diff --git a/sdk/RELEASE.md b/sdk/RELEASE.md
index 13a60494716..0d9ac25f466 100644
--- a/sdk/RELEASE.md
+++ b/sdk/RELEASE.md
@@ -9,8 +9,23 @@
 
 ## Deprecations
 
+## Bug Fixes and Other Changes
+
+## Documentation Updates
+# 1.8.18
+## Major Features and Improvements
+
+## Breaking Changes
+
+### For Pipeline Authors
+
+### For Component Authors
+
+## Deprecations
+
 ## Bug Fixes and Other Changes
 * Upgrade kubernetes library to v19 to get access to EphemeralVolume [#8526](https://github.com/kubeflow/pipelines/pull/8526)  [#8563](https://github.com/kubeflow/pipelines/pull/8563)
+* fix(sdk): make executor output writer more permissive [#8608](https://github.com/kubeflow/pipelines/pull/8608)
 
 ## Documentation Updates
 # 1.8.17
diff --git a/sdk/python/kfp/__init__.py b/sdk/python/kfp/__init__.py
index 13d44f226df..26add62b37a 100644
--- a/sdk/python/kfp/__init__.py
+++ b/sdk/python/kfp/__init__.py
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 # https://packaging.python.org/guides/packaging-namespace-packages/#pkgutil-style-namespace-packages
 __path__ = __import__("pkgutil").extend_path(__path__, __name__)
 
-__version__ = '1.8.17'
+__version__ = '1.8.18'
 
 from . import components
 from . import containers