diff --git a/Scrapy-release-procedure.md b/Scrapy-release-procedure.md
index 33d7bd6..146de4f 100644
--- a/Scrapy-release-procedure.md
+++ b/Scrapy-release-procedure.md
@@ -11,6 +11,15 @@ entry for the new version. Do this in the target branch, which will be `master`
 if you are releasing a major or minor version, or a version-specific branch in
 case of a patch version.
 
+The changes must include looking for the following references in the code base
+and replacing them with the corresponding values where appropriate:
+
+- `VERSION`: new major or minor version being released, without the patch
+  version number (`x.y`, not `x.y.0`)
+
+- `PREVIOUS_VERSION`: the major or minor version before the new version being
+  released, without the patch version number (`x.y`, not `x.y.0`)
+
 A pull request for this can be created at any point, to allow for discussions,
 and updated as new changes are accepted into the target branch. Once the code
 is frozen and the release date set, the pull request can be updated accordingly