Lead with user impact
Describe changes from the user's perspective. Instead of 'refactored auth module', say 'login is now 2x faster'.
Free developer tool
Free Release Notes Generator
A release notes generator creates professional, structured changelogs for software products. This free tool lets you add version details, organize changes by section, choose your preferred output format, and copy everything with one click.
Need to collect user feedback on your releases? Go back to FeatureVote to gather feature requests, prioritize your roadmap, and close the loop with customers.
Build your release notes
Add version details and describe your changes. The preview updates instantly.
Output format
No items yet. Click "Add" to describe a change.
No items yet. Click "Add" to describe a change.
No items yet. Click "Add" to describe a change.
Preview
0 changes across 0 sections
Markdown
# Release Notes (2026-03-30)
Total changes
0
Active sections
3
Output length
29 chars
How to write release notes
- 1
Set your version and date
Enter the version number (e.g. v1.2.0) and the release date to identify this changelog entry.
- 2
Describe changes by section
Add items to New Features, Improvements, Bug Fixes, Breaking Changes, Deprecations, or Security Updates.
- 3
Pick your format
Choose Markdown for docs, HTML for web pages, Plain Text for emails, or Keep a Changelog for standard compliance.
- 4
Copy and publish
Click copy to grab your formatted release notes and paste them into GitHub Releases, your blog, or anywhere else.
Release notes best practices
Follow these guidelines to keep your changelogs useful and consistent across every release.
Flag breaking changes clearly
Always call out breaking changes at the top so users can prepare before upgrading.
Be consistent
Use the same format and section structure for every release so readers know where to look.
Link to details
Reference issue numbers, PRs, or documentation pages for readers who want more context.
Related tools
Release notes FAQ
Common questions about writing release notes, changelog formats, and best practices.
What are release notes?
Release notes are documents that describe the changes, improvements, and fixes in a new version of software. They keep users, stakeholders, and team members informed about what has changed between releases.
What sections should release notes include?
Standard release notes typically include New Features, Improvements, Bug Fixes, Breaking Changes, Deprecations, and Security Updates. Not every release needs all sections - include only the ones relevant to that version.
What is the Keep a Changelog format?
Keep a Changelog is a popular open standard for formatting changelogs. It uses consistent section headings (Added, Changed, Fixed, Removed, Deprecated, Security) and groups changes by release version with dates, making it easy for both humans and machines to read.
How often should I publish release notes?
Publish release notes with every version you release to users. For SaaS products with continuous deployment, a weekly or bi-weekly changelog summary works well. The key is consistency so users know where to find update information.
What makes good release notes?
Good release notes are concise, user-focused, and organized by impact. Lead with the most important changes, use plain language instead of technical jargon, and clearly flag breaking changes so users can plan upgrades.
Close the loop between releases and feedback
After publishing release notes, use FeatureVote to collect feature requests, let users vote on priorities, and notify them when their requested features ship.