Release Notes
Release notes communicate product changes to users in a way that highlights value and builds excitement. Unlike changelogs (which document what changed technically), release notes translate changes into user benefits. Good release notes help users discover new capabilities, understand improvements, and trust that issues are being addressed.
When to Use
- Shipping product updates to customers
- Communicating changes to internal stakeholders
- Preparing app store update descriptions
- Writing customer-facing email announcements
- Documenting changes for support and sales teams
When NOT to Use
- You are updating internal stakeholders on progress rather than announcing shipped changes -> use
foundation-stakeholder-update
- You need the technical record of changes for developers -> keep the engineering changelog; this skill translates changes into user benefits
- You are coordinating launch readiness rather than communicating the ship -> use
deliver-launch-checklist
- Nothing user-visible shipped (a pure internal refactor): release notes that stretch to find a benefit erode trust; skip the cycle or fold it into the next one
Instructions
When asked to create release notes, follow these steps:
Gather the Changelog
Collect all changes included in this release: features, improvements, and bug fixes. Work from engineering changelogs, completed tickets, or pull request descriptions.
Identify the Highlights
Select 1-3 changes that deserve top billing. These should be changes users will notice and care about most. Lead with the most impactful change.
Translate to Benefits
Rewrite each change in terms of user value. Instead of "Added pagination to search results," write "Find what you need faster with improved search that handles large result sets." Focus on what users can now do or what's now better.
Categorize Changes
Group remaining changes into clear categories: New Features, Improvements, and Bug Fixes. Within each category, order by impact (most valuable first).
Write Scannable Descriptions
Each item should be 1-2 sentences. Lead with the benefit, optionally followed by the "how." Users scan release notes - make each line valuable.
Acknowledge Known Issues
If there are known limitations or issues, be transparent. Users appreciate honesty, and it reduces support burden.
Tease Coming Soon (Optional)
If appropriate, hint at what's coming next. This builds anticipation and shows momentum, but don't over-promise.
Output Format
Use the template in references/TEMPLATE.md to structure the output. Complete release notes fill the template sections: Highlights; New Features; Improvements; Bug Fixes; Known Issues; Coming Soon (optional); and Feedback.
Quality Checklist
Before finalizing, verify:
Examples
See references/EXAMPLE.md for a completed example.
1---
2name: deliver-release-notes
3description: Creates user-facing release notes that communicate new features, improvements, and fixes in clear, benefit-focused language. Use when shipping updates to communicate changes to users, customers, or stakeholders.
4license: Apache-2.0
5metadata:
6 phase: deliver
7 version: "2.1.0"
8 updated: 2026-06-10
9 category: coordination
10 frameworks: [triple-diamond, lean-startup, design-thinking]
11 author: product-on-purpose
12---
13
14<!-- PM-Skills | https://github.com/product-on-purpose/pm-skills | Apache 2.0 -->
15# Release Notes
16
17Release notes communicate product changes to users in a way that highlights value and builds excitement. Unlike changelogs (which document what changed technically), release notes translate changes into user benefits. Good release notes help users discover new capabilities, understand improvements, and trust that issues are being addressed.
18
19## When to Use
20
21- Shipping product updates to customers
22- Communicating changes to internal stakeholders
23- Preparing app store update descriptions
24- Writing customer-facing email announcements
25- Documenting changes for support and sales teams
26
27## When NOT to Use
28
29- You are updating internal stakeholders on progress rather than announcing shipped changes -> use `foundation-stakeholder-update`
30- You need the technical record of changes for developers -> keep the engineering changelog; this skill translates changes into user benefits
31- You are coordinating launch readiness rather than communicating the ship -> use `deliver-launch-checklist`
32- Nothing user-visible shipped (a pure internal refactor): release notes that stretch to find a benefit erode trust; skip the cycle or fold it into the next one
33
34## Instructions
35
36When asked to create release notes, follow these steps:
37
381. **Gather the Changelog**
39 Collect all changes included in this release: features, improvements, and bug fixes. Work from engineering changelogs, completed tickets, or pull request descriptions.
40
412. **Identify the Highlights**
42 Select 1-3 changes that deserve top billing. These should be changes users will notice and care about most. Lead with the most impactful change.
43
443. **Translate to Benefits**
45 Rewrite each change in terms of user value. Instead of "Added pagination to search results," write "Find what you need faster with improved search that handles large result sets." Focus on what users can now do or what's now better.
46
474. **Categorize Changes**
48 Group remaining changes into clear categories: New Features, Improvements, and Bug Fixes. Within each category, order by impact (most valuable first).
49
505. **Write Scannable Descriptions**
51 Each item should be 1-2 sentences. Lead with the benefit, optionally followed by the "how." Users scan release notes - make each line valuable.
52
536. **Acknowledge Known Issues**
54 If there are known limitations or issues, be transparent. Users appreciate honesty, and it reduces support burden.
55
567. **Tease Coming Soon (Optional)**
57 If appropriate, hint at what's coming next. This builds anticipation and shows momentum, but don't over-promise.
58
59## Output Format
60
61Use the template in `references/TEMPLATE.md` to structure the output. Complete release notes fill the template sections: Highlights; New Features; Improvements; Bug Fixes; Known Issues; Coming Soon (optional); and Feedback.
62
63## Quality Checklist
64
65Before finalizing, verify:
66
67- [ ] Highlights feature the 1-3 most impactful changes
68- [ ] Each item leads with user benefit, not technical description
69- [ ] Language is jargon-free and accessible to all users
70- [ ] Items are concise (1-2 sentences each)
71- [ ] Bug fixes mention the problem that was solved
72- [ ] No internal jargon, ticket IDs, or code names leak through; every line reads as customer-facing
73
74## Examples
75
76See `references/EXAMPLE.md` for a completed example.
product-on-purpose