Changelog Generator

VerifiedSafe

Generates or updates changelog entries with business-focused language by reviewing file diffs from git diff. Helps create release notes, track version history, and group changes by module or feature.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DocumentationIntermediate
6/2/2026
Claude CodeCursorWindsurf
#changelog#documentation#git#release-notes

Recommended for

Automated summary

Generates or updates changelog entries by systematically reviewing file changes via Git, using business-focused language.

Strengths

  • Produces clear, user-impact-oriented changelog entries
  • Automates diff analysis and change categorization
  • Integrates with the widely adopted Keep a Changelog format
  • Provides structured version history tracking

Limitations

  • Requires a Git repository with commit history
  • May need human review for complex or nuanced changes
  • Does not handle binary files or non-versioned changes
When to use it

When preparing a release, conducting code review, or maintaining up-to-date version history for any software project.

When not to use it

For projects without Git, very minor changes with no business impact, or when a manually curated changelog is preferred for editorial control.

Security analysis

Safe
Quality score90/100

The skill only uses git diff/show commands to identify changed files for documentation purposes. It does not execute destructive actions, exfiltrate data, or disable safety mechanisms. No remote scripts, secrets handling, or obfuscation are involved.

No concerns found

How this analysis is made

Examples

Generate changelog for current PR
Generate a changelog entry for the current branch changes compared to develop.
Update changelog with business language
Update the changelog with a business-focused summary of the latest commits on this branch.
Add changelog for a specific commit range
Add a changelog entry for changes between commit abc123 and def456 using business language.

name: changelog version: 1.1.0 description: '[Documentation] Generate or update changelog entries. Use for release changelogs, version history, and change tracking across any project.' triggers: - changelog - update changelog - add changelog - log changes

allowed-tools: NONE

[IMPORTANT] Use TaskCreate to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ask user whether to skip.

Quick Summary

Goal: Generate business-focused changelog entries by systematically reviewing file changes.

Workflow:

  1. Gather Changes — Get changed files via git diff (PR, commit, or range mode)
  2. Create Temp Notes — Build categorized review notes (Added/Changed/Fixed/etc.)
  3. Review Each File — Read diffs, identify business impact, categorize changes
  4. Generate Entry — Write Keep-a-Changelog formatted entry under [Unreleased]
  5. Cleanup — Delete temp notes file

Key Rules:

  • Use business-focused language, not technical jargon (e.g., "Added pipeline management" not "Added PipelineController.cs")
  • Group related changes by module/feature, not by file
  • Always insert under the [Unreleased] section; create it if missing

Changelog Skill

Generate business-focused changelog entries by systematically reviewing file changes.

Pre-Execution Checklist

  1. Find existing CHANGELOG.md location

    • Check root: ./CHANGELOG.md (preferred)
    • Fallback: ./docs/CHANGELOG.md
    • If not found: Create at root
  2. Read current changelog to understand format and last entries

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Changes

Determine change scope based on mode:

# PR/Branch-based (default)
git diff origin/develop...HEAD --name-only

# Commit-based
git show {commit} --name-only

# Range-based
git diff {from}..{to} --name-only

Step 2: Create Temp Notes File

Create .ai/workspace/changelog-notes-{YYMMDD-HHMM}.md:

# Changelog Review Notes - {date}

## Files Changed

- [ ] file1.ts -
- [ ] file2.cs -

## Categories

### Added (new features)

-

### Changed (modifications to existing)

-

### Fixed (bug fixes)

-

### Deprecated

-

### Removed

-

### Security

-

## Business Summary

<!-- What does this mean for users? -->

Step 3: Systematic File Review

For each changed file:

  1. Read file or diff
  2. Identify business impact (not just technical change)
  3. Check box and note in temp file
  4. Categorize into appropriate section

Business Focus Guidelines:

| Technical (Avoid) | Business-Focused (Use) | | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | | Added StageCategory enum | Added stage categories for pipeline tracking | | Created PipelineController.cs | Added API endpoints for pipeline management | | Fixed null reference in GetById | Fixed pipeline loading error | | Added migration file | Database schema updated for new features |

Step 4: Holistic Review

Read temp notes file completely. Ask:

  • What's the main feature/fix?
  • Who benefits and how?
  • What can users now do that they couldn't before?

Step 5: Generate Changelog Entry

Format (Keep a Changelog):

## [Unreleased]

### {Module}: {Feature Title}

**Feature/Fix**: {One-line business description}

#### Added

- {Business-focused item}

#### Changed

- {What behavior changed}

#### Fixed

- {What issue was resolved}

Step 6: Update Changelog

  1. Read existing CHANGELOG.md
  2. Insert new entry under [Unreleased] section
  3. If no [Unreleased] section, create it after header
  4. Preserve existing entries

Step 7: Cleanup

Delete temp notes file: .ai/workspace/changelog-notes-*.md

Grouping Strategy

Group related changes by module/feature:

### Your Service: Hiring Process Management

**Feature**: Customizable hiring process/pipeline management.

#### Added

**Backend**:

- Entities: Pipeline, Stage, PipelineStage
- Controllers: PipelineController, StageController
- Commands: SavePipelineCommand, DeletePipelineCommand

**Frontend**:

- Pages: hiring-process-page
- Components: pipeline-filter, pipeline-stage-display

Anti-Patterns

  1. ❌ Creating new changelog in docs/ when root exists
  2. ❌ Skipping file review (leads to missed changes)
  3. ❌ Technical jargon without business context
  4. ❌ Forgetting to delete temp notes file
  5. ❌ Not using [Unreleased] section
  6. ❌ Listing every file instead of grouping by feature

Examples

Good Entry

### Your Service: Hiring Process Management

**Feature**: Customizable hiring process/pipeline management for recruitment workflows.

#### Added

- Drag-and-drop pipeline stage builder with default templates
- Stage categories (Sourced, Applied, Interviewing, Offered, Hired, Rejected)
- Pipeline duplication for quick setup
- Multi-language stage names (EN/VI)

#### Changed

- Candidate cards now show current pipeline stage
- Job creation wizard includes pipeline selection

Bad Entry (Too Technical)

### Pipeline Changes

#### Added

- Pipeline.cs entity
- StageCategory enum
- PipelineController
- SavePipelineCommand
- 20251216000000_MigrateDefaultStages migration

Reference

See references/keep-a-changelog-format.md for format specification.

Related

  • documentation
  • release-notes
  • commit

IMPORTANT Task Planning Notes (MUST FOLLOW)

  • Always plan and break work into many small todo tasks
  • Always add a final review todo task to verify work quality and identify fixes/enhancements

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/download' --output '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

Tools declared by the author (check availability in your agent): NONE

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/changelog' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s' '.claude/skills/changelog'

Cursor
test -f '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.cursor/skills' && test ! -e '.cursor/skills/changelog' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s' '.cursor/skills/changelog'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s'

openskills read 'changelog-generator-mm8o522s'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/changelog-generator-mm8o522s/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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