diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/prepare-release.yml b/.gitea/workflows/prepare-release.yml
index 31e4d0d..e760677 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/prepare-release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/prepare-release.yml
@@ -298,16 +298,26 @@ jobs:
         env:
           TAG_NAME: ${{ steps.publish.outputs.tag }}
           RELEASE_VERSION: ${{ steps.publish.outputs.version }}
+          PUBLISH_OUTCOME: ${{ steps.publish.outcome }}
         run: |
           set -euo pipefail
 
-          {
-            echo "## Release Published"
-            echo
-            echo "- Tag: ${TAG_NAME}"
-            echo "- Release notes sourced from changelog entry ${RELEASE_VERSION}."
-            echo "- Published assets: vociferate_${RELEASE_VERSION}_linux_amd64, vociferate_${RELEASE_VERSION}_linux_arm64, checksums.txt"
-          } >> "$SUMMARY_FILE"
+          if [[ "${PUBLISH_OUTCOME}" == "success" ]]; then
+            {
+              echo "## Release Published"
+              echo
+              echo "- Tag: ${TAG_NAME}"
+              echo "- Release notes sourced from changelog entry ${RELEASE_VERSION}."
+              echo "- Published assets: vociferate_${RELEASE_VERSION}_linux_amd64, vociferate_${RELEASE_VERSION}_linux_arm64, checksums.txt"
+            } >> "$SUMMARY_FILE"
+          else
+            {
+              echo "## Release Failed"
+              echo
+              echo "- Tag: ${TAG_NAME:-unknown}"
+              echo "- Create or update release step did not complete successfully."
+            } >> "$SUMMARY_FILE"
+          fi
 
           echo 'Summary'
           echo
diff --git a/publish/action.yml b/publish/action.yml
index f92343c..6f9bb8f 100644
--- a/publish/action.yml
+++ b/publish/action.yml
@@ -99,7 +99,13 @@ runs:
       run: |
         set -euo pipefail
 
-        if [[ -z "${TOKEN:-}" ]]; then
+        raw_token="$(printf '%s' "${TOKEN:-}" | sed 's/^[[:space:]]\+//; s/[[:space:]]\+$//')"
+        if [[ "$raw_token" =~ ^%\!t\(string=(.*)\)$ ]]; then
+          raw_token="${BASH_REMATCH[1]}"
+        fi
+        api_token="$(printf '%s' "$raw_token" | sed 's/^[[:space:]]\+//; s/[[:space:]]\+$//')"
+
+        if [[ -z "$api_token" ]]; then
           echo "inputs.token is required (set to secrets.RELEASE_PAT)." >&2
           exit 1
         fi
@@ -110,7 +116,7 @@ runs:
         release_by_tag_api="${release_api}/tags/${TAG_NAME}"
 
         status_code="$(curl -sS -o release-existing.json -w '%{http_code}' \
-          -H "Authorization: token ${TOKEN}" \
+          -H "Authorization: token ${api_token}" \
           -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
           "${release_by_tag_api}")"
 
@@ -122,13 +128,16 @@ runs:
             exit 1
           fi
 
-          curl --fail-with-body \
+          if ! curl --fail-with-body \
             -X PATCH \
-            -H "Authorization: token ${TOKEN}" \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${api_token}" \
             -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
             "${release_api}/${existing_release_id}" \
             --data "{\"tag_name\":\"${TAG_NAME}\",\"name\":\"${TAG_NAME}\",\"body\":\"${escaped_release_notes}\",\"draft\":false,\"prerelease\":false}" \
-            --output release.json
+            --output release.json; then
+            cat release.json >&2 || true
+            exit 1
+          fi
 
           echo "id=$existing_release_id" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         elif [[ "$status_code" != "404" ]]; then
@@ -136,13 +145,16 @@ runs:
           cat release-existing.json >&2
           exit 1
         else
-          curl --fail-with-body \
+          if ! curl --fail-with-body \
             -X POST \
-            -H "Authorization: token ${TOKEN}" \
+            -H "Authorization: token ${api_token}" \
             -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
             "${release_api}" \
             --data "{\"tag_name\":\"${TAG_NAME}\",\"name\":\"${TAG_NAME}\",\"body\":\"${escaped_release_notes}\",\"draft\":false,\"prerelease\":false}" \
-            --output release.json
+            --output release.json; then
+            cat release.json >&2 || true
+            exit 1
+          fi
 
           release_id="$(sed -n 's/.*"id"[[:space:]]*:[[:space:]]*\([0-9][0-9]*\).*/\1/p' release.json | head -n 1)"
           if [[ -z "$release_id" ]]; then