diff --git a/.github/workflows/doxygen.yml b/.github/workflows/doxygen.yml
index 4d5cd64..1f8c7cc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/doxygen.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/doxygen.yml
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
     timeout-minutes: 45
     permissions:
-      contents: read
+      contents: write
       pages: write
       id-token: write
     environment:
@@ -88,6 +88,19 @@ jobs:
           RELEASE_TAG: ${{ needs.check.outputs.tag }}
           RELEASE_ID: ${{ needs.check.outputs.release_id }}
         run: bash scripts/build-docs.sh
+      - name: Package this publication for durable downloads
+        env:
+          GENERATION: ${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}
+        run: python3 scripts/package_docs.py site bundle --generation "$GENERATION"
+      - name: Publish versioned documentation download
+        env:
+          GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+          GENERATION: ${{ github.run_id }}-${{ github.run_attempt }}
+        run: |
+          gh release create "docs-$GENERATION" bundle/docs.tar.gz bundle/manifest.json \
+            --repo "$GITHUB_REPOSITORY" --target "$GITHUB_SHA" \
+            --prerelease --latest=false --title "Documentation publication $GENERATION" \
+            --notes "Documentation bundle for this publication. Discover the active publication through https://fastled.github.io/dox/publication.json."
       - name: Configure Pages
         uses: actions/configure-pages@983d7736d9b0ae728b81ab479565c72886d7745b # v5
       - name: Upload Pages artifact
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9462490..35cc8c6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 .build/
 fastled/
 site/
+bundle/
+__pycache__/
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 7798357..3550326 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -49,6 +49,31 @@ artifact with one-day retention; it is never committed to this repository.
 The deployed `release.json` records the release ID, tag, source commit, and
 Doxygen version. No personal token or cross-repository write access is needed.
 
+## Durable documentation downloads
+
+The active site's [publication.json](https://fastled.github.io/dox/publication.json)
+identifies a public, versioned download of that exact publication. Mirrors should
+discover downloads through this manifest rather than GitHub's latest-release API.
+Its `schema_version` is `1`; `generation` is the GitHub run ID and attempt joined
+with a hyphen. The `release` object contains `id`, `tag_name`, `source_sha`,
+`doxygen_version`, and the same `generation`. The `archive` object contains the
+public `url`, hexadecimal `sha256`, and byte `size` of `docs.tar.gz`.
+
+Each build creates a `docs-<generation>` documentation prerelease containing
+`docs.tar.gz` and `manifest.json`. These assets are uploaded before Pages deploys;
+the public site selects the generation only after deployment succeeds. Failed
+deployments therefore leave the previous publication selected. Consumers should
+verify the archive's size and SHA256 before extracting its files and directories.
+The archive includes `release.json` with the matching generation and excludes
+`publication.json` to avoid a self-referential checksum. The standalone
+`manifest.json` and deployed `publication.json` are identical.
+
+Publication assets remain available beyond the Actions artifact retention period.
+Generated HTML and archives are never committed to Git. A forced rebuild of the
+same FastLED tag creates a new generation; an unchanged daily check still skips
+building and publishing. The publish job uses repository write permission to
+create its documentation release; the release check retains read permission.
+
 For a local build on Linux x86-64, install Git, curl, jq, tar, Python 3, and Graphviz, then:
 
 ```bash
@@ -73,8 +98,8 @@ The successful daily check records a small status snapshot on
 `automation/release-checks` at most once every 30 days. This provides repository
 activity before GitHub's 60-day inactivity limit. The audit history contains
 only JSON and never triggers a documentation build or deployment. The audit job
-alone has repository write permission; release checking and building keep their
-existing permissions.
+has repository write permission, as does the separate publish job for its public
+download release. Release checking retains read permission.
 
 If GitHub disables the schedule after a prolonged outage, open the workflow in
 Actions and choose **Enable workflow**, then run it manually. See
diff --git a/scripts/package_docs.py b/scripts/package_docs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad49cfe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/package_docs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+"""Package a release site for durable downloads and independent mirrors."""
+
+import argparse
+import hashlib
+import json
+import re
+import tarfile
+from pathlib import Path
+
+
+def package_docs(site, output_dir, generation):
+    if not re.fullmatch(r"[1-9][0-9]*-[1-9][0-9]*", generation):
+        raise ValueError(
+            "generation must be a GitHub run ID and attempt: <id>-<attempt>"
+        )
+    site = Path(site)
+    output_dir = Path(output_dir)
+    if site.is_symlink():
+        raise ValueError("site must not be a symlink")
+    site = site.resolve(strict=True)
+    output_dir = output_dir.resolve()
+    if output_dir == site or site in output_dir.parents:
+        raise ValueError("output directory must be outside the site")
+    paths = sorted(site.rglob("*"))
+    for path in paths:
+        if path.is_symlink():
+            raise ValueError(f"site contains a symlink: {path.relative_to(site)}")
+        if not (path.is_file() or path.is_dir()):
+            raise ValueError(
+                f"site contains a non-file entry: {path.relative_to(site)}"
+            )
+
+    release = json.loads((site / "release.json").read_text())
+    for key in ("id", "tag_name", "source_sha", "doxygen_version"):
+        if key not in release:
+            raise ValueError(f"release.json is missing {key}")
+    release["generation"] = generation
+    (site / "release.json").write_text(json.dumps(release, indent=2) + "\n")
+    output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    archive_path = output_dir / "docs.tar.gz"
+    # Symlinks were rejected above; dereference hard links into regular files.
+    with tarfile.open(archive_path, "w:gz", dereference=True) as archive:
+        for path in paths:
+            if path != site / "publication.json":
+                archive.add(path, arcname=path.relative_to(site), recursive=False)
+    digest = hashlib.sha256()
+    with archive_path.open("rb") as archive:
+        for chunk in iter(lambda: archive.read(1024 * 1024), b""):
+            digest.update(chunk)
+    manifest = {
+        "schema_version": 1,
+        "generation": generation,
+        "release": release,
+        "archive": {
+            "url": f"https://github.com/FastLED/dox/releases/download/docs-{generation}/docs.tar.gz",
+            "sha256": digest.hexdigest(),
+            "size": archive_path.stat().st_size,
+        },
+    }
+    content = json.dumps(manifest, indent=2) + "\n"
+    (output_dir / "manifest.json").write_text(content)
+    (site / "publication.json").write_text(content)
+    return manifest
+
+
+def main():
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument("site", type=Path)
+    parser.add_argument("output_dir", type=Path)
+    parser.add_argument("--generation", required=True)
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+    package_docs(args.site, args.output_dir, args.generation)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    main()
diff --git a/scripts/test_package_docs.py b/scripts/test_package_docs.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30c1afa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/test_package_docs.py
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+"""Validate the public publication bundle contract using a small real site."""
+
+import hashlib
+import json
+import os
+import tarfile
+import tempfile
+import unittest
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from package_docs import package_docs
+
+
+class PackageTests(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.temp = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        self.addCleanup(self.temp.cleanup)
+        self.site = Path(self.temp.name) / "site"
+        self.output = Path(self.temp.name) / "bundle"
+        self.site.mkdir()
+        self.release = {
+            "id": 416153555,
+            "tag_name": "3.10.8",
+            "source_sha": "f" * 40,
+            "doxygen_version": "1.13.2",
+        }
+        (self.site / "release.json").write_text(json.dumps(self.release))
+        (self.site / "index.html").write_text("<h1>FastLED</h1>")
+        (self.site / ".nojekyll").touch()
+        (self.site / "search").mkdir()
+        (self.site / "search" / "search.js").write_text("// search")
+        (self.site / "publication.json").write_text('{"old": true}')
+
+    def test_archive_and_manifest_describe_identical_release(self):
+        manifest = package_docs(self.site, self.output, "12345-2")
+        self.assertEqual(manifest["schema_version"], 1)
+        self.assertEqual(manifest["generation"], "12345-2")
+        self.assertEqual(manifest["release"], dict(self.release, generation="12345-2"))
+        archive = (self.output / "docs.tar.gz").read_bytes()
+        self.assertEqual(
+            manifest["archive"],
+            {
+                "url": "https://github.com/FastLED/dox/releases/download/docs-12345-2/docs.tar.gz",
+                "sha256": hashlib.sha256(archive).hexdigest(),
+                "size": len(archive),
+            },
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            (self.site / "publication.json").read_bytes(),
+            (self.output / "manifest.json").read_bytes(),
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            json.loads((self.output / "manifest.json").read_text()), manifest
+        )
+        with tarfile.open(self.output / "docs.tar.gz") as bundle:
+            self.assertEqual(
+                set(bundle.getnames()),
+                {
+                    ".nojekyll",
+                    "index.html",
+                    "release.json",
+                    "search",
+                    "search/search.js",
+                },
+            )
+            self.assertTrue(all(member.isfile() or member.isdir() for member in bundle))
+            self.assertEqual(
+                json.load(bundle.extractfile("release.json")), manifest["release"]
+            )
+
+    def test_rejects_unsafe_generation_before_modifying_release(self):
+        original = (self.site / "release.json").read_bytes()
+        for generation in ("../123", "1/2", "1-2\n", "1-2;echo", "", "1", "a-2", "0-1"):
+            with self.subTest(generation=generation), self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+                package_docs(self.site, self.output, generation)
+        self.assertEqual((self.site / "release.json").read_bytes(), original)
+
+    def test_rejects_symlinks_including_excluded_manifest(self):
+        for name in ("linked.html", "publication.json"):
+            with self.subTest(name=name):
+                target = self.site / name
+                if target.exists():
+                    target.rename(target.with_suffix(".old"))
+                target.symlink_to(self.site / "index.html")
+                with self.assertRaisesRegex(ValueError, "symlink"):
+                    package_docs(self.site, self.output, "12345-1")
+                target.rename(target.with_suffix(".rejected"))
+                # Move rejected symlinks outside the site before the next case.
+                target.with_suffix(".rejected").rename(Path(self.temp.name) / name)
+
+    def test_rejects_output_inside_site(self):
+        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
+            package_docs(self.site, self.site / "bundle", "12345-1")
+
+    def test_hardlinks_are_archived_as_regular_files(self):
+        os.link(self.site / "index.html", self.site / "copy.html")
+        package_docs(self.site, self.output, "12345-1")
+        with tarfile.open(self.output / "docs.tar.gz") as bundle:
+            self.assertTrue(bundle.getmember("index.html").isfile())
+            self.assertTrue(bundle.getmember("copy.html").isfile())
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    unittest.main()