check-claude-changelog

name	check-claude-changelog
description	Check Claude Code changelog for updates since your last commit. Use when the user wants to see what changed in Claude Code.
model	sonnet
allowed-tools	["Bash(node *)","Bash(git *)","Bash(curl *)","Read","Grep","Glob"]

Check for Claude Code updates relevant to the current project.

Activate only on /check-claude-changelog or explicit request about Claude Code updates.

Arguments

Optional: since <version> — show changes since a specific version (e.g. /check-claude-changelog since 2.1.50).

When no argument is provided, defaults to showing changes since the last git commit date.

---

Skill Context

SKILL_BASE_DIR: ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}

VERSION CHECK: If SKILL_BASE_DIR above shows literal ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR} instead of a real path, halt: "This skill requires Claude Code 2.1.69 or higher."

Node.js Check: !node "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../lib/check-node-version.js"

HALT if Node.js Check shows ERROR.

Rules

Rule	Behavior
DELEGATE_TO	Read the referenced file, execute its instructions, return here.
Narration	Narrate only STEP_DESCRIPTION steps; all others silent.
Script output	Scripts return JSON: status ("success" or "error"), data or message.

---

Workflow

0. Parse Arguments

If since <version> argument found (must match \d+\.\d+\.\d+): set sinceVersion, skip Step 1, proceed to Step 2.

Otherwise: proceed to Step 1.

1. Get Last Commit Date

STEP_DESCRIPTION: "Checking last commit date"

Run: git log -1 --format="%aI %h %s" HEAD

If the repo has commits: note the ISO date, short date, short SHA, and subject.

If no commits: default to 30 days ago. Note "No commits found — showing recent versions."

2. Fetch Changelog

STEP_DESCRIPTION: "Fetching Claude Code changelog"

If sinceVersion is set:

node "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/fetch-changelog.js" --since-version "{{sinceVersion}}"

Otherwise:

node "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/fetch-changelog.js" --since "{{last_commit_date}}"

On success: the script writes the full changelog to a temp file. Use the Read tool on the changelogFile path from the JSON output to get the content. DO NOT fetch the changelog again — use this file for all subsequent steps.

On error: HALT and display the error to the user.

3. Parse and Filter Changelog Entries

If no new versions found and commits exist: skip to Step 6 with "You're up to date!"

DELEGATE_TO: references/parse-changelog.md

4. Gather Project Context

STEP_DESCRIPTION: "Scanning project for Claude Code usage patterns"

Run these Glob checks:

1. **/CLAUDE.md — project instructions
2. ~/.claude/settings.json — user-level settings and hooks
3. .claude/settings.json — project-level settings and hooks
4. .claude/hooks/** — hook scripts
5. **/agents/**/*.md — agent definitions
6. **/skills/**/SKILL.md — skill definitions
7. .claude/mcp*.json or mcp*.json — MCP server configs

Read each match (note existence for large files). Build a brief summary of Claude Code usage — this informs Step 5.

5. Assess Relevance

DELEGATE_TO: references/assess-relevance.md

6. Present Results

STEP_DESCRIPTION: "Presenting Claude Code updates"

Present a compact summary table followed by actionable suggestions.

Format:

## Summary of Changes to Claude Code since [version]

Versions X.Y.Z – A.B.C

| Area | Change | Version |
|------|--------|---------|
| Hooks | Conditional `if` field for filtering | 2.1.85 |
| ... | ... | ... |

### Actionable Items

- Update hooks to use `if` conditions for filtering (2.1.85)
- ...

Table rules: Group by area, not version. No explanations in table cells.

Actionable Items: Concrete suggestions for this project, version in parentheses. Only items relevant to Step 4 context.

Do NOT list the full changelog version-by-version.

If no commits were found, note that you're showing recent versions as a fallback. If no actionable items were identified, say so.

Always end with: [Full changelog](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md)