diff --git a/.github/workflows/contract-compatibility.yml b/.github/workflows/contract-compatibility.yml
index e4a710a..e50f62f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/contract-compatibility.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/contract-compatibility.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ on:
       - "asyncapi/**"
       - "schemas/**"
       - "scripts/check_openapi_compatibility.rb"
+      - "scripts/lint_contracts.rb"
+      - "postman/**"
       - ".github/workflows/contract-compatibility.yml"
   push:
     branches: [main]
@@ -30,3 +32,5 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           git show "origin/${{ github.base_ref }}:openapi/corelink-public-v1.yaml" > /tmp/base-public.yaml || true
           ruby scripts/check_openapi_compatibility.rb /tmp/base-public.yaml openapi/corelink-public-v1.yaml
+      - name: Lint public contract and examples
+        run: ruby scripts/lint_contracts.rb
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09a2822
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Changelog
+
+All notable contract releases are recorded here. Contract tags are immutable;
+corrections require a new patch tag and must not be moved in place.
+
+## [1.0.0-draft] - 2026-07-25
+
+Initial reviewed draft for the proven Device and Command public slice.
+
+### Added
+
+- canonical public device and command identifiers;
+- tenant-scoped device listing, lookup, creation and command operations;
+- `application/problem+json` error responses with correlation IDs;
+- canonical event envelope and device lifecycle event definitions;
+- compatibility policy and public OpenAPI compatibility gate.
+
+### Explicitly not released
+
+Tenant provisioning, partner credentials, webhooks, telemetry, billing and
+privileged administration remain outside this draft until their contracts and
+runtime parity evidence are reviewed.
+
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d3f999e..037e986 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ administration remain out of public v1 until they have their own reviewed
 contract. SDKs and the mock server may consume this draft only in prerelease
 channels; it is not a release claim until runtime parity and CI checks land.
 
+The immutable baseline tag is `v1.0.0-draft`. See the
+[changelog](CHANGELOG.md) and [compatibility matrix](docs/compatibility-matrix.md)
+for the exact release boundary and consumer status.
+
 ## Contract rules
 
 - Public device identity is `corelink_device_id`; integration IDs remain
diff --git a/docs/compatibility-matrix.md b/docs/compatibility-matrix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..191ddd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/compatibility-matrix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+# Contract compatibility matrix
+
+This matrix records the contract version and verification boundary for each
+consumer. A draft tag is immutable, but it is not a production support claim.
+
+| Surface | Contract source | Version | Compatibility gate | Current status |
+| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
+| Public HTTP API | `openapi/corelink-public-v1.yaml` | `1.0.0-draft` | OpenAPI syntax + public diff checker | Draft reviewed; runtime parity is a separate gate |
+| Admin HTTP API | `openapi/corelink-admin-v1.yaml` | `1.0.0-draft` | OpenAPI syntax + authorization review | Internal draft; not a public release |
+| Internal HTTP API | `openapi/corelink-internal-v1.yaml` | `1.0.0-draft` | OpenAPI syntax + service ownership review | Internal draft; not a public release |
+| Events | `asyncapi/corelink-events-v1.yaml` | `1.0.0-draft` | AsyncAPI validation + event envelope review | Draft; delivery/replay evidence remains platform-owned |
+| Python/TypeScript/Java SDKs | Generated or hand-written consumers | N/A | Contract version pinned per release | No stable SDK release claim for this draft |
+| CLI, mock server and MCP server | Consumer repositories | N/A | Runtime parity and examples | Must consume a reviewed tag before beta |
+
+## Release rules
+
+1. Each released row must point to an immutable Git tag.
+2. Additive changes within the same major version require a new minor or patch
+   tag and a changelog entry.
+3. Breaking changes require a new major contract document and migration notes.
+4. A contract tag is not a runtime release until the corresponding consumer
+   parity checks and operational evidence are attached to the release record.
+
diff --git a/docs/runtime-parity.md b/docs/runtime-parity.md
index 5041833..5aa6df1 100644
--- a/docs/runtime-parity.md
+++ b/docs/runtime-parity.md
@@ -16,3 +16,7 @@ No TypeScript or Python package may be promoted beyond prerelease until these
 items, a contract-diff check and generated-client compatibility tests are
 green. This gate preserves current consumers while the public boundary is
 normalized.
+
+The repository workflow also runs `scripts/lint_contracts.rb` and parses the
+versioned Postman collection/environment. This is an early structural gate; it
+does not replace runtime parity or generated-client tests.
diff --git a/scripts/lint_contracts.rb b/scripts/lint_contracts.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4152cc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/lint_contracts.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env ruby
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+# Small dependency-free contract lint. It catches incomplete operations before
+# a full OpenAPI/AsyncAPI validator is introduced in the contract toolchain.
+
+require "json"
+require "yaml"
+
+PUBLIC_SPEC = "openapi/corelink-public-v1.yaml"
+OPERATIONS = %w[get put post patch delete head options].freeze
+
+spec = YAML.safe_load(File.read(PUBLIC_SPEC), permitted_classes: [], aliases: false)
+errors = []
+paths = spec.fetch("paths", {})
+errors << "public contract must declare paths" if paths.empty?
+
+paths.each do |path, path_item|
+  OPERATIONS.each do |method|
+    operation = path_item[method]
+    next unless operation
+
+    location = "#{method.upcase} #{path}"
+    errors << "#{location}: missing operationId" if operation["operationId"].to_s.empty?
+    errors << "#{location}: missing x-corelink-stability" if operation["x-corelink-stability"].to_s.empty?
+    errors << "#{location}: missing responses" if operation.fetch("responses", {}).empty?
+  end
+end
+
+%w[
+  postman/corelink-public-v1.postman_collection.json
+  postman/corelink-public-v1.postman_environment.json
+].each do |path|
+  JSON.parse(File.read(path))
+rescue JSON::ParserError => error
+  errors << "#{path}: invalid JSON (#{error.message})"
+end
+
+if errors.empty?
+  puts "Contract lint passed."
+else
+  warn errors.join("\n")
+  exit 1
+end
+