diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 9905ba75bf4..b61ad6581e6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Test examples
         run: |
+          ./gradlew writeVersionToExamples
           cd examples/maven-okhttp3 && mvn verify --no-transfer-progress
           cd ../maven-okhttp4 && mvn verify --no-transfer-progress
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index cbc8285b353..6916990ca83 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -59,14 +59,12 @@ jobs:
 
       - uses: gradle/wrapper-validation-action@56b90f209b02bf6d1deae490e9ef18b21a389cd4
 
-      - run: ./gradlew -Pversion=${{ github.ref_name }} writeVersionToReadme setVersion nextMinorVersion snapshotVersion
+      - run: ./gradlew -Pversion=${{ github.ref_name }} writeVersionToExamples writeVersionToReadme setVersion nextMinorVersion snapshotVersion
 
       - name: "remove API reference commit SHA"
         run: rm -rf reference.txt
         continue-on-error: true
 
-      - run: ./gradlew writeVersionToExamples
-
       - uses: stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action@3d1b5e078a85df99db0cb2441cd4309b09d86253
         with:
           commit_message: "TASK: Updating version in README"
diff --git a/examples/maven-okhttp3/pom.xml b/examples/maven-okhttp3/pom.xml
index 20e6b610f8f..c91f933d249 100644
--- a/examples/maven-okhttp3/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/maven-okhttp3/pom.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
         </plugins>
     </build>
     <properties>
-        <commercetools.version>17.1.0-SNAPSHOT</commercetools.version>
+        <commercetools.version>17.1.0</commercetools.version>
     </properties>
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/examples/maven-okhttp4/pom.xml b/examples/maven-okhttp4/pom.xml
index b11e89fa576..0efbc7d8bf2 100644
--- a/examples/maven-okhttp4/pom.xml
+++ b/examples/maven-okhttp4/pom.xml
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
         </plugins>
     </build>
     <properties>
-        <commercetools.version>17.1.0-SNAPSHOT</commercetools.version>
+        <commercetools.version>17.1.0</commercetools.version>
     </properties>
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/examples/spring-newrelic/build.gradle b/examples/spring-newrelic/build.gradle
index 39440c8b03a..e5d8347bd45 100644
--- a/examples/spring-newrelic/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/spring-newrelic/build.gradle
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ repositories {
 
 ext {
     versions = [
-            commercetools: "17.1.0-SNAPSHOT",
+            commercetools: "17.1.0",
             newrelic: "8.0.1"
     ]
 }
diff --git a/examples/spring-otel/build.gradle b/examples/spring-otel/build.gradle
index 9e34e986a89..85d48ec31eb 100644
--- a/examples/spring-otel/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/spring-otel/build.gradle
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ repositories {
 
 ext {
     versions = [
-            commercetools: "17.1.0-SNAPSHOT",
+            commercetools: "17.1.0",
     ]
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/spring/build.gradle b/examples/spring/build.gradle
index b57034363f2..038bc43c9dc 100644
--- a/examples/spring/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/spring/build.gradle
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ spotless {
 
 ext {
     versions = [
-        commercetools: "17.1.0-SNAPSHOT",
+        commercetools: "17.1.0",
         newrelic: "7.7.0"
     ]
 }
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 0d126ede503..22e6fb5e132 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 #Wed Nov 01 12:37:01 UTC 2023
 kotlinVersion=1.5.30
 org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx2048m
-version=17.1.0-SNAPSHOT
+version=17.2.0-SNAPSHOT