diff --git a/.github/workflows/respec.yaml b/.github/workflows/respec.yaml
index 0b62909990..e5982c9812 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/respec.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/respec.yaml
@@ -8,15 +8,13 @@ name: respec
 # on the gh-pages branch when the corresponding markdown files change.
 #
 
-# run this on push to main
+# run this manually from main
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
   workflow_dispatch: {}
 
 jobs:
   respec:
+    if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
 
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index af61e86267..0fcb81017e 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ The steps for creating a `vX.Y.Z-rel` branch are:
 5. Merge `vX.Y.Z-rel` into `main` via PR
    - this PR should only add files `versions/X.Y.Z.md` and `versions/X.Y.Z-editors.md`
 
-The HTML renderings of the specification versions are automatically generated from the `versions` directory on `main` by the [`respec` workflow](https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification/blob/main/.github/workflows/respec.yaml), which generates a pull request for publishing the HTML renderings to the [spec site](https://spec.openapis.org).
+The HTML renderings of the specification versions are generated from the `versions` directory on `main` by manually triggering the [`respec` workflow](https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification/blob/main/.github/workflows/respec.yaml), which generates a pull request for publishing the HTML renderings to the [spec site](https://spec.openapis.org).
 
 ### Schema Iterations