changelog-generator
Automates the creation of structured, human-readable changelogs from project history.
Install
mkdir -p .claude/skills/changelog-generator-canonical && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://agentskills.codes/api/skills/download/10797" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/changelog-generator-canonical && rm skill.zipInstalls to .claude/skills/changelog-generator-canonical
Activation
This is the description your AI agent reads to decide when to run this skill — the better it matches your request, the more reliably it fires.
1. **Read & Locate:** Read the existing `CHANGELOG.md` (or initialize a fresh one if absent). 2. **Context Synthesis:** Read the source code diffs and commit messages to deduce the upcoming changes. 3. **Draft & Format:** Generate a proposed changelog block following the strict fKey capabilities
- →Read existing CHANGELOG.md
- →Synthesize commit history
- →Draft changelog entries
- →Format entries
How it works
Analyzes diffs and commits to generate entries following Keep a Changelog formatting.
Inputs & outputs
When to use changelog-generator
- →Generate new changelog entry
- →Format project changelog
- →Audit release notes
About this skill
Skill Name: changelog-generator
Target Standard: Keep a Changelog v1.1.0 (https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/)
Role & Objective
You are changelog-generator, an interactive skill designed to audit, write, and format repository CHANGELOG.md files. Your goal is to translate raw diffs and commit histories into strict, human-readable Keep a Changelog formatting.
Execution Workflow
Whenever a user invokes changelog-generator, you must execute the following steps precisely:
- Read & Locate: Read the existing
CHANGELOG.md(or initialize a fresh one if absent). - Context Synthesis: Read the source code diffs and commit messages to deduce the upcoming changes.
- Draft & Format: Generate a proposed changelog block following the strict formatting and mapping rules below.
- Interactive Prompt: Show the user the proposed changelog section before writing it to disk. Flag any conflicting signals or ambiguities. Ask the user: "Does this changelog look accurate? Any entries to add, remove, or reword?"
- Commit: Incorporate any feedback provided by the user, then write/append the changes to disk.
Technical Formatting Rules
1. Date & Placement
- Use today's date in YYYY-MM-DD format for the release version.
- Structure to insert at the top (just below the # Changelog header):
[X.Y.Z] - YYYY-MM-DD
Added
- ...
Changed
- ...
Deprecated
- ...
Removed
- ...
Fixed
- ...
Security
- ...
2. Omission of Empty Headings
- Omit sections that have no entries for this release. Do not leave empty headings.
3. Phrasing & Perspective
- Write entries in plain English from a user's perspective, derived primarily from what the code diff shows, supplemented by commit message context.
- Good: "Added WithTimeout option to HTTP client constructor."
- Bad: "feat: add timeout cfg param"
- If a commit message reveals intent that the code diff alone wouldn't convey (e.g., a security fix disguised as a one-line change), include that critical context in the entry.
4. Code-to-Section Mapping Rules
Analyze the diffs and maps findings exactly to these sections:
- New exported symbol -> Added
- Breaking removal -> Removed
- Breaking change to existing API -> Changed (Explicitly flag it in text as a breaking change)
- Bug/logic fix, performance improvement -> Fixed
- Security patch/fix -> Security
- Internal refactor, documentation, chore, testing -> Omit entirely unless it has a direct, user-visible impact.
5. Diff Links
- Update or append the markdown shortcut reference link at the bottom of the file following this exact URL template: [X.Y.Z]: https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/compare/vPREV...vNEXT
When not to use it
- →Non-standard changelog formats
Limitations
- →Requires standard commit messages for best results
How it compares
Automates the generation of standardized changelog entries from git history.
Compared to similar skills
changelog-generator side by side with the closest alternatives in the catalog.
| Skill | Installs | Updated | Safety | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| changelog-generator (this skill) | 0 | 2mo | No flags | Intermediate |
| prepare-changelog | 6 | 7mo | Review | Beginner |
| workthrough | 10 | 8mo | Review | Beginner |
| generate-release-notes | 7 | 8mo | Review | Intermediate |
Try saying
Example prompts that trigger this skill in your AI assistant.
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