From 37db256fb9ee2b77d458d2ac2cc2c6cc3b557f20 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: snapsynapse <57973674+snapsynapse@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2026 18:58:45 -0600
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] Finalize GuideCheck 2.0.0 release metadata

---
 ADOPTION.md                            | 13 +++---
 CHANGELOG.md                           |  7 +--
 CLAUDE.md                              | 14 +++---
 INTENT.md                              | 10 ++--
 PROJECT_CONTEXT.md                     | 10 ++--
 README.md                              | 17 ++++---
 RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md                 |  9 ++--
 docs/index.html                        | 20 ++++----
 docs/llms.txt                          |  8 ++--
 docs/release-2.0.0.md                  | 39 +++++++---------
 docs/verify/index.html                 | 12 ++---
 operator-guide.md                      |  9 ++--
 profiles/2.0.0/spec.md                 |  4 +-
 profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md |  6 +--
 roadmap.md                             | 10 ++--
 schemas/README.md                      |  4 +-
 scripts/check_version_sync.py          | 63 +++++++++++++-------------
 scripts/guidecheck_constants.py        |  6 +--
 scripts/test_hosted_api.py             |  2 +-
 19 files changed, 127 insertions(+), 136 deletions(-)

diff --git a/ADOPTION.md b/ADOPTION.md
index 12cf091..4933ef5 100644
--- a/ADOPTION.md
+++ b/ADOPTION.md
@@ -3,10 +3,9 @@
 ## Version-aware adoption
 
 Existing supported legacy guides keep their current evaluation under the 2.0.0
-candidate dispatcher. No guide, manifest, DNS, or repository-anchor rotation
-is required for that compatibility. The current candidate is
-[2.0.0](profiles/2.0.0/spec.md) and is unpublished; [1.0.0](profiles/1.0.0/spec.md)
-remains the last published profile, and legacy profiles remain supported.
+dispatcher. No guide, manifest, DNS, or repository-anchor rotation is required
+for that compatibility. The current release is [2.0.0](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v2.0.0/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md);
+[1.0.0](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v1.0.0/profiles/1.0.0/spec.md) and legacy profiles remain supported.
 
 Deliberately adopting 1.0.0 requires matching guide/manifest profile declarations
 and another qualifying anchor when the repository was the only source of
@@ -16,8 +15,8 @@ Consumers that require 1.0.0 can use the `required_profile_version` API field or
 `--require-profile-version` local CLI assertion. These reject an incompatible
 guide rather than reinterpret its bytes. Local evaluation still caps at Level 3.
 
-Deliberately adopting the 2.0.0 candidate requires matching guide and manifest
-profile declarations. Its `corrected-content-1` policy is opt-in and its
+Deliberately adopting 2.0.0 requires matching guide and manifest profile
+declarations. Its `corrected-content-1` policy is opt-in and its
 `1.0.0-strict` anchor policy still excludes repository-file evidence from Level
 4 qualification. It does not migrate existing reports. The experimental POSIX
 CLI selector, `--contract posix-json-v1`, is independent of the guide-declared
@@ -26,7 +25,7 @@ profile selector; see [the CLI contract](docs/cli-contract.md).
 The guidance below describes the published legacy profile. See the
 [compatibility contract](docs/anchor-policy-compatibility.md),
 [corrected-content policy](docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md), and
-[candidate release notes](RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md) for selection and status.
+[release notes](RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md) for selection and status.
 
 This is the practical on-ramp to GuideCheck. It explains what an
 `assistant-guide.txt` artifact is, what the conformance ladder means in
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b9edfe1..3739a00 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 All notable changes to GuideCheck's Human-Verifiable Assistant Guide profile and its companion documents are recorded here. The format follows [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/) conventions. Profile versions follow Semantic Versioning as defined in `spec.md` section 11.
 
-## [2.0.0] - 2026-09-07 (unreleased candidate)
+## [2.0.0] - 2026-09-07
 
 - Include the corrected evaluator in the installable wheel and exercise legacy,
   strict, corrected, and scanner dispatch from an isolated installed consumer in CI.
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ All notable changes to GuideCheck's Human-Verifiable Assistant Guide profile and
   replays alongside the existing legacy baseline.
 - Add the root assistant-guide manifest and enforce byte equality with the
   served copy, preserving published self-guide and manifest bytes.
-- Add a local, unreleased 2.0.0 profile candidate selected only by guide bytes.
+- Add a released 2.0.0 profile selected only by guide bytes.
   It corrects bounded negation and independent occurrence matching, blocks
   unresolved execution targets, recognizes syntax-proven repository dispatch,
   and inherits the released 1.0.0 strict anchor policy without changing legacy
@@ -389,7 +389,8 @@ Initial draft for review.
 - designated standard primary verifier at `https://guidecheck.org/verify`
 - canonical site at `https://guidecheck.org/`
 
-[Unreleased]: https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/compare/v1.0.0...HEAD
+[Unreleased]: https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/compare/v2.0.0...HEAD
+[2.0.0]: https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/compare/v1.0.0...v2.0.0
 [1.0.0]: https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/compare/v0.7.1...v1.0.0
 [0.7.1]: https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/compare/v0.7.0...v0.7.1
 [0.7.0]: https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/compare/v0.6.0...v0.7.0
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 5d403f1..260cd97 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ Canonical site: https://guidecheck.org/ · Verifier: https://guidecheck.org/veri
   consistent with them, not the other way around.
 - Software, engine, released-profile, and self-guide versions are separate in
   `scripts/guidecheck_constants.py`. The legacy engine has frozen constants.
-  `scripts/check_version_sync.py` checks the 2.0.0 candidate surfaces while
-  legacy/self-guide surfaces remain 0.7.1; candidate work must not rewrite the
+  `scripts/check_version_sync.py` checks the 2.0.0 release surfaces while
+  legacy/self-guide surfaces remain 0.7.1; release work must not rewrite the
   published self-guide or its anchors.
 - `finding-ids.md` is the normative registry for finding ids; new finding ids
   used by fixtures or emitted by verifiers/scanner must be registered there
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ builds and Sigstore-signs release + conformance-kit artifacts.
 
 ## Current state
 
-- The current candidate is 2.0.0 and is unpublished. Profile 1.0.0 remains the
-  last published profile (see `CHANGELOG.md`).
+- The current release is 2.0.0. Profile 1.0.0 remains supported as a prior
+  release (see `CHANGELOG.md`).
 - Most recent work (2026-07-07): added `guidecheck scan`, a standalone
   instruction-surface scanner for existing files (AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md/
   README/SKILL/llms.txt/assistant-guide.txt) that flags hidden-instruction
@@ -166,11 +166,11 @@ Local bounded-execution findings are implemented in the shared verifier. Pins
 remain unverified, including through hosted callers. See roadmap.md for pending
 hosted fetching and independence decisions. Legacy profile behavior remains pinned to the pre-dispatch baseline.
 
-## Corrected-content candidate (2026-09-07)
+## Corrected-content release (2026-09-07)
 
-The opt-in 2.0.0 candidate selects `corrected-content-1` while retaining the
+The opt-in 2.0.0 release selects `corrected-content-1` while retaining the
 `1.0.0-strict` anchor policy. See `docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md`
-and `RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md`. It does not publish, migrate, or reinterpret
+and `RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md`. It does not migrate or reinterpret
 legacy, 1.0.0, or self-guide bytes. The experimental POSIX CLI selector
 `--contract posix-json-v1` is independent of the guide-declared profile
 selector; see `docs/cli-contract.md`.
diff --git a/INTENT.md b/INTENT.md
index b846630..6867f9e 100644
--- a/INTENT.md
+++ b/INTENT.md
@@ -77,12 +77,12 @@ GuideCheck is a PAICE Foundation standard. It sits alongside the other open-spec
 
 ## Versioning and authority
 
-The current candidate version is 2.0.0, declared in `profiles/2.0.0/` and not
-published. Profile 1.0.0 remains the last published profile and is tracked in
+The current release version is 2.0.0, declared in `profiles/2.0.0/`. Profile
+1.0.0 remains a supported prior profile and is tracked in
 `CHANGELOG.md`. Root normative documents preserve the legacy contract; the
 self-guide remains pinned to 0.7.1. `scripts/check_version_sync.py` asserts
-candidate, engine, and self-guide identities without treating the candidate as
-a published release. `spec.md` and `verifier-conformance.md` are normative.
+release, engine, and self-guide identities. `spec.md` and
+`verifier-conformance.md` are normative.
 `design-rationale.md` and `threat-register.md` are explanatory and must stay
 consistent with the normative documents. `archive/` is historical and is not
 edited.
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ edited.
 
 Decided by Sam on 2026-09-07: preserve frozen legacy reports and add an explicitly selected corrected evaluation path. The September 7 detector review reproduced negation false positives, affirmative-instruction false negatives, and unpinned script-dispatch gaps. These are maintenance of existing content-check obligations, not authority to silently alter a published evaluation contract.
 
-Existing supported profile behavior, findings, levels, report identity, and exit semantics remain frozen. The corrected path has explicit 2.0.0 selection and `corrected-content-1` policy identity, as defined in `docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md`. This does not revise the published strict 1.0.0 policy, which reuses legacy content checks. Publication and hosted acceptance are not completed by this candidate.
+Existing supported profile behavior, findings, levels, report identity, and exit semantics remain frozen. The corrected path has explicit 2.0.0 selection and `corrected-content-1` policy identity, as defined in `docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md`. This does not revise the strict 1.0.0 policy, which reuses legacy content checks. Delivery evidence is recorded separately from release metadata.
 
 Sam also decided on 2026-09-07 that an unresolved execution target blocks Level 3 acceptance on the corrected path. The guide must establish the effective target and satisfy the applicable pinning contract. A declared hash alone cannot resolve an unidentified target. This requirement does not change any released legacy or 1.0.0 evaluation.
 
diff --git a/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md b/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
index 2dd9dcc..e8a5093 100644
--- a/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
+++ b/PROJECT_CONTEXT.md
@@ -64,8 +64,8 @@ notes), rather than a general PAICE-wide default.
 
 ## Current status
 
-The current candidate is 2.0.0 and is unpublished; 1.0.0 remains the last
-published profile (see `CHANGELOG.md`). Most recent shipped work:
+The current release is 2.0.0; 1.0.0 remains supported as a prior profile (see
+`CHANGELOG.md`). Most recent shipped work:
 `guidecheck scan`, an instruction-surface scanner for pre-existing
 AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md/README/SKILL/llms.txt-style files (2026-07-07).
 Undecided/open items live in
@@ -86,11 +86,11 @@ Local bounded-execution findings are implemented in the shared verifier. Pins
 remain unverified, including through hosted callers. See roadmap.md for pending
 hosted fetching and independence decisions. Legacy profile behavior remains pinned to the pre-dispatch baseline.
 
-## Corrected-content candidate (2026-09-07)
+## Corrected-content release (2026-09-07)
 
-The 2.0.0 candidate adds an explicitly selected `corrected-content-1` policy
+The 2.0.0 release adds an explicitly selected `corrected-content-1` policy
 while retaining the `1.0.0-strict` anchor policy. Legacy and 1.0.0 profiles,
-their reports, and the 0.7.1 self-guide remain frozen. Candidate status and
+their reports, and the 0.7.1 self-guide remain frozen. Release scope and
 scope are recorded in `RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md` and
 `docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md`. The experimental POSIX CLI
 selector `--contract posix-json-v1` is independent of the guide-declared
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e53e288..5705d08 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 # GuideCheck
 
-The 2.0.0 candidate adds an opt-in corrected content policy while preserving
-legacy and 1.0.0 evaluations. It is unpublished: 1.0.0 remains the last
-published profile, and the self-guide and frozen legacy reports remain 0.7.1.
-See the [2.0.0 candidate profile](profiles/2.0.0/spec.md),
+GuideCheck 2.0.0 adds an opt-in corrected-content policy while preserving
+legacy and 1.0.0 evaluations. It is the current release; the self-guide and
+frozen legacy reports remain 0.7.1. See the [2.0.0 profile](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v2.0.0/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md),
 [corrected-content policy](docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md), and
-[candidate release notes](RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md). The current candidate is 2.0.0.
+[release notes](RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md). The current release is 2.0.0.
 
 GuideCheck is a trust boundary protocol for agent instruction surfaces. It
 ensures the instructions humans approve are the same instructions agents
@@ -98,8 +97,8 @@ agents may execute another.
 ## Documents
 
 - `ADOPTION.md` - the practical on-ramp: conformance ladder, level-by-level path, guide-author checklist
-- `profiles/2.0.0/spec.md` and `profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md` - the unpublished 2.0.0 candidate guide and verifier profiles
-- `profiles/1.0.0/spec.md` and `profiles/1.0.0/verifier-conformance.md` - the last published guide and verifier profiles
+- `profiles/2.0.0/spec.md` and `profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md` - the current released guide and verifier profiles
+- `profiles/1.0.0/spec.md` and `profiles/1.0.0/verifier-conformance.md` - the prior released guide and verifier profiles
 - `spec.md` and `verifier-conformance.md` - preserved normative legacy profiles
 - `design-rationale.md` - why the design choices were made
 - `operator-guide.md` - non-normative defense-in-depth practices for operators
@@ -258,8 +257,8 @@ expectation contract by `scripts/check_reference_verifier.py`.
 
 ## Status
 
-The current candidate is 2.0.0 and is unpublished. Profile 1.0.0 remains the
-last published profile; legacy profiles remain supported. See
+The current release is 2.0.0. Profile 1.0.0 remains supported as a prior
+release, and legacy profiles remain supported. See
 `RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md` and `CHANGELOG.md`.
 
 This is an early-stage open standard. The most useful feedback right now is
diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md b/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md
index b540fc6..62822b2 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md
@@ -1,16 +1,13 @@
-# GuideCheck 2.0.0 candidate release notes
+# GuideCheck 2.0.0 release notes
 
-Candidate version: 2.0.0
-
-Status: Unpublished candidate. This file does not announce a tag, package,
-GitHub Release, deployment, or hosted-service update.
+Release version: 2.0.0
 
 GuideCheck 2.0.0 adds the opt-in `corrected-content-1` policy for guides that
 explicitly declare profile 2.0.0. It retains the `1.0.0-strict` anchor policy:
 repository-file evidence remains corroborating and cannot qualify a guide for
 Level 4. An unresolved execution target blocks Level 3 under this policy.
 
-The candidate preserves the isolated 0.7.1 legacy engine, the published 1.0.0
+The release preserves the isolated 0.7.1 legacy engine, the prior 1.0.0
 profile, the 0.7.1 self-guide, and all frozen reports. Existing guides are not
 migrated or reinterpreted automatically.
 
diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index b4ef696..f9bf1ca 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@ <h1>Your AI assistant just followed instructions you never saw.</h1>
       <span class="sep" aria-hidden="true">&middot;</span>
       Updated <time datetime="2026-09-07">September 7, 2026</time>
       <span class="sep" aria-hidden="true">&middot;</span>
-      <span class="version">v2.0.0 candidate, unpublished</span>
+      <span class="version">v2.0.0 release</span>
       <span class="sep" aria-hidden="true">&middot;</span>
       <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="license" target="_blank">CC&nbsp;BY&nbsp;4.0</a>
     </p>
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ <h1>Your AI assistant just followed instructions you never saw.</h1>
     <img class="hero-img" src="/imgs/og.png" width="1200" height="634" alt="The assistant-guide.txt artifact shown in full as plain text: a filename header, three [action] blocks reading Identify user intent, Formulate plan, and Generate response, and an End of file marker, beside a six-rung conformance ladder numbered 0 to 5.">
 
     <div class="cta-row">
-      <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md" class="btn btn-primary">Read the Candidate Specification</a>
+      <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md" class="btn btn-primary">Read the 2.0.0 Specification</a>
       <a href="/verify" class="btn btn-secondary">Verify a guide</a>
     </div>
   </div>
@@ -703,15 +703,15 @@ <h2>Verify a guide</h2>
     <aside class="canonical-note" role="note">
       <strong>Canonical reference.</strong> This page is the authoritative home of the
       GuideCheck standard and the Human-Verifiable Assistant Guide profile. The normative
-      candidate documents are <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md">spec.md</a>
+      2.0.0 documents are <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md">spec.md</a>
       and <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md">verifier-conformance.md</a>.
-      Profile 2.0.0 is an unpublished candidate; 1.0.0 remains the last published
-      profile, and legacy documents remain available at the repository root.
+      Profile 2.0.0 is the current release; 1.0.0 and legacy documents remain
+      available at the repository root.
       Existing declarations retain their previous evaluation. Under 2.0.0,
       repository-file matches corroborate a guide but do not qualify toward Level 4.
       Any cross-posts on other platforms are derived from this source and should cite
       <a href="https://guidecheck.org/">guidecheck.org</a> as canonical.
-      Profile candidate 2.0.0, unpublished. Candidate 2.0.0 updated:
+      Profile release 2.0.0. Release 2.0.0 published:
       <time datetime="2026-09-07">2026-09-07</time>.
       <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/commits/main/spec.md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revision history &rarr;</a>
       Feedback from AI governance, security, and platform practitioners is wanted
@@ -727,18 +727,18 @@ <h2>Verify a guide</h2>
   <div class="container">
     <div class="footer-grid">
       <div class="footer-meta">
-        <p>GuideCheck v2.0.0 candidate, unpublished &middot; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="license" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a> (spec) &middot; <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/LICENSE-MIT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MIT</a> (code)</p>
+        <p>GuideCheck v2.0.0 release &middot; <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" rel="license" target="_blank">CC BY 4.0</a> (spec) &middot; <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v2.0.0/LICENSE-MIT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MIT</a> (code)</p>
         <p>Part of the <a href="https://paice.foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PAICE Portfolio</a>.</p>
         <p style="margin-top: 0.5rem;">See also: <a href="https://gracefulboundaries.dev/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Graceful Boundaries</a> &middot; <a href="https://knowledge-as-code.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knowledge as Code</a> &middot; <a href="https://skillprovenance.dev/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Skill Provenance</a> &middot; <a href="https://hardguard25.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HardGuard25</a></p>
       </div>
       <div class="footer-links">
         <a href="/verify">Verifier</a>
         <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GitHub</a>
-        <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/ADOPTION.md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adoption guide</a>
+        <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v2.0.0/ADOPTION.md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adoption guide</a>
         <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/docs/mcp-integration.md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MCP</a>
         <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/docs/a2a-integration.md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A2A</a>
-        <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md">Candidate specification</a>
-        <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md">Candidate verifier profile</a>
+        <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md">2.0.0 specification</a>
+        <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md">2.0.0 verifier profile</a>
         <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Changelog</a>
         <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/commits/main/spec.md" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revisions</a>
         <a href="/.well-known/assistant-guide.txt">assistant-guide.txt</a>
diff --git a/docs/llms.txt b/docs/llms.txt
index 4125a6b..3101edf 100644
--- a/docs/llms.txt
+++ b/docs/llms.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 GuideCheck ensures the instructions humans approve are the same instructions agents execute. AI setup guides reach assistants through HTML, PDFs, docs sites, and copied terminal output, surfaces that can hide text a model reads but a human never sees. A tool-using assistant then runs those hidden instructions with delegated authority: a credential exposed, a destructive command run, a malicious dependency installed, or safeguards disabled while the human believed they had reviewed the guide. GuideCheck closes this review-integrity gap. It defines a constrained plain-text profile for assistant-guide.txt: strict ASCII, capped at 8 KiB, structured into explicit action blocks, so a human can review the entire instruction surface before an assistant follows it. Conformance verifies form, not safety.
 
-Current candidate: 2.0.0. It is unpublished; 1.0.0 remains the last published profile. The candidate dispatches by the guide's declared profile. Supported legacy declarations retain the 0.7.1 evaluator and report contract, 1.0.0 retains its strict anchor policy, and explicit 2.0.0 declarations select `corrected-content-1` with the `1.0.0-strict` anchor policy. Existing guide and manifest bytes need no migration. Root specification documents preserve the legacy contract. The experimental POSIX CLI selector `--contract posix-json-v1` is independent of guide-declared profile selection; see [CLI contract](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/docs/cli-contract.md).
+Current release: 2.0.0. The release dispatches by the guide's declared profile. Supported legacy declarations retain the 0.7.1 evaluator and report contract, 1.0.0 retains its strict anchor policy, and explicit 2.0.0 declarations select `corrected-content-1` with the `1.0.0-strict` anchor policy. Existing guide and manifest bytes need no migration. Root specification documents preserve the legacy contract. The experimental POSIX CLI selector `--contract posix-json-v1` is independent of guide-declared profile selection; see [CLI contract](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v2.0.0/docs/cli-contract.md).
 
 ## Concepts
 
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ Current candidate: 2.0.0. It is unpublished; 1.0.0 remains the last published pr
 ## Key files
 
 - [Adoption guide](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/ADOPTION.md): The practical on-ramp: conformance ladder, level-by-level path, guide-author checklist.
-- [2.0.0 candidate specification](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md): Unpublished corrected-content candidate profile.
-- [2.0.0 candidate verifier conformance](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md): Unpublished candidate profile for verifier tools.
-- [Candidate release notes](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md): Candidate status and scope.
+- [2.0.0 specification](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v2.0.0/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md): Released corrected-content profile.
+- [2.0.0 verifier conformance](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v2.0.0/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md): Released profile for verifier tools.
+- [2.0.0 release notes](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/v2.0.0/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md): Release scope.
 - [Changelog](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md): Version history.
 - [ACS integration](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/docs/acs-integration.md): Non-normative patterns for runtime control hooks and Guardian enforcement.
 - [MCP integration](https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/blob/main/docs/mcp-integration.md): Non-normative patterns for MCP server authors and host implementers.
diff --git a/docs/release-2.0.0.md b/docs/release-2.0.0.md
index 65dd636..5f8b0b1 100644
--- a/docs/release-2.0.0.md
+++ b/docs/release-2.0.0.md
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
-# GuideCheck 2.0.0 candidate
+# GuideCheck 2.0.0 release
 
-Candidate version: 2.0.0
+Release version: 2.0.0
 
-Status: Unpublished candidate. No tag, package, GitHub Release, deployment, or
-hosted-service update is claimed.
+Status: Approved delivery procedure. This document defines the required
+delivery evidence; it does not itself attest to a tag, GitHub Release,
+deployment, or hosted-service update.
 
-The candidate introduces the opt-in `corrected-content-1` policy for explicitly
+The release introduces the opt-in `corrected-content-1` policy for explicitly
 declared 2.0.0 guides and retains the `1.0.0-strict` anchor policy. Legacy
 0.7.1 behavior, published 1.0.0 behavior, the self-guide, and frozen reports
 remain unchanged.
@@ -13,38 +14,32 @@ remain unchanged.
 The experimental POSIX JSON CLI selector `--contract posix-json-v1` is
 independent of guide-declared profile selection. See [the CLI contract](cli-contract.md).
 
-Read the repository [candidate release notes](../RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md) and
+Read the repository [release notes](../RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md) and
 [corrected-content policy](corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md) for scope.
 
 ## Delivery order and authority
 
-Local implementation, testing, and checkpoint commits are authorized. The
-candidate pull request provides review and exact-commit CI. Main integration
-automatically deploys through the existing Vercel Git integration. Main
-integration, final publication wording, tag, GitHub Release, and production
-verification form the next delivery tranche and require explicit approval.
+The release metadata, main integration, production deployment, and signed
+`v2.0.0` release are separately evidenced delivery events. Main integration
+automatically deploys through the existing Vercel Git integration. Do not infer
+one event from another.
 
 1. Validate `make test test-verify-ui`, the public-contract build, and the
    isolated installed-wheel consumer. Preserve the full legacy and strict
    report baselines and all anchored self-guide bytes.
-2. Push the candidate branch and open a draft pull request. Require green CI
-   on both Python 3.10 and 3.12. Inspect Vercel preview status and compare its
-   deployment manifest with the exact candidate commit and local digests.
+2. Merge through the normal pull request path after green CI on both Python
+   3.10 and 3.12. Inspect the Vercel production status and compare its
+   deployment manifest with the exact merged commit and local digests.
    Exercise hosted legacy, strict, and corrected selection against controlled
    evidence. A successful build alone does not establish hosted acceptance.
-3. After delivery approval, finalize candidate wording and release metadata
-   together, including `LATEST_RELEASED_PROFILE_VERSION`, version/date checks,
-   normative profile status, release notes, and public surfaces. Rerun relevant
-   gates on that final content and require exact-commit CI before merging.
-4. Merge through the normal pull request path, without administrator bypass.
-   Verify main CI, Vercel production source identity, published contract bytes,
+3. Verify main CI, Vercel production source identity, published contract bytes,
    existing legacy adopter results, strict anchor qualification, and corrected
    profile selection. Do not migrate adopter guides or rotate anchors.
-5. Tag the verified release commit `v2.0.0`. The existing release workflow
+4. Tag the verified release commit `v2.0.0`. The existing release workflow
    builds source tar/zip and a conformance-kit tarball, signs them and the
    combined SHA256SUMS with Sigstore, and publishes the GitHub Release using
    `RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md`. No package-index publication is configured.
-6. Download every asset, verify digests/signing identity and archive contents,
+5. Download every asset, verify digests/signing identity and archive contents,
    install the released source in an isolated consumer, and record final
    provider evidence. Close issue 2 and advance its portfolio item only when
    its recorded completion boundary has been satisfied.
diff --git a/docs/verify/index.html b/docs/verify/index.html
index 2b9c273..76422ca 100644
--- a/docs/verify/index.html
+++ b/docs/verify/index.html
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@
 <main id="main-content">
 <section class="hero">
   <div class="container">
-    <span class="badge">Verifier &middot; profile 2.0.0 candidate, unpublished</span>
+    <span class="badge">Verifier &middot; profile 2.0.0 release</span>
     <h1>Verify an assistant-guide.txt file</h1>
     <p class="lead">A verifier checks a guide against the Human-Verifiable Assistant Guide profile and reports what it found. It confirms form. The human still confirms meaning.</p>
   </div>
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ <h1>Verify an assistant-guide.txt file</h1>
   <div class="container">
     <div class="panel" id="verifier">
       <h2>Check a guide</h2>
-      <p>Enter the public https URL of an <code>assistant-guide.txt</code> file, or just a site URL. The hosted verifier fetches it, runs the GuideCheck checks, and reports what it found. Given a site root, it checks the standard <code>/.well-known/assistant-guide.txt</code> path. Profile 2.0.0 is an unpublished candidate: its explicitly declared corrected-content policy preserves legacy and 1.0.0 results, and its strict anchor policy excludes repository-file matches from Level 4 qualification. This hosted verifier scores guide files up to Level 4 of 4 when a guide publishes a fetchable manifest and a supported independent anchor. Level 5 is a separate runtime enforcement claim. The optional agent and expected-level fields help identify compatibility gaps across agent families.</p>
+      <p>Enter the public https URL of an <code>assistant-guide.txt</code> file, or just a site URL. The hosted verifier fetches it, runs the GuideCheck checks, and reports what it found. Given a site root, it checks the standard <code>/.well-known/assistant-guide.txt</code> path. Profile 2.0.0 is the current release: its explicitly declared corrected-content policy preserves legacy and 1.0.0 results, and its strict anchor policy excludes repository-file matches from Level 4 qualification. This hosted verifier scores guide files up to Level 4 of 4 when a guide publishes a fetchable manifest and a supported independent anchor. Level 5 is a separate runtime enforcement claim. The optional agent and expected-level fields help identify compatibility gaps across agent families.</p>
       <form id="verify-form" class="verify-form" novalidate>
         <label for="guide-url">Guide URL</label>
         <div class="verify-input-row">
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ <h3>Raw verifier output</h3>
     </div>
 
     <p>This hosted verifier is a preview implementation, not a root of trust. You may use it or any other verifier built against the
-      <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md">unpublished 2.0.0 candidate verifier conformance profile</a>
+      <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md">2.0.0 verifier conformance profile</a>
       and its <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck/tree/main/fixtures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fixture corpus</a>.
       Verifier authors can also review <a href="/verifier-examples">example outputs</a>.</p>
 
@@ -298,20 +298,20 @@ <h2>Conformance is not safety</h2>
     <p>A passing result, at any level, does not mean a guide is safe to follow or that its publisher is trustworthy. It means the file has the form the profile requires. Read the guide in full, apply the security practices a competent operator would already apply, and keep the human in the approval loop.</p>
 
     <h2>What this hosted verifier covers</h2>
-    <p>This hosted verifier evaluates guide-file conformance from Level 1 through Level 4. It reports advisory findings for missing or incompatible public-web response headers, guide bytes that vary across harmless request profiles, off-domain recommended verifiers, and package-registry assistant-guide URLs that do not match the guide's canonical URL. For Level 4, it fetches the declared sidecar manifest and currently supports package-registry metadata, transparency-log, DNS TXT, and github.com repository-file anchors. Repository-file evidence is corroborating only under the 1.0.0-strict anchor policy, including the 2.0.0 candidate; another qualifying channel is required. Hosted verification uses a seven-fetch per-request budget across the guide, content-variation refetch, manifest, and anchors; budget exhaustion is reported with sanitized fetch evidence such as <code>fetch-budget-exhausted</code>. It may report <code>level5_ready</code> when a Level 4 guide satisfies the guide-side runtime preparation checks. It does not yet fetch signed <code>security.txt</code> anchors, and it does not evaluate runtime conformance (Level 5). Every hosted response carries a <code>hosted_limitations</code> field that states its scope.</p>
+    <p>This hosted verifier evaluates guide-file conformance from Level 1 through Level 4. It reports advisory findings for missing or incompatible public-web response headers, guide bytes that vary across harmless request profiles, off-domain recommended verifiers, and package-registry assistant-guide URLs that do not match the guide's canonical URL. For Level 4, it fetches the declared sidecar manifest and currently supports package-registry metadata, transparency-log, DNS TXT, and github.com repository-file anchors. Repository-file evidence is corroborating only under the 1.0.0-strict anchor policy, including 2.0.0; another qualifying channel is required. Hosted verification uses a seven-fetch per-request budget across the guide, content-variation refetch, manifest, and anchors; budget exhaustion is reported with sanitized fetch evidence such as <code>fetch-budget-exhausted</code>. It may report <code>level5_ready</code> when a Level 4 guide satisfies the guide-side runtime preparation checks. It does not yet fetch signed <code>security.txt</code> anchors, and it does not evaluate runtime conformance (Level 5). Every hosted response carries a <code>hosted_limitations</code> field that states its scope.</p>
 
     <h2>Privacy</h2>
     <p>The guide URL you submit is sent to this site's server so it can fetch the file you named. The verifier keeps product telemetry limited to the target host, whether the path was the standard well-known path or a custom path, the selected agent category, expected level, achieved level, outcome, failure category, and coarse duration. It does not store full submitted URLs, query strings, prompts, model responses, IP addresses, or stable visitor identifiers in product telemetry. The optional agent and expected-level fields are used to find compatibility gaps, such as an agent family often expecting Level 3 but receiving Level 1. The hosting platform keeps standard short-lived request logs &mdash; timestamp, client IP, and the <code>/api/verify</code> path &mdash; for abuse prevention; those logs do not contain the guide URL.</p>
 
     <h2>Build your own verifier</h2>
-    <p>GuideCheck never presents its hosted verifier as the only authoritative one, and never as a root of trust. Anyone may build a conformant verifier; the fixture suite is how independent implementations stay in agreement. See the <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md">unpublished 2.0.0 candidate verifier-conformance.md</a>.</p>
+    <p>GuideCheck never presents its hosted verifier as the only authoritative one, and never as a root of trust. Anyone may build a conformant verifier; the fixture suite is how independent implementations stay in agreement. See the <a href="/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md">2.0.0 verifier-conformance.md</a>.</p>
   </div>
 </section>
 </main>
 
 <footer>
   <div class="container">
-    <p>GuideCheck v2.0.0 candidate, unpublished &middot; A <a href="https://paice.foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PAICE Foundation</a> standard &middot; <a href="https://guidecheck.org/">guidecheck.org</a> &middot; <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GitHub</a> &middot; <a href="/llms.txt">llms.txt</a></p>
+    <p>GuideCheck v2.0.0 release &middot; A <a href="https://paice.foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PAICE Foundation</a> standard &middot; <a href="https://guidecheck.org/">guidecheck.org</a> &middot; <a href="https://github.com/snapsynapse/guidecheck" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GitHub</a> &middot; <a href="/llms.txt">llms.txt</a></p>
   </div>
 </footer>
 
diff --git a/operator-guide.md b/operator-guide.md
index cc658ab..6b0e6db 100644
--- a/operator-guide.md
+++ b/operator-guide.md
@@ -2,21 +2,20 @@
 
 Status: non-normative companion to `spec.md`.
 
-Version note: the current candidate profile is 2.0.0 and is unpublished;
-1.0.0 remains the last published profile. The candidate preserves legacy and
+Version note: the current release profile is 2.0.0. It preserves legacy and
 1.0.0 evaluation while selecting `corrected-content-1` only for a matching
 2.0.0 guide declaration. To require a profile, assert
 `required_profile_version` in a hosted request or use
 `--require-profile-version` locally. Do not change an existing guide or its
 anchors merely to upgrade verifier software. See
 [adoption guidance](ADOPTION.md#version-aware-adoption) and
-[the candidate release notes](RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md).
+[the release notes](RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md).
 
 During rollout, an older hosted verifier may ignore an unfamiliar request field.
-Consumers requiring 2.0.0 must also validate the response against the candidate
+Consumers requiring 2.0.0 must also validate the response against the released
 schema and confirm `profile_selection.evaluated_policy` is `2.0.0`. HTTP 200 or
 a legacy Level 4 result is insufficient. The current production service has not
-received this candidate in this session. The experimental POSIX CLI selector,
+received this release in this session. The experimental POSIX CLI selector,
 `--contract posix-json-v1`, is independent of the guide-declared profile
 selector; see [the CLI contract](docs/cli-contract.md).
 
diff --git a/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md b/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md
index 81ab553..47092e4 100644
--- a/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md
+++ b/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-Status: local candidate for profile 2.0.0. This profile is not released. Legacy
-contracts remain available in the repository root and prior release tags.
+Status: released profile 2.0.0. Legacy contracts remain available in the
+repository root and prior release tags.
 
 # GuideCheck Human-Verifiable Assistant Guide Profile
 
diff --git a/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md b/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md
index 4e40a3a..03e0d2e 100644
--- a/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md
+++ b/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-Status: local candidate for profile 2.0.0. This profile is not released. Legacy
-contracts remain available in the repository root and prior release tags.
+Status: released profile 2.0.0. Legacy contracts remain available in the
+repository root and prior release tags.
 
 # GuideCheck Verifier Conformance Profile
 
@@ -788,7 +788,7 @@ The 2.0.0 report MUST identify `declared_version: 2.0.0`,
 `anchor_policy: 1.0.0-strict` through `profile_selection`. The `verifier`
 object MUST identify guide-profile and verifier-profile version 2.0.0 while
 `verifier.version` identifies the actual software release that produced the
-candidate report. The report also includes `qualifying_anchor_count`.
+released-profile report. The report also includes `qualifying_anchor_count`.
 Repository evidence MUST be shown as excluded in human output. Level, findings,
 hash-pinned status, and proceed result MUST derive from the final selected
 evaluation. Neither a positive conformance result nor `Proceed? yes` grants
diff --git a/roadmap.md b/roadmap.md
index 5a16b5d..b867814 100644
--- a/roadmap.md
+++ b/roadmap.md
@@ -7,18 +7,18 @@ items are visible without being treated as commitments.
 
 ## Current work queue (reconciled 2026-09-07)
 
-- Local profile 2.0.0 candidate work is implemented and locally validated under
+- Profile 2.0.0 release work is implemented and locally validated under
   `docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md`. The
   [validation record](docs/corrected-content-validation-2026-09-07.md) pins the
   base HEAD, local fingerprints, compatibility evidence, and delivery boundary.
-  The candidate uses explicit
+  The release uses explicit
   guide-byte selection, corrected prohibited-pattern boundaries, blocking
   unresolved execution targets, and the 1.0.0 strict anchor policy. It is not
-  released or deployed, and no adopter report migrates automatically.
+  deployed through this document, and no adopter report migrates automatically.
 - The experimental local verification CLI adapter is implemented under
-  [the POSIX JSON contract](docs/cli-contract.md). The software 2.0.0 candidate
+  [the POSIX JSON contract](docs/cli-contract.md). The software 2.0.0 release
   and [delivery procedure](docs/release-2.0.0.md) are the next publication unit.
-  Complete preview acceptance before main integration and release. Broader CLI
+  Complete production verification after main integration and release. Broader CLI
   adoption follows pilot delivery; it does not block the corrected profile.
 - Local bounded-execution phases 1-3 and local phase 5 are included in release 1.0.0. Hosted artifact verification and transitive scanning are next,
   after deciding fetch limits and budget. Class-warning promotion is a separate
diff --git a/schemas/README.md b/schemas/README.md
index f2e1402..b8ffbee 100644
--- a/schemas/README.md
+++ b/schemas/README.md
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 
 JSON Schema (Draft 2020-12) definitions for machine-readable artifacts referenced by `spec.md` and `verifier-conformance.md`.
 
-The current candidate profile 2.0.0 has versioned schemas in `schemas/2.0.0/`.
-It is unpublished; `schemas/1.0.0/` remains the last published profile schema
+The current release profile 2.0.0 has versioned schemas in `schemas/2.0.0/`.
+`schemas/1.0.0/` remains available for the prior released profile schema
 set and root schemas preserve the legacy contract.
 
 `cli-result-posix-json-v1.json` is the standalone experimental POSIX JSON CLI
diff --git a/scripts/check_version_sync.py b/scripts/check_version_sync.py
index 1864ac6..41e542f 100644
--- a/scripts/check_version_sync.py
+++ b/scripts/check_version_sync.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 # Public release identity, legacy contracts, and the self-guide are separate.
 # A dispatcher or public release bump must never rotate anchored self-guide bytes.
-CANDIDATE_VERSION = GUIDECHECK_VERSION
+RELEASE_VERSION = GUIDECHECK_VERSION
 LEGACY_VERSION = LEGACY_ENGINE_VERSION
 MAJOR, MINOR, _PATCH = (int(part) for part in LEGACY_VERSION.split("."))
 SERIES = f"{MAJOR}.{MINOR}.x"
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@
     ("verifier-conformance.md", r"verifier-profile version (\d+\.\d+\.x)", SERIES),
     ("verifier-conformance.md", r"\"version\": \"(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\"", LEGACY_VERSION),
     ("verifier-conformance.md", r"_profile_version\": \"(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\"", LEGACY_VERSION),
-    ("README.md", r"current candidate is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("ADOPTION.md", r"current candidate is\s+\[(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\]", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("INTENT.md", r"current candidate version is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("PROJECT_CONTEXT.md", r"current candidate is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("CLAUDE.md", r"current candidate is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("operator-guide.md", r"current candidate profile is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("docs/llms.txt", r"Current candidate: (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("schemas/README.md", r"current candidate profile (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
+    ("README.md", r"current release is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("ADOPTION.md", r"current release is\s+\[(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\]", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("INTENT.md", r"current release version is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("PROJECT_CONTEXT.md", r"current release is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("CLAUDE.md", r"current release is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("operator-guide.md", r"current release profile is (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("docs/llms.txt", r"Current release: (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("schemas/README.md", r"current release profile (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
     ("assistant-guide.txt", r"^profile-version: (\S+)$", SELF_GUIDE_PROFILE_VERSION),
     ("assistant-guide.txt", r"^guide-version: (\S+)$", SELF_GUIDE_VERSION),
     ("assistant-guide.txt", r"^applies-to: guidecheck (\d+\.\d+\.x)$", SERIES),
@@ -86,10 +86,10 @@
         LEGACY_VERSION,
     ),
     ("examples/manifest.txt", r"^profile-version: (\S+)$", LEGACY_VERSION),
-    ("docs/index.html", r"v(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("docs/index.html", r"[Pp]rofile candidate (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("docs/verify/index.html", r"profile (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("docs/verify/index.html", r"v(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
+    ("docs/index.html", r"v(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("docs/index.html", r"[Pp]rofile release (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("docs/verify/index.html", r"profile (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("docs/verify/index.html", r"v(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)", RELEASE_VERSION),
     (
         "docs/verifier-examples.html",
         r"guidecheck-reference-local (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)",
@@ -98,10 +98,10 @@
     ("docs/verifier-examples.html", r"\"version\": \"(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\"", LEGACY_VERSION),
     ("profiles/1.0.0/spec.md", r"^profile-version: (\S+)$", STRICT_ENGINE_VERSION),
     ("profiles/1.0.0/verifier-conformance.md", r"_profile_version\": \"(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\"", STRICT_ENGINE_VERSION),
-    ("profiles/2.0.0/spec.md", r"^Status: local candidate for profile (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\.", CORRECTED_ENGINE_VERSION),
-    ("profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md", r"^Status: local candidate for profile (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\.", CORRECTED_ENGINE_VERSION),
-    ("RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md", r"^Candidate version: (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
-    ("docs/release-2.0.0.md", r"^Candidate version: (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$", CANDIDATE_VERSION),
+    ("profiles/2.0.0/spec.md", r"^Status: released profile (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\.", CORRECTED_ENGINE_VERSION),
+    ("profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md", r"^Status: released profile (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)\.", CORRECTED_ENGINE_VERSION),
+    ("RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md", r"^Release version: (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$", RELEASE_VERSION),
+    ("docs/release-2.0.0.md", r"^Release version: (\d+\.\d+\.\d+)$", RELEASE_VERSION),
 ]
 
 BYTE_IDENTICAL: list[tuple[str, str]] = [
@@ -127,27 +127,26 @@ def check_patterns() -> list[str]:
     return failures
 
 
-def check_candidate_release_record() -> list[str]:
+def check_dated_release_record() -> list[str]:
     changelog = (ROOT / "CHANGELOG.md").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     match = re.search(
-        rf"^## \[{re.escape(CANDIDATE_VERSION)}\] - (\d{{4}}-\d{{2}}-\d{{2}}) "
-        r"\(unreleased candidate\)$",
+        rf"^## \[{re.escape(RELEASE_VERSION)}\] - (\d{{4}}-\d{{2}}-\d{{2}})$",
         changelog,
         re.MULTILINE,
     )
     if match is None:
-        return [f"CHANGELOG.md: missing dated unreleased candidate entry for {CANDIDATE_VERSION}"]
-    candidate_date = date.fromisoformat(match.group(1))
-    iso = candidate_date.isoformat()
-    label = f"{candidate_date:%B} {candidate_date.day}, {candidate_date.year}"
+        return [f"CHANGELOG.md: missing dated release entry for {RELEASE_VERSION}"]
+    release_date = date.fromisoformat(match.group(1))
+    iso = release_date.isoformat()
+    label = f"{release_date:%B} {release_date.day}, {release_date.year}"
     page = (ROOT / "docs/index.html").read_text(encoding="utf-8")
     checks = [
         ("structured modification date", r'"dateModified": "([^"]+)"', [iso]),
         ("visible updated date", r'Updated <time datetime="([^"]+)">([^<]+)</time>', [(iso, label)]),
-        ("substantive candidate date", r'Candidate 2\.0\.0 updated:\s*<time datetime="([^"]+)">([^<]+)</time>', [(iso, iso)]),
+        ("substantive release date", r'Release 2\.0\.0 published:\s*<time datetime="([^"]+)">([^<]+)</time>', [(iso, iso)]),
     ]
     return [
-        f"docs/index.html: {name} must match candidate {CANDIDATE_VERSION} ({iso})"
+        f"docs/index.html: {name} must match release {RELEASE_VERSION} ({iso})"
         for name, pattern, expected in checks
         if re.findall(pattern, page) != expected
     ]
@@ -162,11 +161,13 @@ def check_byte_identical() -> list[str]:
 
 
 def main() -> int:
-    failures = check_patterns() + check_byte_identical() + check_candidate_release_record()
+    failures = check_patterns() + check_byte_identical() + check_dated_release_record()
     if SELF_GUIDE_VERSION != "0.7.1" or SELF_GUIDE_PROFILE_VERSION != "0.7.1" or LEGACY_ENGINE_VERSION != "0.7.1" or STRICT_ENGINE_VERSION != "1.0.0" or CORRECTED_ENGINE_VERSION != "2.0.0":
         failures.append("engine/self-guide profile identities disagree with the versioned contracts")
-    if not re.fullmatch(r"2\.0\.0(?:\.dev[0-9]+)?", GUIDECHECK_VERSION):
-        failures.append("dispatcher must use its separate 2.0.0 candidate version")
+    if not re.fullmatch(r"2\.0\.0", GUIDECHECK_VERSION):
+        failures.append("dispatcher must use release version 2.0.0")
+    if LATEST_RELEASED_PROFILE_VERSION != CORRECTED_ENGINE_VERSION:
+        failures.append("latest released profile must be the corrected 2.0.0 profile")
     if failures:
         print("Version sync failures:", file=sys.stderr)
         for failure in failures:
@@ -174,8 +175,8 @@ def main() -> int:
         return 1
     print(
         f"Version sync passed: {len(CHECKS)} pattern checks and "
-        f"{len(BYTE_IDENTICAL)} byte-identity checks agree with candidate {CANDIDATE_VERSION}; "
-        "candidate surfaces agree; 1.0.0 remains the last published profile"
+        f"{len(BYTE_IDENTICAL)} byte-identity checks agree with release {RELEASE_VERSION}; "
+        "release surfaces agree; 2.0.0 is the latest released profile"
     )
     return 0
 
diff --git a/scripts/guidecheck_constants.py b/scripts/guidecheck_constants.py
index 851944e..1a04eaa 100644
--- a/scripts/guidecheck_constants.py
+++ b/scripts/guidecheck_constants.py
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 """Shared GuideCheck code-level constants."""
 
-# Candidate software identity is independent of published-profile, engine, and
-# anchored self-guide identities. 2.0.0 is not published; 1.0.0 remains latest.
+# Released software identity is independent of engine and anchored self-guide
+# identities. Profile 2.0.0 is the latest released profile.
 GUIDECHECK_VERSION = "2.0.0"
-LATEST_RELEASED_PROFILE_VERSION = "1.0.0"
+LATEST_RELEASED_PROFILE_VERSION = "2.0.0"
 SELF_GUIDE_VERSION = "0.7.1"
 SELF_GUIDE_PROFILE_VERSION = "0.7.1"
 LEGACY_ENGINE_VERSION = "0.7.1"
diff --git a/scripts/test_hosted_api.py b/scripts/test_hosted_api.py
index 2de5e7a..a3f4af1 100644
--- a/scripts/test_hosted_api.py
+++ b/scripts/test_hosted_api.py
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ def test_version_constants() -> None:
     check("hosted legacy engine version", hv.HOSTED_VERSION == gc.LEGACY_ENGINE_VERSION == "0.7.1")
     check("local legacy engine version", hv.gv.VERIFIER_VERSION == gc.LEGACY_ENGINE_VERSION)
     check("legacy report profile version", hv.gv.GUIDE_PROFILE_VERSION == gc.LEGACY_ENGINE_VERSION)
-    check("released strict profile version", gc.LATEST_RELEASED_PROFILE_VERSION == gc.STRICT_ENGINE_VERSION)
+    check("released corrected profile version", gc.LATEST_RELEASED_PROFILE_VERSION == gc.CORRECTED_ENGINE_VERSION)
     check("preserved fetch user agent", f"/{gc.LEGACY_ENGINE_VERSION} " in gf.USER_AGENT)
 
 

From 8555cf4dd6d476caad1198cd959b9b829b8028c9 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: snapsynapse <57973674+snapsynapse@users.noreply.github.com>
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 2026 19:00:09 -0600
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] Clarify historical policy evidence and release reference
 links

---
 RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md                      | 7 ++++---
 docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md | 8 +++++---
 2 files changed, 9 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md b/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md
index 62822b2..ce8b403 100644
--- a/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md
+++ b/RELEASE_NOTES-2.0.0.md
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ migrated or reinterpreted automatically.
 
 The experimental POSIX JSON CLI contract, selected with
 `--contract posix-json-v1`, is independent of the guide-declared profile
-selector. See `docs/cli-contract.md`.
+selector. See [the CLI contract](https://guidecheck.org/cli-contract.md).
 
-The normative corrected-content policy is
-`docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md`.
+The normative requirements are in the
+[2.0.0 specification](https://guidecheck.org/profiles/2.0.0/spec.md) and
+[verifier conformance profile](https://guidecheck.org/profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md).
diff --git a/docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md b/docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md
index bd4dbd6..3e6e30e 100644
--- a/docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md
+++ b/docs/corrected-content-policy-2026-09-07.md
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
 # Corrected content policy contract
 
-Status: implemented local candidate contract, 2026-09-07. The profile documents,
-schemas, fixtures, selectors, and callers named below agree; profile 2.0.0 remains
-unreleased and undeployed.
+Scope: implementation contract recorded on 2026-09-07 before publication.
+The profile documents, schemas, fixtures, selectors, and callers named below
+agreed at that checkpoint. Current normative requirements live in
+`profiles/2.0.0/spec.md` and `profiles/2.0.0/verifier-conformance.md`; delivery
+evidence is separate and follows `docs/release-2.0.0.md`.
 
 ## Decision