{"id":4692,"date":"2023-08-10T06:59:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T10:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/?p=4692"},"modified":"2024-11-01T20:31:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-02T00:31:51","slug":"release-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/release-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do you need release notes? (featuring great examples and&nbsp;templates)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When you improve your product, remember to tell the world about it! Otherwise, people may&nbsp;not&nbsp;notice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to do that is through product announcements. There are a few different types&nbsp;of&nbsp;them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A release note<\/strong> is a document that outlines the changes made to a product. Release notes update your users, teammates, and stakeholders on your product&nbsp;development&nbsp;progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Changelogs <\/strong>are more technical documents that dive deeper into the changes. They\u2019re primarily for developers to keep track&nbsp;of&nbsp;progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ll cover different types of product release notes and changelogs, their importance, and best practices. We\u2019ll also showcase some examples and templates, discuss <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/features\/product-changelog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>changelog management tools,<\/u><\/a> and help you get the most out of your&nbsp;feature&nbsp;announcements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019ve never published release notes or want to improve your product documentation,&nbsp;follow&nbsp;along.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Release notes vs changelogs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First off, let\u2019s go over&nbsp;some&nbsp;definitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What are&nbsp;release&nbsp;notes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As mentioned, <strong>release notes<\/strong> are basically your product announcements. The target audience is users, so release notes explain changes in plain language, omitting the technical jargon and details. The main purpose is to explain the effect on&nbsp;the&nbsp;user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong>changelog<\/strong> is a file, an article, or a webpage that lists all notable changes to your app, site, etc. Changelogs focus on the technical aspects of the changes, such as new features, bug fixes, code refactoring, and API modifications. They often contain references to specific commits or code changes in the version&nbsp;control&nbsp;system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Historically, changelogs were for developers. Here\u2019s a typical changelog entry from Facebook&nbsp;on&nbsp;GitHub.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"880\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/facebook-react-changelog.png\" alt=\"Facebook React changelog\" class=\"wp-image-8168 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/880;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/facebook-react-changelog.png 1600w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/facebook-react-changelog-768x422.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/facebook-react-changelog-1536x845.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/facebook\/react\/blob\/main\/CHANGELOG.md\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Source<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Some people refer to changelogs as release notes. And others make a distinction between these&nbsp;two&nbsp;terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canny\u2019s Changelog tool blurs the lines between release notes&nbsp;and&nbsp;changelogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cComing from the product development world, we saw the need for better product announcements. Users want to know what\u2019s new and improved in your product. And we needed an easy tool that helps us do that. So we created our own tool \u2013 for us and other SaaS companies out there. It brings customer feedback and product&nbsp;announcements&nbsp;together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Andrew Rasmussen, co-founder at&nbsp;Canny<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever you call your product announcements, it\u2019s important to have them.&nbsp;Here\u2019s&nbsp;why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why do you need product announcements?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Changelogs and software release notes are&nbsp;important&nbsp;for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Documenting&nbsp;your&nbsp;work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Educating&nbsp;your&nbsp;customers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keeping your&nbsp;products&nbsp;updated<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Positioning yourself&nbsp;as&nbsp;transparent<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s more about each of&nbsp;those&nbsp;reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">They document your work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At its core, release notes help your team stay organized. When you have release notes, you can quickly reference them to see what was changed in the past&nbsp;and&nbsp;how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll also minimize the back and forth with your team through&nbsp;release&nbsp;notes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every project involves all team members. So, release notes are a great way to keep uninvolved teams informed. They\u2019ll learn about changes as soon as you publish your&nbsp;release&nbsp;notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">They educate your users<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>New feature adoption is a common problem for a product manager. Many users crave efficiency but are still hesitant to try&nbsp;new&nbsp;things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Release notes help push them in that direction. They break down the new feature, guide users through it, and remind them how your tool works. A good release note is a&nbsp;free&nbsp;teacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Release notes are also an opportunity to link to additional help docs and remind users where they can find&nbsp;support&nbsp;resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">They make the product feel fresh<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When people use a product, they like to see it evolve. Right now, for example, AI is all the rage. Many tools are adding AI components to their software. And at this point, users are almost&nbsp;expecting&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you decide to add AI to your tool, you\u2019d want your users to know about it, right? There\u2019s no point in putting in all the hard work if no one notices. You want your users to know and use these&nbsp;new&nbsp;features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Especially if your product uses a subscription model, people want to see it updated. Consumer demands change, and your product needs to&nbsp;measure&nbsp;up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From minor design improvements to major feature enhancements, your tool will go through many iterations. So let your users know about it. Show your progress and invite your users to join you on&nbsp;this&nbsp;journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Release notes are a great way to&nbsp;do&nbsp;that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">They help you be transparent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to the previous point, release notes help you keep your customers around.&nbsp;Here\u2019s&nbsp;how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A user submits a&nbsp;feature&nbsp;request<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>That feature idea makes it to the product&nbsp;roadmap<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They automatically subscribe to the progress of&nbsp;that&nbsp;feature<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You build that feature and publish a release&nbsp;notes&nbsp;entry<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They get an auto-notification about it (if you\u2019re using&nbsp;Canny\u2019s&nbsp;Changelog)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Bonus<\/strong>: they can see other updates in your release&nbsp;notes&nbsp;too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This shows that you listen to your users. That\u2019ll help them trust that you\u2019re improving&nbsp;your&nbsp;product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People love seeing the \u201cbehind the scenes\u201d and \u201chow it\u2019s done\u201d content. Release notes can shed light on your \u201cbackstage\u201d software&nbsp;release&nbsp;processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Types of product announcements entries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Overall, release notes are pretty standard and straightforward. Depending on the nature of your new release, you can borrow certain parts from each release note entry (which is what we did with&nbsp;Canny\u2019s&nbsp;Changelog).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few types of posts you\u2019d add to your release notes. Let\u2019s discuss&nbsp;each&nbsp;one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Major update announcement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intended audience<\/strong>: users, leads, team&nbsp;members,&nbsp;shareholders<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\u2019re adding a major new feature, make sure to give this announcement the attention&nbsp;it&nbsp;deserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These release notes can be longer and include more details,&nbsp;such&nbsp;as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Before and after screenshots and&nbsp;screen&nbsp;recordings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clear explanation of&nbsp;the&nbsp;change<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note<\/strong>: Give users some time to get used to the change too. Many tools keep the old (legacy) version available for some time for this&nbsp;exact&nbsp;reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Non-major update announcement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intended audience<\/strong>: current users,&nbsp;team&nbsp;members<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can keep it simple when adding or fixing something less groundbreaking. Make sure to explain why you did it( we often show how many upvotes we got on <a href=\"https:\/\/feedback.canny.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>our Canny board<\/u><\/a>,&nbsp;for&nbsp;example).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explain what changed, but don\u2019t go too deep into the technical details. Instead, link out to help guides and&nbsp;additional&nbsp;resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bug fixes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intended audience<\/strong>: developers,&nbsp;current&nbsp;users<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bug fixes are a great example of non-major feature enhancements. You don\u2019t want to draw too much attention to the fact that you had bug reports. But let\u2019s be real \u2013 every software has them. And showing that you\u2019re working on them makes you look transparent&nbsp;and&nbsp;trustworthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Security updates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intended audience<\/strong>:&nbsp;current&nbsp;users<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While very important, security updates fall under the category of non-major updates. They showcase your organization as responsible&nbsp;and&nbsp;reliable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Very few people want to read lengthy descriptions of your security updates. So it\u2019s even more important to keep&nbsp;these&nbsp;short.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Changelogs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intended&nbsp;audience<\/strong>:&nbsp;developers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A standard changelog is detailed and technical. It&nbsp;usually&nbsp;includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Version&nbsp;number<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Release&nbsp;date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Description of the latest release or a&nbsp;fixed&nbsp;bug<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compatibility with&nbsp;previous&nbsp;versions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>User&nbsp;impact<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manual for&nbsp;future&nbsp;use<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Screenshots&nbsp;and&nbsp;links<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Developers use changelogs to schedule upgrades, troubleshoot issues, and stay updated about the latest&nbsp;software&nbsp;developments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Version control system logs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intended&nbsp;audience<\/strong>:&nbsp;developers<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few terms that people use interchangeably to describe&nbsp;these&nbsp;updates:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Version control&nbsp;system&nbsp;logs&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commit&nbsp;logs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Revision&nbsp;history<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>These are records that keep track of changes made to a project or set of files over time in a version control&nbsp;system&nbsp;(VCS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A common example is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=w3jLJU7DT5E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>GitHub<\/u><\/a>. Developers use it to share code, work on projects together, and manage and track&nbsp;code&nbsp;changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Github logs are visible to the public. This is a space where developers can collaborate and share ideas \u2013&nbsp;kind of like social media&nbsp;for&nbsp;coding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Version control system logs usually include the&nbsp;following&nbsp;information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Commit ID: a unique identifier for each change or commit made in the VCS. Typically, it\u2019s a hexadecimal string, such as a&nbsp;SHA-1&nbsp;hash.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Author<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Date&nbsp;and&nbsp;time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Commit message: a descriptive message that summarizes the purpose or nature of the changes made in&nbsp;the&nbsp;commit<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changes: a detailed listing of the modified, added, or deleted files in the commit + specific changes made to each file. This may include line-by-line differences or a unified&nbsp;diff&nbsp;format.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Branch or tag. Branches are different lines of development. Tags indicate specific points in the version history&nbsp;\u2013 releases or milestones&nbsp;for&nbsp;instance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Merge information: if the commit involves merging changes from multiple branches, the log will contain information about the&nbsp;branches&nbsp;involved.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A project\u2019s version control logs are crucial to tracking and understanding&nbsp;its&nbsp;history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Developers&nbsp;can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find the record of&nbsp;all&nbsp;changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review and revert to&nbsp;previous&nbsp;versions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Figure out who made&nbsp;specific&nbsp;changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understand the evolution of the codebase&nbsp;over&nbsp;time<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Coordinate work&nbsp;and&nbsp;collaborate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Resolve conflicts when merging changes from&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;sources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for more inspiration and ideas, BroadInstitute provides great sample changelogs. <a href=\"https:\/\/broadinstitute.github.io\/warp\/docs\/contribution\/contribute_to_warp\/changelog_style\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>Check them&nbsp;out&nbsp;here<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Product update formats<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Different companies use different formats for their product announcements. Depending on your product and audience, you can pick a format that works best for you. It\u2019s important to choose a format and stick with it. We\u2019ll explain why consistency is so important later in the article. First, let\u2019s walk through the&nbsp;various&nbsp;formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Text files<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the simplest and most common format for a software release note. You can simply create a text document that lists the changes in reverse chronological order (put the newest releases at&nbsp;the&nbsp;top).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Each entry should include the version number, a brief description of the change, and any&nbsp;relevant&nbsp;details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This format is easy to create and read for&nbsp;most&nbsp;users.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1338\" height=\"974\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/text-file-changelog.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8170 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1338px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1338\/974;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/text-file-changelog.png 1338w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/text-file-changelog-768x559.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1338px) 100vw, 1338px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Changelog format<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you prefer a more technical approach, you can follow a typical changelog format. You can include&nbsp;categories&nbsp;like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Added<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Removed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This format is particularly useful for developers and technical users who want a quick overview of the changes in&nbsp;each&nbsp;category.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1068\" height=\"1202\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/standard-changelog-entries.png\" alt=\"Standard changelog \/ release notes.\" class=\"wp-image-8171 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1068px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1068\/1202;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/standard-changelog-entries.png 1068w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/standard-changelog-entries-768x864.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1068px) 100vw, 1068px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>With a changelog tool, you can also create HTML files&nbsp;for&nbsp;example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Markdown<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Markdown is a lightweight markup language that helps you format text quickly and easily. You can write release notes in Markdown and easily convert them into HTML or&nbsp;other&nbsp;formats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re hosting your updates on a platform like GitHub, you\u2019ll likely use the&nbsp;Markdown&nbsp;format.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1070\" height=\"774\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/markdown-release-notes.png\" alt=\"Markdown release notes\" class=\"wp-image-8172 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1070px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1070\/774;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/markdown-release-notes.png 1070w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/markdown-release-notes-768x556.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1070px) 100vw, 1070px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>HTML<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>HTML provides a bit more flexibility with styling and layout. You can include links, images, and other multimedia elements, making your release notes more&nbsp;visually&nbsp;appealing.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1066\" height=\"1018\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/html-release-notes.png\" alt=\"HTML release notes\" class=\"wp-image-8173 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1066px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1066\/1018;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/html-release-notes.png 1066w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/html-release-notes-768x733.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1066px) 100vw, 1066px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>PDF<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>PDF is a good option if you need to share your updates with external stakeholders or use them in official statements. The layout and formatting stay consistent, and it&nbsp;looks&nbsp;presentable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PDF is easy to read, print, and share&nbsp;across&nbsp;teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What to include<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the format you choose, consider including the following elements to make your announcements&nbsp;more&nbsp;engaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bullet points<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can create a series of bullet points, each bullet representing a specific product change or&nbsp;a&nbsp;feature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a concise and skimmable format, this is it. It gets straight to&nbsp;the&nbsp;point.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1072\" height=\"772\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/bullet-point-release-notes.png\" alt=\"Bullet point release notes\" class=\"wp-image-8174 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1072px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1072\/772;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/bullet-point-release-notes.png 1072w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/bullet-point-release-notes-768x553.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1072px) 100vw, 1072px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Visuals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We recommend combining some written descriptions with visuals like screenshots and GIFs. They break up the text, help visual learners, and tell a story better than&nbsp;words&nbsp;can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With screenshots, we recommend drawing readers\u2019 attention to the part that you\u2019re talking about. You can add boxes around the most important parts and\/or blur the irrelevant parts of the page. Here\u2019s&nbsp;an&nbsp;example.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1206\" height=\"1246\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-release-notes.png\" alt=\"Canny release notes example\" class=\"wp-image-8175 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1206px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1206\/1246;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-release-notes.png 1206w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-release-notes-768x793.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1206px) 100vw, 1206px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Videos<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Creating a quick video walkthrough can make your feature update even easier to understand. Some people are visual learners, so they\u2019d enjoy seeing rather&nbsp;than&nbsp;reading.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1510\" height=\"1184\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/helpscout-video-release-notes.png\" alt=\"HelpScout video release notes\" class=\"wp-image-8176 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1510px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1510\/1184;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/helpscout-video-release-notes.png 1510w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/helpscout-video-release-notes-768x602.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1510px) 100vw, 1510px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.helpscout.com\/blog\/release-notes-july-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer&nbsp;noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Generating release notes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a number of ways to generate&nbsp;release&nbsp;notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Version Control System&nbsp;(VCS)&nbsp;history<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Version control systems like Git allow you to generate release notes based on commit histories. For instance, you can extract commit information using the git log command with specific formatting options, such as dates, authors,&nbsp;and&nbsp;changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.&nbsp;Commit&nbsp;messages<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Encourage your developers to write clear and informative commit messages describing each commit\u2019s changes. Following a consistent format, such as the changelog format, can&nbsp;be&nbsp;helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Integration with issue&nbsp;tracking&nbsp;systems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can automatically create release notes by connecting issues and pull requests to versions or milestones in your issue tracker. You can use tools like Jira or GitHub&nbsp;for&nbsp;that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.&nbsp;Manual&nbsp;changelog<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can manually keep track of the changes you make to each version. You\u2019d need to maintain a separate file where you add entries for each release, including the added features, changes, and&nbsp;bug&nbsp;fixes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5.&nbsp;Automated&nbsp;tools<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can generate a structured and formatted changelog with these tools. They analyze your commit history, tags, and metadata. Some popular changelog generation&nbsp;tools&nbsp;include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Conventional&nbsp;commits<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This tool follows the conventional commit message format and&nbsp;generates&nbsp;changelogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>GitHub&nbsp;Changelog&nbsp;Generator<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This tool is designed to generate changelogs for&nbsp;GitHub&nbsp;repositories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Keep&nbsp;a&nbsp;Changelog<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/keepachangelog.com\/en\/1.0.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>project<\/u><\/a> provides guidelines and a tool-agnostic format for writing changelogs. It also offers a Python library called towncrier for&nbsp;generating&nbsp;changelogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6.&nbsp;Canny\u2019s&nbsp;Changelog<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canny\u2019s Changelog is different. It\u2019s designed so that everyone, even&nbsp;non-developers,&nbsp;can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add&nbsp;entries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Easily&nbsp;understand&nbsp;it<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Quickly find what they\u2019re&nbsp;looking&nbsp;for<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sort&nbsp;the&nbsp;entries<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Find&nbsp;more&nbsp;information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s much more visual and concise than most other changelogs. And it looks like a newsfeed, not a&nbsp;developer&nbsp;portal.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1279\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-changelog.png\" alt=\"Canny's changelog\" class=\"wp-image-8177 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/1279;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-changelog.png 1600w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-changelog-768x614.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-changelog-1536x1228.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/features\/product-changelog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Canny\u2019s Changelog<\/a> is available on all plans! Here&#8217;s what our clients say about&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<center><iframe width=\"650\" height=\"315\" align=\"centre\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/N9WYyT239Wo?si=6cMUNJCl9MzHcf-B\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/center>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our changelog lets you easily tie your feature requests with product updates and notify&nbsp;your&nbsp;users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Best practices for release notes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few more guidelines to make sure you publish engaging and effective release notes. Follow these tips if you\u2019d like your release notes to be an asset instead of&nbsp;a&nbsp;burden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Make them clear &amp; concise<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It takes time to find the time, energy, and motivation to read long texts. It\u2019s even more true when it comes to&nbsp;technical&nbsp;language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want your release notes to be a truly useful source of information, make them as straightforward as possible. Answer the&nbsp;following&nbsp;questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What was&nbsp;the&nbsp;problem?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What&nbsp;changed?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why does&nbsp;it&nbsp;matter?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How does it affect&nbsp;the&nbsp;user?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where can they&nbsp;learn&nbsp;more?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Simplify your language, keep sentences short, and break up the&nbsp;long&nbsp;paragraphs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a general rule, stick to only relevant information. It\u2019s easy to get very involved and start describing the whole history of your tool. But leave that for&nbsp;another&nbsp;day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Remember<\/strong>: even if your product is technical, you might have non-technical users. So try to make it interesting and valuable for them&nbsp;as&nbsp;well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Post consistently<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some changes might be more significant than others. Still, try to publish most of your updates as release notes. People appreciate your updates \u2013 they\u2019ll feel like they\u2019re with you on your journey. They also get a sense that you\u2019re&nbsp;constantly&nbsp;improving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This will also keep you accountable. Knowing your users expect consistent updates will make you hit your deadlines&nbsp;more&nbsp;often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Format consistently<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, keep the format of your release notes consistent. Here\u2019s an example from <a href=\"http:\/\/keepachangelog.com\/en\/1.0.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer&nbsp;noopener\"><u>Keepachangelog<\/u><\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Added&nbsp;new&nbsp;features<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Changed for changes in&nbsp;existing&nbsp;functionality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Deprecated for&nbsp;soon-to-be-removed&nbsp;features<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Removed for now&nbsp;removed&nbsp;features<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixed for any&nbsp;bug&nbsp;fixes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Security in case&nbsp;of&nbsp;vulnerabilities<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Use a variety of formatting to make your release notes entries even easier on&nbsp;the&nbsp;eye.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Headings help break down the text and logically group the changes. So does&nbsp;white&nbsp;space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Text formatting (bold, underlined, italics) highlights the most essential parts and helps readers skim the text. Bulleted and numbered lists have a&nbsp;similar&nbsp;effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Follow reverse chronological order<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Always publish the latest changes at the top \u2013 that\u2019s the most relevant information for your users. They can scroll down to see your historical&nbsp;progress&nbsp;too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Use visuals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Often, it\u2019s easier to show than to describe something. Visuals like screenshots, GIFs, and videos can help here. Moreover, they\u2019ll familiarize your users with the new features quicker. Next time they log in, they\u2019ll remember the visual and know how to use the&nbsp;new&nbsp;feature.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1168\" height=\"1406\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/visual-release-note.png\" alt=\"Canny's changelog example using visuals\" class=\"wp-image-8178 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1168px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1168\/1406;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/visual-release-note.png 1168w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/visual-release-note-768x924.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1168px) 100vw, 1168px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Visuals also break up the text and make reading easier and&nbsp;more&nbsp;enjoyable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Insert links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We keep repeating that release notes need to be short. But what if you\u2019ve released a major change and need to explain it&nbsp;in&nbsp;detail?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s where you insert links to in-depth help articles and&nbsp;additional&nbsp;documentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also use your release notes to keep your users engaged. While they\u2019re hooked, don\u2019t let them get away. Link to related resources and keep them on your&nbsp;site&nbsp;longer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Avoid confusion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We can\u2019t stress this enough: make it simple. Here are some tips to help you&nbsp;do&nbsp;that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stay away from confusing date formats (we recommend sticking to&nbsp;YYYY-MM-DD&nbsp;format)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>List <a href=\"https:\/\/keepachangelog.com\/en\/1.0.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><u>deprecations<\/u><\/a>, removals, and any&nbsp;breaking&nbsp;changes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Document <strong>only<\/strong>&nbsp;noteworthy&nbsp;differences<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t list commit&nbsp;log&nbsp;diffs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Involve other departments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re using Canny for your product announcements, your users will get automatic notifications when a new changelog&nbsp;is&nbsp;published.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, you can amplify the message further. Involve your <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/what-is-product-marketing\/\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"50\">product marketing<\/a> team \u2013 they can help spread&nbsp;the&nbsp;word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Release notes and changelog examples<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know what makes good release notes and changelogs, let\u2019s illustrate it&nbsp;with&nbsp;examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of our clients use Canny\u2019s Changelog tool. They find it easy to keep users up-to-date in one&nbsp;central&nbsp;location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWhen we built our Changelog, we wanted it to be more than your typical list of changes. We created a tool that helps you close your customer&nbsp;feedback&nbsp;loop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sarah Hum, co-founder at&nbsp;Canny<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>When a new changelog entry is published, everyone who submitted, upvoted, or commented on this request gets an automatic notification. That includes current users and prospects. And this really makes the sales&nbsp;job&nbsp;easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine this: a lead previously requested a feature and didn\u2019t convert because it didn\u2019t exist. Now they\u2019re getting a notification that this feature is shipped. If that feature was a real dealbreaker to them, they might reconsider buying from&nbsp;you&nbsp;now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your current users will also find out about the new feature right away and will be able to try&nbsp;it&nbsp;out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canny\u2019s changelog empowers you to follow our advice above, including&nbsp;custom&nbsp;formatting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what it&nbsp;looks&nbsp;like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/agencyanalytics.canny.io\/changelog\">AgencyAnalytics keeps their updates<\/a> brief and to the point. When they introduce new features, they include visuals to keep it engaging and break up the text. See some examples of great release&nbsp;notes&nbsp;below.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/agency-analytics-changelog.png\" alt=\"AgencyAnalytics using Canny's changelog\" class=\"wp-image-8179 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1236\/1600;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/agency-analytics-changelog.png 1236w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/agency-analytics-changelog-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/agency-analytics-changelog-1187x1536.png 1187w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We love <a href=\"https:\/\/clickup.canny.io\/changelog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ClickUp\u2019s<\/a> use of emojis and links \u2013 it keeps the readers engaged and curious to learn more. Notice how they link out to release notes and more information. They don\u2019t clutter their changelog entry&nbsp;with&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/clickup-release-notes-1.png\" alt=\"ClickUp using Canny's changelog\" class=\"wp-image-8180 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1236\/1600;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/clickup-release-notes-1.png 1236w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/clickup-release-notes-1-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/clickup-release-notes-1-1187x1536.png 1187w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/clickup-release-notes-2.png\" alt=\"ClickUp using Canny's changelog\" class=\"wp-image-8181 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1236\/1600;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/clickup-release-notes-2.png 1236w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/clickup-release-notes-2-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/clickup-release-notes-2-1187x1536.png 1187w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/commentsold.canny.io\/changelog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CommentSold&#8217;s changelog entries<\/a> are typically longer, but they&#8217;re still easy to read and understand. It&#8217;s a great example of a more detailed but still digestible changelog. They walk you through the steps you need to take, and text styling (bold text in this instance) makes it easier to&nbsp;read.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/commentsold-changelog-entry.png\" alt=\"CommentSold's changelog entries\" class=\"wp-image-8182 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1236\/1600;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/commentsold-changelog-entry.png 1236w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/commentsold-changelog-entry-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/commentsold-changelog-entry-1187x1536.png 1187w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hiveteams.canny.io\/changelog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hive is great at telling a story in their changelog<\/a>. Here&#8217;s what wasn&#8217;t working, how we fixed it, and how it works now. We love how they show a screenshot of a feature request that led to the development of this&nbsp;feature.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/hive-release-note.png\" alt=\"Hive using Canny's changelog\" class=\"wp-image-8183 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1236\/1600;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/hive-release-note.png 1236w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/hive-release-note-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/hive-release-note-1187x1536.png 1187w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/respond.canny.io\/changelog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Respond.io<\/a> is another example of a short and highly visual&nbsp;changelog.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/respond-changelog.png\" alt=\"Respond.io's using Canny's release notes\" class=\"wp-image-8184 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1236\/1600;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/respond-changelog.png 1236w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/respond-changelog-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/respond-changelog-1187x1536.png 1187w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>GitHub&#8217;s changelog is another great example. They also have a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ghchangelog\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">separate Twitter account<\/a> and an <a href=\"https:\/\/github.blog\/changelog\/feed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RSS feed<\/a> for users to follow along the journey. It&#8217;s important to be where your users&nbsp;are!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"867\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/github-changelog.png\" alt=\"GitHub's changelog\" class=\"wp-image-8185 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/867;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/github-changelog.png 1600w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/github-changelog-768x416.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/github-changelog-1536x832.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>We use our own changelog&nbsp;too!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1491\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-slack-release-note.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8186 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1600\/1491;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-slack-release-note.png 1600w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-slack-release-note-768x716.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/canny-slack-release-note-1536x1431.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, it&#8217;s still hard to get going. That&#8217;s why we&#8217;ve prepared some templates \u2013 check out the next&nbsp;section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Release notes and changelog templates<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re inspired to get started or amplify your changelog (and we hope you are!), <a href=\"https:\/\/go.canny.io\/changelog-template\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">check out these templates<\/a>. They&#8217;ll give you prompts for your release notes, changelog entries, and some examples to spark that initial&nbsp;motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a release notes template for a bug&nbsp;fix.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/release-note-bug-fix-template.png\" alt=\"Bug fix changelog release notes template\" class=\"wp-image-8187 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1236\/1600;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/release-note-bug-fix-template.png 1236w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/release-note-bug-fix-template-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/release-note-bug-fix-template-1187x1536.png 1187w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>And another release notes template to announce a new&nbsp;feature.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1236\" height=\"1600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/new-feature-release-note-template.png\" alt=\"New feature changelog release notes template\" class=\"wp-image-8188 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1236px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1236\/1600;width:650px\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/new-feature-release-note-template.png 1236w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/new-feature-release-note-template-768x994.png 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/new-feature-release-note-template-1187x1536.png 1187w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1236px) 100vw, 1236px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>To get these + more editable templates, <a href=\"https:\/\/go.canny.io\/changelog-template\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">download our free Changelog templates right&nbsp;here<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"hs-cta-embed hs-cta-simple-placeholder hs-cta-embed-160917338143\"\n  style=\"max-width:650px; margin: 0 auto;\" data-hubspot-wrapper-cta-id=\"160917338143\">\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/cta-service-cms2.hubspot.com\/web-interactives\/public\/v1\/track\/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLKbaPRbOPwgie3vdGj59DSPydAeGKuPsmm1Q0LdZ8jGgqPmjIABKmIw4xeTEzhD5VIY3zjvWR8Ym0%2BZmZuyzKA3QfqhkV5fmr%2FBxV7JfnnhbEw%3D&#038;webInteractiveContentId=160917338143&#038;portalId=5705808\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Changelog templates\" data-src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5705808\/interactive-160917338143.png\" style=\"height: 100%; width: 100%; object-fit: fill\"\n      onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/>\n  <\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why product announcements are important<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s no better way to keep all your stakeholders involved, engaged, and updated than through release&nbsp;notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/announce-product-updates-features\/\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"56\">Product update announcements<\/a> don\u2019t need to be a hassle. With a changelog tool like Canny, you can keep track of all your progress and delight your customers at the same&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/request-demo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Book a free Canny demo<\/a> and see how easy it&nbsp;is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"hs-cta-embed hs-cta-embed-122984161548\" style=\"max-width:650px; margin: 0 auto; data-hubspot-wrapper-cta-id=\"122984161548\">\n  <link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.com\/embeddable_cta_placeholder_v1.css\">\n  <div class=\"hs-cta-loading-dot__container\">\n     <div class=\"hs-cta-loading-dot\"><\/div>\n     <div class=\"hs-cta-loading-dot\"><\/div>\n     <div class=\"hs-cta-loading-dot\"><\/div>\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"hs-cta-embed__skeleton\"><\/div>\n  <picture>\n    <source srcset=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" media=\"(max-width: 480px)\" \/>\n    <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Get a free walkthrough\" data-src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5705808\/interactive-122984161548.png\" style=\"height: 100%; width: 100%; object-fit: fill\" onerror=\"this.style.display='none'\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/>\n  <\/picture>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you improve your product, tell the world about it! One of the best ways is product announcements. Here&#8217;s your guide to release notes + examples &#038; templates!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":4694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,7],"tags":[33,247,74,246,249,62,248,117,245,251,250,15,10,252,253,244,243,25],"class_list":["post-4692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canny-best-practices","category-product-management","tag-advice","tag-best-practices","tag-changelog","tag-changelog-templates","tag-changelogs","tag-feedback-management","tag-format","tag-founder","tag-product-announcement","tag-product-announcements","tag-product-announcements-entries","tag-product-management","tag-product-manager","tag-product-update","tag-product-updates","tag-release-note","tag-release-notes","tag-saas"],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Why do you need release notes? (featuring great examples and templates) - Canny Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/release-notes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why do you need release notes? (featuring great examples and templates) - Canny Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When you improve your product, tell the world about it! One of the best ways is product announcements. 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