maintain-changelog

name	maintain-changelog
description	Maintain a CHANGELOG.md in the repo documenting changes made across sessions. Activates at the END of every session that modifies files. Use when: (1) you have completed work that changed files in the repo, (2) the user asks to update the changelog, (3) starting a session and needing to understand what was done previously. Records what changed, why, and which files were touched — creating a human-readable audit trail across sessions.
author	Claude Code
version	1.0.0
date	"2026-02-09T00:00:00.000Z"

Maintain Changelog

When to Activate

End of every session that modified files. Before wrapping up or when the user signals they're done, append an entry to CHANGELOG.md in the repo root.

Also activate when:

• The user explicitly asks to update the changelog
• Starting a new session — read the changelog first to understand recent history

Changelog Location

CHANGELOG.md in the repository root. Create it if it doesn't exist.

Entry Format

## YYYY-MM-DD — <brief title>

### What changed
- Bullet points describing each meaningful change
- Group related changes together
- Include file paths for significant additions/modifications

### Why
- One or two sentences explaining the motivation or context

### Files touched
- `path/to/new-file.yaml` (new)
- `path/to/modified-file.yaml` (modified)
- `path/to/deleted-file.yaml` (deleted)

Rules

1. Be concise. Each entry should be scannable in 10 seconds. No paragraphs.
2. Focus on "what" and "why", not "how". Don't describe implementation details — the diff tells that story. The changelog tells the human story.
3. Group by logical change, not by file. "Added shared Postgres instance" is one entry even if it touched 3 files.
4. Newest entries at the top. Reverse chronological order.
5. Don't log trivial changes. Typo fixes, formatting, or changelog-only updates don't need entries.
6. Include context that won't be obvious later. Item IDs, IP addresses, design decisions — things that help future sessions understand the state of the world.
7. Don't duplicate commit messages. The changelog is higher-level than git log. One changelog entry may span multiple commits.

Example

# Changelog

## 2026-02-09 — Add shared PostgreSQL instance

### What changed
- Created CNPG Cluster `home-1` in `postgres` namespace (single instance, 10Gi on zfs-nfs)
- Added managed roles for `kutt` and `linkding` with ESO-managed passwords (auto-rotation via CNPG)
- Created 4 Vaultwarden login items for postgres credentials (superuser, app, kutt, linkding)
- Added ArgoCD Application for postgres

### Why
Shared Postgres instance for apps migrating off SQLite. Per-app user isolation with
automated password rotation through the ESO → CNPG pipeline.

### Files touched
- `apps/postgres/postgres.yaml` (new)
- `apps/external-secrets/externalsecrets.yaml` (modified — 4 new ExternalSecrets)
- `apps/argocd/apps.yaml` (modified — postgres Application added)

### Next steps
- Create `kutt_db` and `linkding_db` databases manually after cluster is healthy
- Rotate change-me passwords in Vaultwarden
- Migrate Kutt from SQLite to Postgres

Starting a New Session

When beginning work, read CHANGELOG.md to understand:

• What was done recently
• What "next steps" were left by the previous session
• The current state of the project

This provides continuity across sessions without relying on memory files alone.

Notes

• The changelog complements (not replaces) git history. Git shows what code changed; the changelog shows what decisions were made and why.
• If the repo doesn't have a CHANGELOG.md yet, create one with a header:

  # Changelog
  

• Don't commit the changelog separately — include it in the same commit as the changes it documents.