Release Notes Template
Six formats you can copy: customer-facing, in-app, mobile app stores, internal, API and CHANGELOG.md. Or fill in the builder below and copy the result in Markdown or plain text.
Release notes builder
One or two sentences on what this release means for the reader.
One item per line.
Your release notes will appear here.
Fill in a few lines, or use the example.
6 release notes templates to copy
Replace everything in [brackets]. Delete any section you do not need: an empty "Fixed" heading looks worse than none.
1. Customer-facing release notes (SaaS)
For your changelog page, help center or in-app "What's new" panel. Write for customers, not engineers.
## [Product] [version] release notes ([date]) [One or two sentences: what this release means for the customer.] ### New - [Feature]: [what the customer can now do, in their words] ### Improved - [Area]: [what is faster, easier or clearer now] ### Fixed - [The problem the customer saw, and that it is gone] ### Heads up - [Anything the customer has to do, or that works differently now] Questions? Reply to this email or contact [support link].
2. Short in-app update
For a widget, a banner or a single changelog entry. One change, three lines.
**[Feature name]** is here [What it does, in one sentence.] [Where to find it: Settings → X.] [Link: Learn more]
3. Mobile app "What's New" (App Store and Google Play)
The App Store shows only the first lines before "more", so put the best change first and keep it short.
What's new in [version]: • [Biggest change, in plain words] • [Second change] • Bug fixes and speed improvements, including [one specific fix] Enjoying [App]? A review helps a lot.
4. Internal or IT release notes
For stakeholders, support and operations teams who need to know what changes, when, and what to do.
Release: [system] [version] Date and time: [date, time, time zone] Owner: [name / team] Summary [What is changing and why, in two or three sentences.] What is changing - [Change 1] - [Change 2] Impact and actions needed - [Who is affected and what they need to do] - [Downtime window, if any] Known issues - [Issue and workaround] Rollback plan - [How and when we roll back if something goes wrong] Contact: [channel or email]
5. API and developer release notes
For developers who integrate with you. Breaking changes always go first.
## API [version] ([date]) ### Breaking changes - [What changed] → [what integrators must do]. Deadline: [date]. ### Deprecations - [Endpoint or field] is deprecated and will be removed on [date]. Use [replacement] instead. ### New endpoints and fields - `[METHOD] /path`: [what it does] ### Bug fixes - [Endpoint]: [what was wrong, what it returns now] Migration guide: [link]
6. CHANGELOG.md (Keep a Changelog format)
For a CHANGELOG.md file in your repository. Newest version on top, an Unreleased section for what is merged but not released.
# Changelog All notable changes to this project are documented in this file. ## [Unreleased] ### Added - [New feature] ## [1.4.0] - 2026-10-07 ### Added - [New feature] ### Changed - [Change in existing behavior] ### Deprecated - [Soon-to-be removed feature] ### Removed - [Removed feature] ### Fixed - [Bug fix] ### Security - [Vulnerability fix]
How to write release notes people read
- Lead with the change that matters most to the reader, not the one that took the most work.
- Write the outcome, not the code. "Reports export to CSV" beats "Added CSV serializer to ReportController".
- Say where to find it. One line such as "Settings → Billing" saves a support question.
- Put breaking changes and required actions first for API and internal notes, with a date.
- Keep a steady rhythm. Short notes every release beat a long post every quarter. Our guide on how to write release notes and these release notes examples go deeper.
Developers on GitHub can also have GitHub list the merged pull requests for a release, grouped by label with a .github/release.yml file. That list is a good starting point for the "New" and "Fixed" sections above.
Frequently asked questions
What should release notes include?
At minimum: the product and version, the date, what is new, what changed, and what was fixed. Add a short summary at the top that says what the release means for the reader, and a "heads up" section for anything they need to do.
What is the difference between release notes and a changelog?
A changelog is the running list of every change, often a CHANGELOG.md file in the repository. Release notes describe one release for a specific audience, usually customers, and explain why the changes matter. Many teams keep a changelog for developers and write release notes for customers from it.
Can I use these templates in Word, Google Docs or Confluence?
Yes. Copy the plain-text version and paste it into Word or Google Docs, then apply your own headings. Confluence and Notion accept the Markdown version: paste it and the headings and bullet lists keep their format.
Can release notes be generated from GitHub automatically?
GitHub can list the merged pull requests and contributors for a release with its "Generate release notes" button. That list is written for developers. To get customer-friendly release notes from the same pull requests, a tool such as ShipTell reads the PR titles, descriptions and labels and drafts the notes for you to edit.
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ShipTell reads your merged pull requests and drafts customer-friendly release notes. You edit them and publish to a changelog page, an in-app widget and email.
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Paste your GitHub commits and get formatted release notes in Markdown or HTML.
Paste a PR title or commit message and get a changelog entry customers understand.
Pick sections and copy a pull_request_template.md, or start from five examples.
Describe the change in plain English and get a conventional commit message.
Paste your release notes and get an update email with a subject line and grouped changes.
Expand a one-line idea into a feature request with a user story and acceptance criteria.
Ready-to-send support replies for 20 common situations, in five tones.