` or pin `robotframework-plugins==2026.11.0.dev1`. It has everything listed under 2026.11.0 below, including the Python API (`robotframework_plugins.bundle`) and `libraries[].skills` in the catalogue. Not yet included: the rf-desktop eval and validation-hook changes still under review (#4).
+
 ## 2026.11.0 — 2026-11-09
 
 ### Renamed
diff --git a/installer/pyproject.toml b/installer/pyproject.toml
index 67544f1..9f391b2 100644
--- a/installer/pyproject.toml
+++ b/installer/pyproject.toml
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ build-backend = "hatchling.build"
 
 [project]
 name = "robotframework-plugins"
-version = "2026.11.0"
+version = "2026.11.0.dev1"
 description = "Cross-agent installer for Robot Framework agent plugins (Claude Code, Copilot, Codex, Cursor, Goose, OpenCode, Claude Desktop)"
 readme = "README.md"
 license = { text = "Apache-2.0" }
diff --git a/installer/src/robotframework_plugins/__init__.py b/installer/src/robotframework_plugins/__init__.py
index c8ecfaa..8945e44 100644
--- a/installer/src/robotframework_plugins/__init__.py
+++ b/installer/src/robotframework_plugins/__init__.py
@@ -10,5 +10,5 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-__version__ = "2026.11.0"
+__version__ = "2026.11.0.dev1"
 __all__ = ("__version__",)
diff --git a/uv.lock b/uv.lock
index 93ee301..a513082 100644
--- a/uv.lock
+++ b/uv.lock
@@ -2672,7 +2672,7 @@ wheels = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "robotframework-plugins"
-version = "2026.11.0"
+version = "2026.11.0.dev1"
 source = { editable = "installer" }
 dependencies = [
     { name = "pyyaml" },