changelog

name	changelog
description	Keep a Changelog format. Covers structure, change types, versioning. Keywords: CHANGELOG.md, semver.
version	1.1.0
release_date	2023-03-06

Changelog

Format specification for CHANGELOG.md based on Keep a Changelog 1.1.0.

Language Requirement (Mandatory)

• All changelog content MUST be written in English.
• If source information is provided in another language, translate it to English.
• Do not mix languages within the same changelog.

Quick Reference

File Header

# Changelog

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

The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).

Section Structure

## [Unreleased]

### Added

- New feature description

## [1.0.0] - 2024-01-15

### Added

- Feature A
- Feature B

### Changed

- Modified behavior X

### Fixed

- Bug fix Y

Types of Changes

Type	Purpose
Added	New features
Changed	Changes in existing functionality
Deprecated	Soon-to-be removed features
Removed	Now removed features
Fixed	Bug fixes
Security	Vulnerabilities

Format Rules

Version Header

## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD

• Version in brackets, linked to comparison
• Date in ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)

Date-Based Versioning (Alternative)

For projects using date-based versioning instead of semver:

## [YYYY-MM-DD]

Use current date instead of [Unreleased]. This project uses date-based versioning.

Yanked Releases

## [0.0.5] - 2014-12-13 [YANKED]

Use when version was pulled due to serious bug or security issue.

Comparison Links (at file end)

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

Guiding Principles

1. For humans, not machines — Write clear, readable entries
2. Entry for every version — Document all releases
3. Group same types — Keep Added/Changed/Fixed together
4. Linkable versions — Use comparison links
5. Latest first — Reverse chronological order
6. Show release dates — Use ISO 8601 format
7. State versioning scheme — Mention Semantic Versioning if used

Complete Example

# Changelog

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

The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).

## [Unreleased]

### Added

- New authentication method

## [1.2.0] - 2024-01-20

### Added

- User profile page
- Export to CSV functionality

### Changed

- Improved loading performance by 40%

### Deprecated

- Legacy API endpoint `/api/v1/users` (use `/api/v2/users`)

### Fixed

- Login timeout issue on slow connections

## [1.1.0] - 2024-01-10

### Added

- Dark mode support

### Security

- Fixed XSS vulnerability in comment field

## [1.0.0] - 2024-01-01

### Added

- Initial release with core features
- User registration and login
- Dashboard with analytics

[unreleased]: https://github.com/user/project/compare/v1.2.0...HEAD
[1.2.0]: https://github.com/user/project/compare/v1.1.0...v1.2.0
[1.1.0]: https://github.com/user/project/compare/v1.0.0...v1.1.0
[1.0.0]: https://github.com/user/project/releases/tag/v1.0.0

Bad Practices

Commit log diffs

Don't dump git log into changelog:

• Full of noise (merge commits, obscure titles)
• Not human-readable
• Mixes important and trivial changes

Ignoring deprecations

Don't skip deprecation notices:

• Users need to know what will break
• Document deprecations before removals
• List breaking changes clearly

Confusing dates

Don't use regional date formats:

• Use ISO 8601: YYYY-MM-DD
• Avoids ambiguity (is 01/02/2024 Jan 2 or Feb 1?)

Inconsistent changes

Don't document only some changes:

• Changelog should be single source of truth
• Important changes must be mentioned
• Consistently updated

Writing Tips

Good Entry Examples

### Added

- OAuth2 authentication with Google and GitHub providers
- Rate limiting for API endpoints (100 req/min)

### Changed

- Database queries now use prepared statements for better security
- Upgraded dependency `lodash` from 4.17.20 to 4.17.21

### Fixed

- Memory leak in WebSocket connection handler
- Race condition in concurrent file uploads

Entry Guidelines

• Review current git changes (diff or changed files list) before drafting; ensure all material changes are covered.
• Start with verb or noun describing the change
• Be specific (mention affected component/endpoint)
• Reference issue/PR numbers when relevant: (#123)
• Keep entries concise but informative
• Omit empty sections (do not include a section header if there are no entries for it)

File Naming

Required: CHANGELOG.md (uppercase). Do not use lowercase or alternative names.

Do not use alternative filenames.

GitHub Releases vs CHANGELOG.md

Aspect	GitHub Releases	CHANGELOG.md
Portability	GitHub-only	Universal
Discoverability	Less visible	Standard location
Version control	Separate UI	In repository
Diff links	Manual setup	Easy to add

GitHub Releases can complement but shouldn't replace CHANGELOG.md.

Conventional Commits Integration

Changelogs work best with Conventional Commits format:

Commit Type	Changelog Section
feat:	Added
fix:	Fixed
perf:	Changed
refactor:	Changed
docs:	(often omitted)
BREAKING CHANGE	Highlight in Changed
Security fix	Security
revert:	Removed or Fixed

Automated Generation

Tools that parse Conventional Commits and generate changelogs:

• conventional-changelog
• semantic-release
• release-please

See commits skill for commit message format.

Workflow Integration

Unreleased Section Pattern

1. Add changes to ## [Unreleased] during development
2. At release time, rename to ## [X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD
3. Create new empty ## [Unreleased] section
4. Add comparison link for new version

Pre-commit Checklist

Before release:

• All notable changes documented
• Unreleased section moved to version
• Date added in ISO 8601 format
• Comparison link added
• Breaking changes highlighted
• Deprecations documented

Critical Prohibitions

• Do not use git log as changelog
• Do not omit breaking changes or deprecations
• Do not use ambiguous date formats
• Do not leave changelog inconsistently updated
• Do not forget to update Unreleased → version at release
• Do not write changelog entries in any language other than English

README Synchronization

After writing changelog, review the project's main README.md:

1. Check for outdated information — features, skills, tools lists
2. Add new entries — if changelog introduces new skills, features, or components
3. Remove deprecated items — if changelog removes functionality
4. Update descriptions — if changelog changes existing functionality

What to sync:

• Skills/features tables
• Compatibility lists
• Installation instructions
• Links and references

What NOT to sync:

• Changelog content itself (no duplication)
• Version history
• Detailed change descriptions

Do NOT mention README.md updates in CHANGELOG — README synchronization is implied and should not be logged as a separate change.

Links

• Official specification: https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/
• Semantic Versioning: https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html
• Related: commits skill — Conventional Commits format

Templates

• CHANGELOG.template.md — Empty template to start
• CHANGELOG.example.md — Complete working example