@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 
 Paths are relative to the working directory, which in CI is the checkout root.
 """
+import datetime
 import json
 import os
 import sys
@@ -128,6 +129,31 @@ def release_tag(cfg: dict, cycle_name: str) -> str:
     return tag
 
 
+def ordinal(day: int) -> str:
+    """1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th ... and the 11th/12th/13th exceptions."""
+    if 11 <= day % 100 <= 13:
+        return f"{day}th"
+    return f"{day}{ {1: 'st', 2: 'nd', 3: 'rd'}.get(day % 10, 'th') }"
+
+
+def release_title(cfg: dict, cycle_name: str, today: datetime.date | None = None) -> str:
+    """"WinPython 2026-04 b1 of September 6th 2026", the shape releases have used.
+
+    Kept deliberately close to the titles written by hand before this: cycle,
+    then the level after a space -- the tag runs them together, the title does
+    not -- then the date, no comma, which is how all but one of them read.
+
+    The date is the day the draft is opened, since that is the only day the
+    build knows about. A cycle publishing much later than it was built can
+    still have the title edited; the tag, which is what URLs are built on,
+    does not move.
+    """
+    today = today or datetime.date.today()
+    level = cfg.get("release_level", "")
+    name = f"{cycle_name.replace('_', '-')} {level}".strip()
+    return f"WinPython {name} of {today:%B} {ordinal(today.day)} {today.year}"
+
+
 def build_config(cfg: dict, requested: str, cycle_name: str) -> dict:
     pythons = cfg["pythons"]
     if requested == "all":
@@ -156,6 +182,7 @@ def build_config(cfg: dict, requested: str, cycle_name: str) -> dict:
         "cycle_dir": cfg["cycle_dir"],
         "release_level": cfg.get("release_level", ""),
         "release_tag": release_tag(cfg, cycle_name),
+        "release_title": release_title(cfg, cycle_name),
         "pandoc_source": cfg["pandoc"]["source"],
         "pandoc_sha256": cfg["pandoc"]["sha256"],
         # consumed by the build job as strategy.matrix via fromJSON
 
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ jobs:
       pandoc_sha256: ${{ steps.cfg.outputs.pandoc_sha256 }}
       release_level: ${{ steps.cfg.outputs.release_level }}
       release_tag: ${{ steps.cfg.outputs.release_tag }}
+      release_title: ${{ steps.cfg.outputs.release_title }}
       matrix: ${{ steps.cfg.outputs.matrix }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v6
@@ -78,15 +79,17 @@ jobs:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
           GH_REPO: ${{ github.repository }}
           TAG: ${{ needs.config.outputs.release_tag }}
+          TITLE: ${{ needs.config.outputs.release_title }}
           CYCLE: ${{ inputs.cycle }}
         run: |
           if gh release view "$TAG" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-            # re-running one missing flavor is normal; say which release its files land on
+            # re-running one missing flavor is normal; say which release its files
+            # land on, and leave the title alone in case it was edited by hand
             state=$(gh release view "$TAG" --json isDraft --jq 'if .isDraft then "still a draft" else "ALREADY PUBLISHED" end')
             echo "release $TAG exists ($state); this run adds its files to it"
           else
             gh release create "$TAG" --draft \
-              --title "WinPython $TAG" \
+              --title "$TITLE" \
               --notes "Draft opened by the build workflow for cycle $CYCLE. Files land as each build finishes; publish once they are all here."
             echo "opened draft release $TAG"
           fi
 
@@ -192,6 +192,54 @@ def test_every_cycle_has_a_usable_tag(self, cycle_config, at_repo_root, cycle_fi
         assert tag and not set(tag) & cycle_config.TAG_FORBIDDEN
 
 
+@needs_script
+class TestReleaseTitle:
+    """The title people actually read on the releases page.
+
+    Reproduced from the titles written by hand for years rather than invented:
+    cycle, then the level after a space -- the tag runs them together, the
+    title does not -- then the date with no comma, which is how all but one of
+    the previous titles read.
+    """
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("cycle,level,date,expected", [
+        # the real titles of these releases, to the letter
+        ("2026_03", "", (2026, 8, 22), "WinPython 2026-03 of August 22nd 2026"),
+        ("2026_03", "b3", (2026, 8, 8), "WinPython 2026-03 b3 of August 8th 2026"),
+        ("2026_02", "b2", (2026, 5, 1), "WinPython 2026-02 b2 of May 1st 2026"),
+        ("2026_01", "final", (2026, 3, 10), "WinPython 2026-01 final of March 10th 2026"),
+        ("2025_05", "rc", (2025, 12, 22), "WinPython 2025-05 rc of December 22nd 2025"),
+        ("2026_01", "b3", (2026, 2, 24), "WinPython 2026-01 b3 of February 24th 2026"),
+    ])
+    def test_matches_the_titles_used_before(self, cycle_config, cycle, level, date, expected):
+        import datetime
+
+        cfg = {"release_level": level} if level else {}
+        assert cycle_config.release_title(cfg, cycle, datetime.date(*date)) == expected
+
+    def test_no_double_space_when_there_is_no_level(self, cycle_config):
+        """Some older titles read "2026-02  of May 17th": a level that was empty."""
+        import datetime
+
+        title = cycle_config.release_title({"release_level": ""}, "2026_04", datetime.date(2026, 5, 17))
+        assert "  " not in title
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("day,expected", [
+        (1, "1st"), (2, "2nd"), (3, "3rd"), (4, "4th"),
+        (11, "11th"), (12, "12th"), (13, "13th"),  # not 11st/12nd/13rd
+        (21, "21st"), (22, "22nd"), (23, "23rd"), (30, "30th"), (31, "31st"),
+    ])
+    def test_ordinals(self, cycle_config, day, expected):
+        assert cycle_config.ordinal(day) == expected
+
+    @needs_cycles
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("cycle_file", cycle_files, ids=lambda p: p.stem)
+    def test_every_cycle_produces_a_title(self, cycle_config, at_repo_root, cycle_file):
+        title = config_for(cycle_config, cycle_file)["release_title"]
+        assert title.startswith("WinPython ") and " of " in title
+        assert "\n" not in title, "a GITHUB_OUTPUT value has to stay on one line"
+
+
 @needs_script
 @needs_workflow
 @needs_cycles
@@ -260,6 +308,11 @@ def test_publishing_is_gated_both_ways(self, workflow_text):
         assert "if: ${{ inputs.publish }}" in workflow_text
         assert "if: ${{ !inputs.publish }}" in workflow_text
 
+    def test_the_release_title_is_built_by_the_script(self, workflow_text):
+        """Ordinal dates are miserable in shell, and untestable there."""
+        assert 'TITLE: ${{ needs.config.outputs.release_title }}' in workflow_text
+        assert '--title "$TITLE"' in workflow_text
+
     def test_the_changelog_name_carries_the_release_level(self, workflow_text):
         """A beta and the final it becomes share a ver2.