diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-staging.yml b/.github/workflows/release-staging.yml
index 09e4728e1a3..702b55bd935 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-staging.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-staging.yml
@@ -132,14 +132,25 @@ jobs:
         -H "Authorization:Bearer $OSS_BOT_GITHUB_TOKEN" \
         -d "{\"event_type\":\"staging-tests\", \"client_payload\":{\"versionOrTag\":\"$VERSION_OR_TAG\"}}" \
         https://api.github.com/repos/firebase/firebase-js-sdk/dispatches
+    - name: Check for changes requiring a reference doc publish
+      id: docs-check
+      run: git diff --exit-code origin/master HEAD docs-devsite
+    - name: No diff, docs not needed
+      if: ${{ success() }}
+      run: echo "DOCS_NEEDED=false" >> $GITHUB_STATE
+    - name: Diff returned something, docs are needed
+      if: ${{ failure() }}
+      run: echo "DOCS_NEEDED=true" >> $GITHUB_STATE
     - name: Log to release tracker
       # Sends release information to cloud functions endpoint of release tracker.
+      if: ${{ always() }}
       run: |
         DATE=$(date +'%m/%d/%Y')
         BASE_VERSION=${{ steps.get-version.outputs.BASE_VERSION }}
         STAGING_VERSION=${{ steps.get-version.outputs.STAGING_VERSION }}
         OPERATOR=${{ github.actor }}
         RELEASE_TRACKER_URL=${{ secrets.RELEASE_TRACKER_URL }}
+        DOCS_NEEDED=${{ steps.docs-check.outputs.DOCS_NEEDED }}
         curl -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" \
-        -d "{\"version\":\"$BASE_VERSION\",\"tag\":\"$STAGING_VERSION\",\"date\":\"$DATE\",\"operator\":\"$OPERATOR\"}" \
+        -d "{\"version\":\"$BASE_VERSION\",\"tag\":\"$STAGING_VERSION\",\"date\":\"$DATE\",\"operator\":\"$OPERATOR\",\"docs_needed\":\"$DOCS_NEEDED\"}" \
         $RELEASE_TRACKER_URL/logStaging