changelog-format

name	changelog-format
description	Keep a Changelog format guidelines and entry writing best practices. Use when writing changelog entries, updating CHANGELOG.md, or following Keep a Changelog specification.
dependencies	[]

Keep a Changelog Format

This skill provides guidelines for writing and formatting changelogs following the Keep a Changelog specification.

Core Principles

1. Changelogs are for humans - Write for users, not machines
2. Every version gets a section - Including [Unreleased] for upcoming changes
3. Changes are grouped by type - Consistent categorization
4. Versions are linkable - Each version header links to comparison
5. Latest version comes first - Reverse chronological order
6. Release dates are shown - ISO format: YYYY-MM-DD

Change Categories

Use these categories in this order:

Category	Description	When to Use
Added	New features	New functionality users can now do
Changed	Changes in existing functionality	Behavior modifications, improvements
Deprecated	Soon-to-be removed features	Features marked for future removal
Removed	Removed features	Features that no longer exist
Fixed	Bug fixes	Corrections to existing functionality
Security	Security vulnerability fixes	Security-related changes

Category Guidelines

Added

• New user-facing features
• New API endpoints
• New configuration options
• New integrations

Changed

• Performance improvements
• UX/UI changes
• Default value changes
• Behavior modifications

Deprecated

• Features planned for removal
• APIs being replaced
• Include migration path when possible

Removed

• Breaking changes (removed functionality)
• Deleted APIs or features
• Always note what replaced it (if applicable)

Fixed

• Bug corrections
• Error handling improvements
• Edge case fixes

Security

• Vulnerability patches
• Security-related fixes
• Always include CVE if available

Entry Writing Guidelines

Use Imperative Mood

Start entries with imperative verbs:

Do	Don't
Add support for...	Added support for...
Fix crash when...	Fixed a crash that occurred when...
Remove deprecated...	Removed the deprecated...
Change default to...	Changed the default to...

Focus on User Impact

Write from the user's perspective:

Good (User-focused)	Bad (Implementation-focused)
Add dark mode toggle	Implement ThemeProvider context
Fix login failing silently	Add try-catch to auth handler
Speed up page load by 40%	Optimize database queries

Be Specific and Concise

Good (Specific)	Bad (Vague)
Fix crash when uploading files over 10MB	Fix upload bug
Add CSV export for transaction history	Add export feature
Change session timeout from 30 to 60 minutes	Update session settings

Include Context When Helpful

Use parenthetical context for clarity:

- Add OAuth2 support (Google, GitHub)
- Fix timezone handling (UTC offset calculation)
- Change rate limit (100 → 500 requests/minute)

Changelog Structure

# Changelog

All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.

The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/),
and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).

## [Unreleased]

### Added
- New entries go here

## [1.0.0] - 2024-01-15

### Added
- Initial public release
- Feature A with description
- Feature B with description

### Changed
- Improvement to existing feature

### Fixed
- Bug fix description

## [0.9.0] - 2024-01-01

### Added
- Beta release features

[Unreleased]: https://github.com/owner/repo/compare/v1.0.0...HEAD
[1.0.0]: https://github.com/owner/repo/compare/v0.9.0...v1.0.0
[0.9.0]: https://github.com/owner/repo/releases/tag/v0.9.0

Semantic Versioning Connection

Changelog categories map to version bumps:

Category	Version Impact
Removed (after v1.0)	MAJOR bump
Removed (before v1.0)	MINOR bump
Added, Changed	MINOR bump
Deprecated, Fixed, Security	PATCH bump

What NOT to Include

• Internal refactoring (unless it affects users)
• Dependency updates (unless they affect functionality)
• Test changes
• CI/CD changes
• Documentation-only changes (unless user-facing docs)
• Code style/formatting changes

Entry Examples

Added Category

Good Examples

- Add user authentication with email/password and OAuth (Google, GitHub)
- Add bulk export of transactions to CSV and Excel formats
- Add keyboard shortcuts for common actions (Ctrl+S to save, Ctrl+Z to undo)
- Add dark mode with automatic system preference detection
- Add webhook support for order status changes
- Add rate limiting (100 requests/minute per API key)

Poor Examples (with corrections)

Poor Entry	Why It's Poor	Better Version
Added new feature	Too vague, no information	Add invoice PDF generation
Implemented AuthService class	Implementation detail, not user-facing	Add user authentication
Added support for thing	Unclear what "thing" is	Add support for WebP image uploads
New button	No context, incomplete	Add "Export All" button to dashboard

---

Changed Category

Good Examples

- Improve search performance (3x faster for large datasets)
- Change default session timeout from 30 minutes to 2 hours
- Update password requirements: minimum 12 characters, 1 number required
- Redesign settings page with tabbed navigation
- Move API documentation to /docs endpoint
- Increase file upload limit from 5MB to 25MB

Poor Examples (with corrections)

Poor Entry	Why It's Poor	Better Version
Refactored code	Internal detail, no user impact	(Omit, or) Improve page load speed by 40%
Updated dependencies	Internal maintenance	(Omit unless user-facing change)
Changed stuff	Completely uninformative	Change notification preferences to opt-in
Made improvements	Too vague	Improve error messages with specific guidance

---

Fixed Category

Good Examples

- Fix crash when uploading files larger than 10MB
- Fix incorrect tax calculation for international orders
- Fix login button not responding on mobile Safari
- Fix timezone display showing UTC instead of local time
- Fix memory leak causing slowdown after extended use
- Fix email notifications not sending for new comments

Poor Examples (with corrections)

Poor Entry	Why It's Poor	Better Version
Fixed bug	No description of what was fixed	Fix duplicate orders created on retry
Bug fix	Even less information	Fix search returning stale results
Fixed issue #123	Requires looking up issue	Fix CSV export missing header row (#123)
Fixed null pointer exception in UserService.java:42	Too technical	Fix crash when viewing deleted user profile

---

Removed Category

Good Examples

- Remove deprecated /api/v1 endpoints (use /api/v2 instead)
- Remove support for Internet Explorer 11
- Remove "Classic" theme (migrate to "Modern" theme in settings)
- Remove automatic social media sharing (use manual share buttons)
- Remove legacy import format (use CSV import instead)

Poor Examples (with corrections)

Poor Entry	Why It's Poor	Better Version
Removed old code	What capability was lost?	Remove legacy report generator
Deleted files	Meaningless to users	(Omit if internal)
Removed feature	Which feature?	Remove email digest option

---

Deprecated Category

Good Examples

- Deprecate /api/v1/users endpoint (use /api/v2/users, removal in v3.0)
- Deprecate XML export format (use JSON export, removal in 6 months)
- Deprecate "Classic" theme (will be removed in next major version)
- Deprecate basicAuth parameter (use apiKey authentication instead)

Poor Examples (with corrections)

Poor Entry	Why It's Poor	Better Version
Deprecated old API	No migration path	Deprecate /legacy endpoint (use /api/v2, removal in v2.0)
Will remove soon	No timeline or alternative	Deprecate CSV import (use Excel import, removal March 2024)

---

Security Category

Good Examples

- Fix XSS vulnerability in comment rendering (CVE-2024-1234)
- Fix SQL injection in search query parameter
- Add Content-Security-Policy headers
- Update authentication to prevent session fixation attacks
- Fix CSRF vulnerability in account settings form
- Upgrade TLS minimum version to 1.2

Poor Examples (with corrections)

Poor Entry	Why It's Poor	Better Version
Security fix	No information about what was fixed	Fix authentication bypass vulnerability
Fixed vulnerability	Too vague	Fix stored XSS in user profile bio field
Updated security	Meaningless	Add rate limiting to prevent brute force attacks

---

Grouping Related Changes

When multiple related changes are made, group them thoughtfully:

Good Grouping

### Added
- Add user profile customization
  - Profile picture upload
  - Bio and social links
  - Custom theme colors
- Add team collaboration features
  - Shared workspaces
  - Real-time presence indicators
  - Comment threads on items

Alternative: Separate Entries

### Added
- Add profile picture upload with crop and resize
- Add customizable bio and social media links
- Add shared team workspaces
- Add real-time presence indicators for team members

---

Entries with Technical Context

When technical details help users, include them appropriately:

Good Examples

- Add GraphQL API alongside existing REST API
- Add WebSocket support for real-time updates (replaces polling)
- Fix N+1 query issue causing slow dashboard load
- Change database connection pooling (improves concurrent user handling)

Avoid Over-Technical Entries

Too Technical	User-Friendly Version
Migrate from Redux to Zustand	Improve app responsiveness (or omit)
Refactor to use React hooks	(Omit - internal change)
Upgrade PostgreSQL 14 → 16	(Omit unless user-facing)
Add index on users.email column	Improve login speed

---

Breaking Changes

Clearly indicate breaking changes:

### Removed
- **BREAKING**: Remove support for Node.js 14 (minimum now Node.js 18)
- **BREAKING**: Remove /api/v1 endpoints (migrate to /api/v2)

### Changed
- **BREAKING**: Change config file format from YAML to TOML
- **BREAKING**: Rename `user.name` field to `user.displayName` in API responses

Integration Notes

What this component does: Provides Keep a Changelog format guidelines and entry writing best practices for consistent changelog management.

Capabilities needed:

• File reading (to check existing CHANGELOG.md structure)
• File editing (to update CHANGELOG.md)

Adaptation guidance:

• This is a reference/knowledge skill with no external dependencies
• The inlined entry examples section (originally a separate reference file) provides comprehensive good/bad examples for all changelog categories
• Can be used standalone or loaded by other skills that need changelog formatting guidance