Changelog Generator

Changelog Generator

Generate a polished CHANGELOG.md entry from git commit history.

Workflow

1. Find the version range

   # Get the latest tag
   git describe --tags --abbrev=0 2>/dev/null || echo "no-tags"
   # Get current branch
   git branch --show-current
   

   If no tags exist, use the full history. If the user specifies a range, use that.

2. Collect commits

   git log v1.0.0..HEAD --pretty=format:"%H|%s|%an|%ad" --date=short
   

   Parse each commit into: hash, subject, author, date.

3. Categorize commits Group by Conventional Commits prefix:

   • Added — feat: commits
   • Fixed — fix: commits
   • Changed — refactor:, perf: commits
   • Security — security: or security-related commits
   • Deprecated — commits mentioning deprecation
   • Removed — commits removing features
   • Breaking Changes — commits with BREAKING CHANGE: or !:

   Skip: merge commits, chore:, style:, ci: (unless significant).

4. Check for existing CHANGELOG.md If it exists, read the format and match it. If not, create one with the Keep a Changelog header.

5. Generate the entry Format:

   ## [1.1.0] - 2026-03-25
   
   ### Added
   - Add OAuth2 Google login flow ([a1b2c3d])
   - Add user profile settings page ([d4e5f6a])
   
   ### Fixed
   - Fix session timeout not refreshing token ([b7c8d9e])
   - Fix mobile nav overlay z-index issue ([f0a1b2c])
   
   ### Breaking Changes
   - Remove deprecated /api/v1 endpoints — use /api/v2 ([c3d4e5f])
   

6. Determine version number Suggest based on changes:

   • Has breaking changes → major bump
   • Has new features → minor bump
   • Only fixes → patch bump

7. Write the changelog Prepend the new entry to CHANGELOG.md (after the header, before previous entries).

Rules

• Always base the changelog on actual git commits — never fabricate entries
• Skip merge commits and trivial chores unless they're user-facing
• Link commit hashes as short refs
• Highlight breaking changes prominently at the top
• Use Keep a Changelog format: https://keepachangelog.com
• If commits don't follow Conventional Commits, do your best to categorize by reading the subject
• Ask the user for the version number if it can't be determined