// Writing release notes articles for tldraw SDK releases. Use when creating new release documentation, drafting release notes from scratch, or reviewing release note quality. Provides guidance on structure, voice, and content for release files in `apps/docs/content/releases/`.
[HINT] Download the complete skill directory including SKILL.md and all related files
| name | write-release-notes |
| description | Writing release notes articles for tldraw SDK releases. Use when creating new release documentation, drafting release notes from scratch, or reviewing release note quality. Provides guidance on structure, voice, and content for release files in `apps/docs/content/releases/`. |
This skill covers how to write a complete release notes article for a published tldraw SDK release.
All release files live in apps/docs/content/releases/.
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
next.mdx | Accumulates changes for the upcoming release |
vX.Y.0.mdx | Published releases (immutable except for patch additions) |
Get the version number and find the GitHub release:
gh release view v4.3.0
This shows the release date, tag, and any release notes from GitHub.
List PRs merged between the previous release and this one:
# Find commits between releases
git log v4.2.0..v4.3.0 --oneline --merges
# Or use gh to list PRs
gh pr list --state merged --base main --search "merged:2024-01-01..2024-02-01"
For each PR, get the full details:
gh pr view <PR_NUMBER> --json title,body,labels,author,baseRefName
Look for:
### Release notes section in PR body### API changes section in PR bodyImportant: Only include PRs whose baseRefName is main. PRs merged into feature branches (e.g. default-shape-customization) are not yet released — they will be included when the feature branch itself is merged to main.
List any patch releases for this minor version:
gh release list | grep "v4.3"
For each patch release, find its PRs:
git log v4.3.0..v4.3.1 --oneline --merges
Create apps/docs/content/releases/vX.Y.0.mdx following the style guide.
Every 💥 in the article needs a migration recipe. The tldraw-migrate skill drives off these recipes — it intentionally does not duplicate them in its own SKILL.md, because version-specific knowledge belongs next to the breaking change that introduced it. If the recipe is missing, agents and contributors performing the upgrade have to reverse-engineer it from type defs.
There are two acceptable forms:
For breaking changes with their own featured section (renames, replaced APIs, new patterns), add a <details><summary>Migration guide</summary> block under the section. Include before/after code and call out any silent-compile traps (props the typecheck won't reject, signatures with optional new parameters, etc.):
### 💥 Custom themes with display values
[Description of what changed and why]
<details>
<summary>Migration guide</summary>
`getDefaultColorTheme()` and `DefaultColorThemePalette` have been removed. Use `editor.getCurrentTheme().colors[colorMode]` instead:
```tsx
// Before
const theme = getDefaultColorTheme({ isDarkMode })
// After
const theme = editor.getCurrentTheme()
const colors = theme.colors[editor.getColorMode()]
```
</details>
For one-line 💥 entries in the API changes list, the bullet itself must contain the recipe — name the replacement and any caveats inline:
💥 Replace TLDrawShapeSegment.points with the helper getPointsFromDrawSegment(segment, scaleX, scaleY) so segment points respect the shape's current scale.💥 Remove TLDrawShapeSegment.points. (no replacement → reader has to guess)A symbol that is removed without a replacement is a documentation bug — find the public alternative or, if there genuinely isn't one, say so explicitly so readers know to drop the call site rather than searching for a rename.
Special case — @public → @internal demotions: these compile but disappear from public types. They are still breaking changes for consumers who imported the symbol. Treat them like a removal: mark with 💥, name the public replacement, and explicitly tell readers not to reach for module augmentation to re-expose the demoted symbol.
Check that:
💥 has either a migration guide block or an inline replacement (run grep -nE '💥' apps/docs/content/releases/<file>.mdx and verify each bullet/section)../shared/release-notes-guide.md for guidance on what a release notes article should contain and how to format it.