changelog

Changelog Generator

Process

1. Resolve range — use the user-provided tag, ref, date, or commit range. If none is provided, default to the last reachable tag through HEAD.
2. Scan commits and diffs — inspect commit subjects first, then use git show --stat or focused diffs when the subject is unclear.
3. Identify user impact — keep only changes that affect user-visible behavior, reliability, performance, compatibility, onboarding, purchase flow, data safety, or support burden.
4. Categorise changes: new, improved, fixed, removed, or internal-only.
5. Translate technical commits into user-facing language.
6. Filter noise: skip docs-only, formatting, CI, internal refactors, test-only changes, dependency churn with no visible effect, and skill/tooling-only changes unless the release is for developers.
7. Format as clean release notes.

Usage

Create a changelog since the last tag
Changelog for commits in the last 2 weeks
Release notes for v2.5.0
release channel What's New for 2.5.0

Range Resolution

Use these commands as appropriate:

git describe --tags --abbrev=0
git log --oneline <from>..HEAD
git diff --stat <from>..HEAD

If there are no tags, ask for a starting ref or use a clearly bounded date range. Do not summarize the entire repository history by default.

Output Format

# [Version or Date Range]

## New
- **[Feature name]**: What it does and why it matters.

## Improved
- **[Area]**: What changed from the user's perspective

## Fixed
- [Description of what was broken, now resolved]

Rules

• Write for users, not developers — no file paths, function names, or internal jargon
• Group related commits into single entries
• Skip commits that don't affect user experience (refactors, CI, docs, formatting)
• Use active voice: "Added X" not "X was added"
• Keep each entry to 1-2 sentences max
• If the commit range has no user-facing changes, say so
• For release channel copy, keep the final text concise and avoid markdown headings unless the user asks for a full changelog
• Do not overpromise. If a commit says "improve sync reliability", write "Improved sync reliability", not "Fixed all sync issues"