Release Notes
Release notes communicate product changes to users in a way that highlights value and builds excitement. Unlike changelogs (which document what changed technically), release notes translate changes into user benefits. Good release notes help users discover new capabilities, understand improvements, and trust that issues are being addressed.
When to Use
- Shipping product updates to customers
- Communicating changes to internal stakeholders
- Preparing app store update descriptions
- Writing customer-facing email announcements
- Documenting changes for support and sales teams
When NOT to Use
- You are updating internal stakeholders on progress rather than announcing shipped changes -> use
foundation-stakeholder-update - You need the technical record of changes for developers -> keep the engineering changelog; this skill translates changes into user benefits
- You are coordinating launch readiness rather than communicating the ship -> use
deliver-launch-checklist - Nothing user-visible shipped (a pure internal refactor): release notes that stretch to find a benefit erode trust; skip the cycle or fold it into the next one
Instructions
When asked to create release notes, follow these steps:
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Gather the Changelog Collect all changes included in this release: features, improvements, and bug fixes. Work from engineering changelogs, completed tickets, or pull request descriptions.
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Identify the Highlights Select 1-3 changes that deserve top billing. These should be changes users will notice and care about most. Lead with the most impactful change.
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Translate to Benefits Rewrite each change in terms of user value. Instead of "Added pagination to search results," write "Find what you need faster with improved search that handles large result sets." Focus on what users can now do or what's now better.
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Categorize Changes Group remaining changes into clear categories: New Features, Improvements, and Bug Fixes. Within each category, order by impact (most valuable first).
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Write Scannable Descriptions Each item should be 1-2 sentences. Lead with the benefit, optionally followed by the "how." Users scan release notes - make each line valuable.
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Acknowledge Known Issues If there are known limitations or issues, be transparent. Users appreciate honesty, and it reduces support burden.
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Tease Coming Soon (Optional) If appropriate, hint at what's coming next. This builds anticipation and shows momentum, but don't over-promise.
Output Format
Use the template in references/TEMPLATE.md to structure the output. Complete release notes fill the template sections: Highlights; New Features; Improvements; Bug Fixes; Known Issues; Coming Soon (optional); and Feedback.
Quality Checklist
Before finalizing, verify:
- Highlights feature the 1-3 most impactful changes
- Each item leads with user benefit, not technical description
- Language is jargon-free and accessible to all users
- Items are concise (1-2 sentences each)
- Bug fixes mention the problem that was solved
- No internal jargon, ticket IDs, or code names leak through; every line reads as customer-facing
Examples
See references/EXAMPLE.md for a completed example.
