diff --git a/.github/scripts/products.py b/.github/scripts/products.py
index 2c0c7b9..2f836a0 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/products.py
+++ b/.github/scripts/products.py
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ def note(msg):
     print(f"::notice::{msg}", file=sys.stderr)
 
 
+def warn(msg):
+    print(f"::warning::{msg}", file=sys.stderr)
+
+
 def as_bool(v, default):
     if v is None or v == "":
         return default
@@ -82,13 +86,20 @@ def git_tags():
     return [t for t in out.stdout.splitlines() if t]
 
 
-def product_changed_since(key, filename, last_tag, products_dir):
-    """True if the product's file differs between last_tag and HEAD."""
+def product_changed_since(key, filename, last_tag, products_dir, source_paths=()):
+    """True if the product's file — or any of its declared source paths — differs
+    between last_tag and HEAD.
+
+    Without `source-paths`, only the product file counts, so a commit that changes
+    nothing but Swift still cuts no beta and the run goes green with the fix
+    sitting unshipped on main. Declaring the paths a product actually builds from
+    makes a code-only change cut a beta on its own.
+    """
     inj = os.environ.get("CHANGED_PRODUCTS")
     if inj is not None:
         return key in inj.split()
-    path = os.path.join(products_dir, filename)
-    rc = subprocess.run(["git", "diff", "--quiet", last_tag, "HEAD", "--", path]).returncode
+    paths = [os.path.join(products_dir, filename), *source_paths]
+    rc = subprocess.run(["git", "diff", "--quiet", last_tag, "HEAD", "--", *paths]).returncode
     return rc != 0
 
 
@@ -208,6 +219,11 @@ def resolve(products_dir, defaults):
             "_version": version,
             "_bare": bare,
             "_file": os.path.basename(f),
+            # Git pathspecs this product builds from, e.g. ["MyApp/**",
+            # "Project.swift"]. Optional; when set, a change to any of them cuts a
+            # beta on its own, so a code-only fix ships without needing a
+            # cosmetic edit to the product file. Internal: plan-beta only.
+            "_source_paths": [str(x) for x in (p.get("source-paths") or []) if str(x).strip()],
         })
 
     if sum(1 for r in resolved if r["_bare"]) > 1:
@@ -255,8 +271,19 @@ def cmd_plan_beta(products_dir, defaults):
             nums = [int(t.rsplit(".", 1)[1]) for t in betas if t.rsplit(".", 1)[1].isdigit()]
             last_n = max(nums) if nums else 0
             last_tag = f"{pfx}{v}-beta.{last_n}"
-            if not product_changed_since(pid, r["_file"], last_tag, products_dir):
-                note(f"{pid}: unchanged since {last_tag} — skip")
+            if not product_changed_since(pid, r["_file"], last_tag, products_dir, r["_source_paths"]):
+                # A warning, not a notice: this is the case where a push that DID
+                # change code still ships nothing, and the run is otherwise green.
+                # Without `source-paths` the check cannot see code at all, so say
+                # what to do about it rather than letting the silence pass.
+                if r["_source_paths"]:
+                    warn(f"{pid}: neither {products_dir}/{r['_file']} nor its source-paths "
+                         f"changed since {last_tag} — no beta cut")
+                else:
+                    warn(f"{pid}: {products_dir}/{r['_file']} unchanged since {last_tag} — no beta "
+                         f"cut. Code-only changes do NOT trigger a beta; add \"source-paths\" to "
+                         f"the product file (e.g. [\"{pid or 'MyApp'}/**\", \"Project.swift\"]) so "
+                         f"they do.")
                 continue
             n = last_n + 1
         else:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1e541d5..f85744f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@ Fields — only `id`, `scheme`/`product-name`/`bundle-id` (Direct) or `scheme-st
 | `devid-profile-secret` / `store-profile-secret` | Name of the provisioning-profile secret for this product (defaults to the shared `PROV_PROF_DEVID_BASE64` / `PROV_PROF_STORE_BASE64`). |
 | `devid-cert-secret` / `devid-cert-password-secret` | Name of the Developer ID **certificate** p12 + password secrets for this product (defaults to the shared `DEVELOPER_ID_P12_BASE64` / `DEVELOPER_ID_PASSWORD`). For a product signing under a different team — e.g. one that kept its legacy Developer ID after an account transfer. |
 | `s3-subpath` | S3 + appcast sub-prefix for this product (e.g. `"pro"`; empty = the bucket root). |
+| `source-paths` | **Recommended.** Git pathspecs this product builds from, e.g. `["MyApp/**", "Project.swift"]`. Beta cutting normally keys **only** on a change to this product file, so a commit that changes nothing but source cuts no beta and the run still goes green — the fix sits unshipped on `main`. Declaring the paths makes a code-only change cut a beta on its own. Omit it and `plan-beta` warns whenever it skips, since it cannot see code at all. |
 | `appcast-filename` / `appcast-seed-path` | This product's Sparkle feed filename + seed. |
 | `changelog-filename` | Filename for this product's published `Changelog.json` (default `Changelog.json`). Give a second product at the **same** `s3-subpath` a distinct name (e.g. `Changelog-pro.json`) so they don't overwrite each other. |
 | `changelog` | **Required.** Inline release notes — today's `Config/Changelog.json` schema, verbatim (see *How versioning works*). |
diff --git a/tests/run.sh b/tests/run.sh
index 0777df3..33eebe1 100644
--- a/tests/run.sh
+++ b/tests/run.sh
@@ -99,6 +99,45 @@ echo "== validation: two empty-id products → hard error =="
 CAP PRODUCTS_DIR="$DUAL" python3 "$PY" discover
 { [ $RC -ne 0 ] && grep -q "at most one product may omit" /tmp/pd.err; } && pass "dual-bare rejected" || bad "dual-bare should fail with the one-primary error (rc=$RC)"
 
+echo "== source-paths: a code-only change cuts a beta =="
+# Real git repos, real `git diff` — CHANGED_PRODUCTS is deliberately NOT set, so
+# these exercise the actual diff path rather than the test stub.
+# $1 = dir, $2 = the "source-paths" JSON line (empty to omit it).
+mkrepo() {
+  mkdir -p "$1/Config/products" "$1/Sources"
+  cat > "$1/Config/products/app.json" <<JSON
+{ "id": "app", "platform": "macos", "scheme": "App", "product-name": "App",
+  "bundle-id": "com.example.App", "build-direct": true,
+  $2
+  "changelog": { "versions": [ { "version": "1.0.0",
+    "items": [ { "type": "feat", "title": { "en": "x" } } ] } ] } }
+JSON
+  (
+    set -e; cd "$1"
+    git init -q . && git config user.email t@t && git config user.name t
+    echo 'let a = 1' > Sources/App.swift
+    git add -A && git commit -qm init && git tag app-v1.0.0-beta.1
+    echo 'let a = 2' > Sources/App.swift   # code-only: product file untouched
+    git add -A && git commit -qm "code only"
+  ) >/dev/null 2>&1
+}
+planbeta() { CAP bash -c "cd '$1' && PRODUCTS_DIR='$1/Config/products' GIT_TAGS='app-v1.0.0-beta.1' BUILD_NUMBER=x python3 '$PY' plan-beta"; }
+
+WITH=$(mktemp -d); mkrepo "$WITH" '"source-paths": ["Sources/**"],'
+planbeta "$WITH"
+jok "code-only change WITH source-paths → cuts beta.2" \
+  'b=json.loads(o["beta-products"]); assert [x["id"] for x in b]==["app"], b; assert b[0]["release-tag"]=="app-v1.0.0-beta.2", b[0]["release-tag"]'
+jok "source-paths stays internal — not emitted to the workflow matrix" \
+  'assert all("source-paths" not in x and "_source_paths" not in x for x in json.loads(o["beta-products"]))'
+
+WITHOUT=$(mktemp -d); mkrepo "$WITHOUT" ''
+planbeta "$WITHOUT"
+line "code-only change WITHOUT source-paths → nothing cuts" "has-any=false"
+{ grep -q '::warning::' /tmp/pd.err && grep -q 'source-paths' /tmp/pd.err; } \
+  && pass "the silent skip is now a warning naming the fix" \
+  || bad "expected a ::warning:: mentioning source-paths; got: $(cat /tmp/pd.err)"
+rm -rf "$WITH" "$WITHOUT"
+
 echo "== classify_upload: altool outcome classification =="
 # Sourced from the shipped script rather than re-implemented, so this test cannot
 # drift from what the publish steps actually run.