write-release-note

name	write-release-note
description	Use when writing user-facing release notes for a software product release
source	Stripe Developer Documentation style guide; GitHub Release Notes guidelines; Apple App Store release note best practices
tags	["release-notes","product","documentation","communication","changelog"]
verified	true

Write Release Note

Write concise, user-focused release notes that communicate value and impact, not implementation details.

Why This Is Best Practice

Adopted by: Stripe (benchmark for developer communication), GitHub (model for technical release notes), Apple App Store (mandated format for consumer apps) Impact: Stripe's documentation is cited as the industry standard for developer experience; well-written release notes reduce support ticket volume by 15-25% after major releases (per Intercom product research).

Why best: Release notes are a product communication artifact, not a technical log. Users care about what changed for them, not how it was implemented. Stripe's impact-first pattern ("You can now do X") and GitHub's contextual notes (linking to docs for complex changes) set the bar for technical audiences.

Steps

1. Lead with user benefit — Start with what users can now do or no longer need to worry about. Not "Refactored auth module" but "Login is now 40% faster and supports passkeys."