Changelog Generator

Changelog Generator

Transform git commits into polished, user-friendly changelogs.

Workflow

1. Determine Scope

Identify the commit range. Ask the user if unclear:

# Since last tag
git log $(git describe --tags --abbrev=0)..HEAD --oneline

# Date range
git log --after="2024-03-01" --before="2024-03-15" --oneline

# Between versions
git log v2.4.0..v2.5.0 --oneline

2. Categorize Commits

Group by type using commit prefixes and content analysis:

| Category | Commit types | Icon | |----------|-------------|------| | New Features | feat: | New | | Improvements | perf:, refactor: (user-visible) | Improved | | Bug Fixes | fix: | Fixed | | Breaking Changes | BREAKING CHANGE in body | Breaking | | Security | fix: with security context | Security |

3. Filter Out Internal Commits

Exclude from user-facing changelog:

• test:, chore:, ci:, docs: (internal)
• refactor: with no user-visible change
• Merge commits
• Version bump commits

4. Rewrite in User Language

Transform technical commits into user-friendly descriptions:

• BAD: "fix: resolve race condition in WebSocket reconnect handler"
• GOOD: "Fixed an issue where real-time updates could stop working after a brief disconnection"

Rules:

• Write from the user's perspective, not the developer's
• Explain the benefit, not the implementation
• Use active voice ("Added", "Fixed", "Improved")
• Keep each entry to 1-2 sentences

5. Format Output

# Updates - [Version or Date Range]

## New
- **[Feature Name]**: [User-friendly description]

## Improved
- **[Area]**: [What got better and why it matters]

## Fixed
- [What was broken, now works correctly]

## Breaking Changes
- **[What changed]**: [What users need to do]

6. Save or Present

• Append to CHANGELOG.md if it exists
• Output to console if no changelog file
• Respect CHANGELOG_STYLE.md if present in repo

Error Handling

• If no commits found in range: verify date format and branch. Try git log --all to check
• If no tags exist: ask user for commit range or date range instead
• If commits lack conventional prefixes: categorize by analyzing diff content and commit message keywords
• If CHANGELOG_STYLE.md not found: use the default format above

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: Cor-Incorporated
• Source: Cor-Incorporated/claude-code-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.