Release Notes Template — 8 Free Templates for Every Platform

GitHub release notes template

github For the GitHub Releases page. Uses Markdown headers and emoji section markers.

github-release.md

## What's Changed ### ✨ Added - Brief description of new feature ### 🐛 Fixed - Description of what was broken and what works now ### ⚠️ Breaking Changes - What changed and what action users need to take **Full Changelog**: https://github.com/org/repo/compare/v1.0.0...v1.1.0

Slack release announcement template

slack Short, emoji-led, easy to scan in a #releases channel.

slack-release.txt

🚀 *v1.1.0 shipped* ✨ *New:* Brief feature description 🐛 *Fixed:* What was broken, now resolved ⚡ *Faster:* What improved → Full notes: [link]

App Store release notes template

app store Apple allows 4,000 characters. Keep it conversational and user-focused.

app-store-whats-new.txt

We've been listening to your feedback — here's what's new: • [Feature name] — brief plain-English description • Fixed a bug that caused [symptom] for some users • Performance improvements and stability fixes Thanks for using [App Name].

Email newsletter release notes template

email For product update emails to customers. Longer than Slack, friendlier than GitHub.

email-update.txt

Subject: [Product] v1.1 — [headline feature] + fixes Hi [name], We've just shipped version 1.1. Here's what's new: [Feature name] One or two sentences explaining what it does and why it matters to users. Bug fixes - Fixed [issue] that affected [who] - Resolved [issue] on [platform] → See everything: [changelog link] [Your name] [Company]

Internal release notes template (engineering teams)

internal More technical detail, for team Confluence or Notion pages.

internal-release.md

# Release v1.1.0 — YYYY-MM-DD ## Summary One sentence describing the release theme. ## Changes | Type | Description | PR | Owner | |------|-------------|-----|-------| | feat | Description | #123 | @alice | | fix | Description | #124 | @bob | ## Deployment Notes - Database migration required: `npm run migrate` - New env var: `FEATURE_FLAG_X=true` ## Rollback Plan `git revert HEAD && npm run deploy`

Tips for any release notes template

Write for readers, not writers — "Fix NPE in AuthService" is a commit message. "Fix crash on login for some users" is a release note.
Group by impact — New features, bug fixes, breaking changes. Readers scan for the category that affects them.
Flag breaking changes first — Don't bury them at the bottom. Users upgrading need to see this immediately.
Link to more detail — A short summary plus a link to the full changelog is better than either alone.
Match the platform's norms — Emoji headers work on GitHub and Slack; they look odd in a formal enterprise email.

FAQ

What's the difference between release notes and a changelog?

Release notes are per-release and platform-specific — written for users of that release. A changelog is the cumulative record of all releases, typically in CHANGELOG.md format. See the full comparison.

Can I generate release notes instead of filling a template?

Yes. ChangelogAI takes your git commits and generates formatted release notes for any platform automatically — no template filling required.

Is ChangelogAI free?

Yes — completely free. Unlimited generations, no account required.

Skip the template — generate from commits

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