diff --git a/.github/workflows/beta-release.yml b/.github/workflows/beta-release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2f85699c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/beta-release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+name: beta-release
+
+# Separate from GA (tagged-release). Only runs for vX.Y.Z-beta.N tags.
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - "v[0-9]+.[0-9]+.[0-9]+-beta.[0-9]+"
+
+jobs:
+  build-and-publish-beta:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Setup Node.js
+        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: '20'
+          registry-url: 'https://registry.npmjs.org'
+
+      - name: Set beta version from tag
+        run: |
+          TAG="${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}"
+          VERSION="${TAG#v}"
+          echo "TAG=${TAG}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "VERSION=${VERSION}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "Publishing beta version ${VERSION} from tag ${TAG}"
+          npm version "${VERSION}" --no-git-tag-version
+
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: npm ci
+
+      - name: Build package
+        run: npm run build
+
+      - name: Verify package contents
+        run: |
+          echo "Verifying package structure..."
+          ls -la src/dots/
+          echo "Checking for main entry point..."
+          test -f src/dots/digitalOceanClient.ts || (echo "Main entry point not found" && exit 1)
+          echo "Package verification complete"
+
+      - name: Create package
+        run: |
+          echo "Creating npm package..."
+          npm pack
+          ls -la *.tgz
+
+      - name: Upload package artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: npm-beta-package
+          path: "*.tgz"
+
+      # Publish under the "beta" dist-tag so "latest" (GA) is never replaced.
+      - name: Publish beta to npm
+        run: npm publish --access public --tag beta
+        env:
+          NODE_AUTH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}
+
+  release:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    needs: build-and-publish-beta
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Download package artifact
+        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: npm-beta-package
+          path: ./
+
+      - name: Set TAG
+        run: echo "TAG=${GITHUB_REF#refs/*/}" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
+      - name: Create prerelease
+        run: |
+          gh release create ${{ env.TAG }} \
+           *.tgz \
+           --title "${{ env.TAG }}" \
+           --generate-notes \
+           --prerelease
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 983131271..0721b4e21 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: tagged-release
 
+# GA only: exact vX.Y.Z tags. Beta tags (vX.Y.Z-beta.N) use beta-release.yml.
 on:
   push:
     tags:
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d37f826f4..227cdb43d 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -144,4 +144,14 @@ number for the tag.
     * To push the tag to a different remote, run `ORIGIN=${REMOTE} make tag`.
 
 1. Once the release process completes, review the draft release for correctness and publish the release.  
-Ensure the release has been marked `Latest`.
\ No newline at end of file
+Ensure the release has been marked `Latest`.
+
+## Beta releasing `dots`
+
+Ship a feature-branch build to limited customers without going through GA on `main`.
+
+1. Push your feature branch, then run `make beta_tag`.
+   - Tags `vX.Y.Z-beta.N` from the current `package.json` version (e.g. `1.12.0` → `v1.12.0-beta.1`, then `v1.12.0-beta.2`).
+   - Does not change `package.json` or affect GA (`make tag` / `latest`).
+2. The `beta-release` workflow publishes to npm under the `beta` dist-tag and creates a GitHub prerelease.
+3. Install with `npm i @digitalocean/dots@beta` or pin e.g. `@digitalocean/dots@1.12.0-beta.1`.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 0632c5971..37f6255ec 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -74,11 +74,17 @@ generate: dev-dependencies
 	node scripts/postgen-inference.mjs "$(SPEC_FILE)"
 
 .PHONY: tag
-tag: ## Tags a release
+tag: ## Tags a GA release (vX.Y.Z from package.json)
 	@echo "==> ORIGIN=${ORIGIN} COMMIT=${COMMIT} tag"
 	@echo ""
 	@ORIGIN=${ORIGIN} scripts/tag.sh
 
+.PHONY: beta_tag
+beta_tag: ## Tags a beta release (vX.Y.Z-beta.N) from the current branch
+	@echo "==> ORIGIN=${ORIGIN} COMMIT=${COMMIT} beta_tag"
+	@echo ""
+	@ORIGIN=${ORIGIN} scripts/beta_tag.sh
+
 .PHONY: _install_github_release_notes
 _install_github_release_notes:
 	@GO111MODULE=on go install github.com/digitalocean/github-changelog-generator@latest
diff --git a/docs/media/CONTRIBUTING.md b/docs/media/CONTRIBUTING.md
index d37f826f4..227cdb43d 100644
--- a/docs/media/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/docs/media/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -144,4 +144,14 @@ number for the tag.
     * To push the tag to a different remote, run `ORIGIN=${REMOTE} make tag`.
 
 1. Once the release process completes, review the draft release for correctness and publish the release.  
-Ensure the release has been marked `Latest`.
\ No newline at end of file
+Ensure the release has been marked `Latest`.
+
+## Beta releasing `dots`
+
+Ship a feature-branch build to limited customers without going through GA on `main`.
+
+1. Push your feature branch, then run `make beta_tag`.
+   - Tags `vX.Y.Z-beta.N` from the current `package.json` version (e.g. `1.12.0` → `v1.12.0-beta.1`, then `v1.12.0-beta.2`).
+   - Does not change `package.json` or affect GA (`make tag` / `latest`).
+2. The `beta-release` workflow publishes to npm under the `beta` dist-tag and creates a GitHub prerelease.
+3. Install with `npm i @digitalocean/dots@beta` or pin e.g. `@digitalocean/dots@1.12.0-beta.1`.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/beta_tag.sh b/scripts/beta_tag.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..a80ea8eab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/beta_tag.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
+set -eo pipefail
+
+ORIGIN=${ORIGIN:-origin}
+
+if [[ $(git status --porcelain) != "" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: repo is dirty. Run git status, clean repo and try again."
+  exit 1
+elif [[ $(git status --porcelain -b | grep -e "ahead" -e "behind") != "" ]]; then
+  echo "Error: repo has unpushed commits. Push commits to remote and try again."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Base version comes from package.json (strip any existing -beta.N suffix).
+current_version=$(node -p "require('./package.json').version")
+base_version=$(echo "$current_version" | sed -E 's/-beta\.[0-9]+$//')
+
+if [[ ! "$base_version" =~ ^[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+$ ]]; then
+  echo "Error: package.json version '${current_version}' is not a supported base for beta tags."
+  echo "Expected X.Y.Z or X.Y.Z-beta.N"
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Ensure we see remote beta tags before choosing the next number.
+git fetch --tags "$ORIGIN"
+
+next_beta=1
+existing=$(git tag -l "v${base_version}-beta.*" | grep -Eo '[0-9]+$' | sort -n | tail -1 || true)
+if [[ -n "$existing" ]]; then
+  next_beta=$((existing + 1))
+fi
+
+tag="v${base_version}-beta.${next_beta}"
+
+if git rev-parse "$tag" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "Error: tag ${tag} already exists."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+git tag -m "beta release $tag" -a "$tag" $COMMIT && git push "$ORIGIN" tag "$tag"
+
+echo ""
+echo "Created and pushed beta tag: ${tag}"
+echo "Customers can install with: npm i @digitalocean/dots@${tag#v}"
+echo "Or track the beta channel:     npm i @digitalocean/dots@beta"
+echo ""