Release Notes Generator

Expert assistance for generating comprehensive release notes and changelogs in Confluence.

When to Use This Skill

• Creating release notes for a new version
• Generating changelogs
• Preparing release announcements
• User mentions: release notes, changelog, version, release

Release Notes Template

# Version X.Y.Z - [Release Date]

## Highlights
[Brief overview of most important changes - 2-3 sentences]

## What's New

### Major Features [for MAJOR/MINOR releases]
- **Feature Name**: Description and user benefit

### Minor Features [optional]
- **Feature Name**: Brief description

## Improvements

### Performance [optional]
- Specific improvement with metrics (e.g., "50% faster page loads")

### User Experience [optional]
- UI/UX enhancements

### Developer Experience [optional]
- API improvements, tooling updates

## Bug Fixes
- **[PROJ-123]**: Fixed issue where...
- **[PROJ-456]**: Resolved bug with...

## Breaking Changes [if any]
⚠️ **Important**: These changes may require action.
- **Change**: What changed and migration steps

## Deprecations [if any]
⚠️ **Notice**: Will be removed in version X.X.
- **Feature/API**: Use [alternative] instead

## Security Updates [if any]
🔒 Security fixes included.
- **[PROJ-789]**: Description (CVE-YYYY-XXXX if applicable)

## Known Issues [if any]
- **Issue**: Description and workaround

## Upgrade Guide [for MAJOR releases]
### Prerequisites
- Requirements for upgrading

### Steps
1. Step-by-step instructions

### Migration Notes
- Database migrations, config changes, API updates

## Technical Details [for developers]
### Dependencies Updated
- Library X: v1.0 → v2.0

### API Changes [optional]
- New/modified/removed endpoints

## Contributors [optional]
Thanks to: @user1, @user2

Release Type Guidelines

Version	Include	Focus
MAJOR (X.0.0)	All sections, detailed upgrade guide	Breaking changes, migration
MINOR (x.Y.0)	Features, improvements, bugs	New functionality
PATCH (x.y.Z)	Bug fixes, security	Critical fixes only

Section Selection by Type

MAJOR releases: All sections, emphasize Highlights, Breaking Changes, Upgrade Guide

MINOR releases: Skip Upgrade Guide unless needed, brief Technical Details

PATCH releases: Only Bug Fixes, Security Updates, Known Issues

Gathering Information

From Jira Issues

fixVersion = "2.0.0" ORDER BY type DESC, priority DESC

Map issue types:

• Epic/Story → New Features
• Task → Improvements
• Bug → Bug Fixes
• Label breaking-change → Breaking Changes
• Label deprecation → Deprecations
• Label security → Security Updates

From Git Commits

git log v1.4.0..v1.5.0 --oneline

Conventional commits mapping:

• feat: → New Features
• fix: → Bug Fixes
• perf: → Performance Improvements
• docs: → Documentation (usually skip)
• chore: → Usually skip

Combining Sources

### Multi-language Support
**[PROJ-456]** (PR #123): Added 10 new languages.

Implementation by @johndoe
- Automatic language detection
- RTL language support

Audience Adaptation

For End Users

• Focus on benefits, not technical details
• Use friendly language, avoid jargon
• Include "How to Update" section
• Link to help/support resources

For Developers

• Include API changes, code examples
• Database migrations with SQL
• Dependency version changes
• Performance benchmarks

Best Practices

1. Be specific: "Dashboard loads 50% faster" not "Improved performance"
2. Highlight breaking changes: Use ⚠️, explain impact, provide migration path
3. Credit contributors: Link to PRs, thank community
4. Link to details: Don't duplicate docs, reference migration guides

Semantic Versioning Quick Reference

Change Type	Version Bump	Examples
Breaking API change	MAJOR	Removed endpoint, changed response format
New feature (compatible)	MINOR	New endpoint, new parameter
Bug fix (compatible)	PATCH	Fixed validation, security patch

Release Notes Checklist

• Version number correct (semver)
• Release date accurate
• All issues from fixVersion included
• Breaking changes highlighted with migration steps
• Known issues documented
• Links working
• Proofread for clarity

Confluence Organization

Product Documentation/
├── Releases/
│   ├── Version 2.0.0
│   ├── Version 1.5.0
│   └── Version 1.4.3
├── Upgrade Guides/
│   └── Upgrading to 2.0
└── Changelogs/
    └── Complete Changelog

How I'll Help

When generating release notes, I will:

1. Gather information: Query Jira, parse commits, read PRs
2. Categorize changes: Group by type, identify breaking changes
3. Generate content: Clear descriptions with context
4. Format for audience: User-friendly or technical as needed
5. Create in Confluence: Convert to ADF, add styling
6. Review checklist: Verify completeness

Example Interaction

You: "Generate release notes for v2.5.0"

Me: "I'll generate release notes for version 2.5.0.

[Searches Jira for fixVersion='2.5.0']

Found 23 issues:

• 8 features
• 10 improvements
• 4 bug fixes
• 1 breaking change

Draft:

Version 2.5.0 - [Today]

Highlights

New analytics dashboard with custom widgets. 25% performance improvement across all pages.

What's New

Analytics Dashboard

[PROJ-301]: Customizable widgets, real-time data...

Breaking Changes

⚠️ API Authentication: API keys deprecated, use OAuth 2.0 [Migration steps...]

Ready to create in Confluence. Which space?"

You: "Space 123456"

Me: [Creates page] "Created 'Version 2.5.0 Release Notes' in space 123456!"