# Create Changelog

> Create a CHANGELOG.md following keepachangelog.com conventions with version history backfilled from GitHub releases or git tags. Use when the user asks to "create a changelog", "add a changelog", "initialize changelog", "start a changelog", "set up changelog", "generate changelog", or "backfill changelog".

- Skill: `tobihagemann/create-changelog` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tobihagemann/create-changelog`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tobihagemann/create-changelog/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tobihagemann (https://skillmd.com/u/tobihagemann)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tobihagemann/create-changelog

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# Create Changelog

Create a changelog backfilled with version history.

## Step 1: Run `$changelog-rules` Skill

Run the `$changelog-rules` skill to load shared changelog conventions.

## Step 2: Check for Existing Changelog

Use `git rev-parse --show-toplevel` to find the repository root. Look for the changelog file per `$changelog-rules`. If it already exists, use `request_user_input` to confirm overwriting it. If the user declines (chooses the free-form "Other" option or asks to abort), stop without running the remaining steps.

## Step 3: Backfill Version History

Collect release history from the most authoritative source available:

1. **GitHub releases** (preferred): Run `gh release list --limit 100 --json tagName,name,publishedAt,body` to get release notes. For each release, parse the body into changelog entries.
2. **Git tags** (fallback): If no GitHub releases exist, run `git tag --sort=-v:refname` to list tags. For each consecutive tag pair, run `git log <older-tag>..<newer-tag> --oneline` to collect commit summaries.

For each version, classify entries into the standard change types and apply the changelog-worthiness criteria per `$changelog-rules`.

## Step 4: Write Changelog

Write the changelog following the `$changelog-rules` file structure and conventions.

## Step 5: Present the Result

Briefly summarize how many versions were backfilled and which source was used (GitHub releases or git tags).