Carbon monoxide (CO) is an endogenous signaling molecule and has therapeutic values. However, the application of CO in the development of therapeutic options is hampered by the lack of pharmaceutically acceptable delivery methods. Inhalation of CO is not an ideal option for wide-spread clinical applications. Existing CO releasing molecules (CORMs) are mostly metal complexes, which have toxicity concerns to overcome. Some metal free CORMs have been developed. However, they all require light as a trigger to release CO, which limits their applications in vivo. Herein, we describe a metal-free CO prodrug approach using an intramolecular inverse electron-demanded Diels-Alder reaction. Such prodrugs can release CO spontaneously under physiological conditions with tunable release rates with the concomitant formation of a fluorescent reporter after CO releases. This intramolecular “click and release” strategy represents a milestone in the development of CO based therapeutics.