diff --git a/gitea-python-ci-cd.md b/gitea-python-ci-cd.md
index 275ba50..6e2f472 100644
--- a/gitea-python-ci-cd.md
+++ b/gitea-python-ci-cd.md
@@ -633,7 +633,7 @@ git push origin v0.2.0-alpha.1
 
 ### 8.1. Release Notes from File
 
-Instead of hardcoding release notes in the workflow, keep a `RELEASE_NOTES.md` in the repo. The CI scans for it and prepends its content to the auto-generated Downloads section.
+Instead of hardcoding release notes in the workflow, keep a `RELEASE_NOTES.md` in the repo root. The CI fetches only that file (via sparse-checkout for speed) and prepends its content to the auto-generated Downloads section.
 
 **Workflow:**
 1. Before tagging, write `RELEASE_NOTES.md` with changes for this release
@@ -643,16 +643,17 @@ Instead of hardcoding release notes in the workflow, keep a `RELEASE_NOTES.md` i
 **CI implementation:**
 
 ```yaml
-- name: Checkout
+- name: Fetch RELEASE_NOTES.md only
   uses: actions/checkout@v4
+  with:
+    sparse-checkout: RELEASE_NOTES.md
+    sparse-checkout-cone-mode: false
 
 - name: Create release
   run: |
-    # Scan for RELEASE_NOTES.md (repo root first, then up to 3 levels deep)
-    NOTES_FILE=$(find . -maxdepth 3 -name "RELEASE_NOTES.md" -type f | head -1)
-    if [ -n "$NOTES_FILE" ]; then
-      export RELEASE_NOTES=$(cat "$NOTES_FILE")
-      echo "Found release notes: $NOTES_FILE"
+    if [ -f RELEASE_NOTES.md ]; then
+      export RELEASE_NOTES=$(cat RELEASE_NOTES.md)
+      echo "Found RELEASE_NOTES.md"
     else
       export RELEASE_NOTES=""
       echo "No RELEASE_NOTES.md found"
@@ -673,6 +674,8 @@ Instead of hardcoding release notes in the workflow, keep a `RELEASE_NOTES.md` i
     curl -s -X POST ... -d "{\"body\": $BODY_JSON, ...}"
 ```
 
+> **Why sparse-checkout?** The `create-release` job only needs one file. A sparse-checkout skips downloading the full repo history and working tree, making the step significantly faster — especially in repos with large static assets or many files.
+
 If `RELEASE_NOTES.md` is absent, the release uses only the auto-generated Downloads section — no manual notes needed for quick pre-releases.
 
 ## 9. Gitea vs GitHub Actions Differences