How do I install the Write Changelog skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add microsoft/write-changelog in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Write Changelog safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Write Changelog?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Write Changelog free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Write Changelog?

Microsoft (@microsoft) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Write Changelog by microsoft — Agent Skill

Name: Write Changelog
Author: Microsoft

Write Changelog

Write a CHANGELOG.md entry for a new extension release. Use when: writing changelog, updating changelog, adding release notes, preparing a release, documenting milestone changes. Requires a milestone name and extension version number.

Microsoft 86b597d 3.3 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026 2.7k repo stars

File contents

Write Changelog Entry

Generate a new entry in CHANGELOG.md for an extension release by gathering closed issues and merged PRs from a GitHub milestone.

Inputs

The user must provide:

Extension version number - the version for the changelog heading (e.g. 0.134.0)
GitHub milestone name - the milestone to query (e.g. 1.112.0)

Procedure

1. Gather Milestone Items

Search for all closed items in the milestone scoped to microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github:

Issues (bugs/features): Search for closed issues with milestone:"<name>" repo:microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github is:closed
Merged PRs: Search for merged PRs with milestone:"<name>" repo:microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github is:pr is:merged

2. Classify Items

Sort every item into one of these buckets:

Bucket	Criteria
Changes	Feature requests, enhancements, new settings, new commands, infrastructure improvements (e.g. dependency upgrades, build system changes)
Fixes	Items labeled `bug`, or PRs that fix a specific issue
Thank You	Merged PRs authored by external contributors (user type is not `Bot`, and user is not a GitHub staff / `site_admin`)
Skip	Version-bump PRs (title is just a version like "0.132.0"), test plan items, items from other repos

3. Write the Entry

Insert the new section at the top of CHANGELOG.md, directly after the # Changelog heading and before the previous release section.

Follow this format exactly:

## <version>

### Changes

- Description of change one.
- Description of change two with setting `"settingName"`.

### Fixes

- Short description of bug. https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github/issues/<number>
- Another bug fix. https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github/issues/<number>

**_Thank You_**

* [@username (Display Name)](https://github.com/username): Short description of contribution [PR #1234](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github/pull/1234)

Format Rules

Changes: Write a concise, user-facing description. Do NOT link to issues. Use backticks for setting names and commands. Each entry is a single - bullet.
Fixes: Use the issue title (cleaned up for readability) followed by a space and the full issue URL. Each entry is a single - bullet. If a fix came from a PR without a linked issue, describe it without a URL.
Thank You: Use * bullets (not - ). Format: [@login (Name)](profile-url): Description [PR #number](pr-url). Only include for external community contributors.
Sections: Omit any section (### Changes, ### Fixes, **_Thank You_**) if there are no items for it.
No blank lines between bullets within a section.
One blank line between sections.

4. Validate

Confirm the new section is positioned correctly (after # Changelog, before the previous version).
Verify all issue/PR links are correct and point to microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github.
Ensure no duplicate entries.

---name: write-changelogdescription: Write a CHANGELOG.md entry for a new extension release. Use when: writing changelog, updating changelog, adding release notes, preparing a release, documenting milestone changes. Requires a milestone name and extension version number.---# Write Changelog EntryGenerate a new entry in `CHANGELOG.md` for an extension release by gathering closed issues and merged PRs from a GitHub milestone.## InputsThe user must provide:1. **Extension version number** - the version for the changelog heading (e.g. `0.134.0`)2. **GitHub milestone name** - the milestone to query (e.g. `1.112.0`)## Procedure### 1. Gather Milestone ItemsSearch for all closed items in the milestone scoped to `microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github`:- **Issues (bugs/features):** Search for closed issues with `milestone:"<name>" repo:microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github is:closed`- **Merged PRs:** Search for merged PRs with `milestone:"<name>" repo:microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github is:pr is:merged`### 2. Classify ItemsSort every item into one of these buckets:| Bucket | Criteria ||--------|----------|| **Changes** | Feature requests, enhancements, new settings, new commands, infrastructure improvements (e.g. dependency upgrades, build system changes) || **Fixes** | Items labeled `bug`, or PRs that fix a specific issue || **Thank You** | Merged PRs authored by external contributors (user type is not `Bot`, and user is not a GitHub staff / `site_admin`) || **Skip** | Version-bump PRs (title is just a version like "0.132.0"), test plan items, items from other repos |### 3. Write the EntryInsert the new section **at the top** of `CHANGELOG.md`, directly after the `# Changelog` heading and before the previous release section.Follow this format exactly:```markdown## <version>### Changes- Description of change one.- Description of change two with setting `"settingName"`.### Fixes- Short description of bug. https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github/issues/<number>- Another bug fix. https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github/issues/<number>**_Thank You_*** [@username (Display Name)](https://github.com/username): Short description of contribution [PR #1234](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github/pull/1234)```### Format Rules- **Changes:** Write a concise, user-facing description. Do NOT link to issues. Use backticks for setting names and commands. Each entry is a single `- ` bullet.- **Fixes:** Use the issue title (cleaned up for readability) followed by a space and the full issue URL. Each entry is a single `- ` bullet. If a fix came from a PR without a linked issue, describe it without a URL.- **Thank You:** Use `* ` bullets (not `- `). Format: `[@login (Name)](profile-url): Description [PR #number](pr-url)`. Only include for external community contributors.- **Sections:** Omit any section (`### Changes`, `### Fixes`, `**_Thank You_**`) if there are no items for it.- **No blank lines** between bullets within a section.- **One blank line** between sections.### 4. Validate- Confirm the new section is positioned correctly (after `# Changelog`, before the previous version).- Verify all issue/PR links are correct and point to `microsoft/vscode-pull-request-github`.- Ensure no duplicate entries.

Frequently asked questions