github-release-notes

GitHub Release Notes Generator

Generate release notes for the project's upcoming version that are ready to paste into a GitHub release. Follow the Keep a Changelog 1.1.0 "Types of changes" conventions.

Process

1. Find the latest release tag:
   • git describe --tags --abbrev=0 (fallback: git tag --sort=-v:refname | head -n 1)
   • If no tag exists, use the full history.
2. List commits since that tag: git log <tag>..HEAD --no-merges --pretty=format:"%h %s".
3. If an existing CHANGELOG.md is present, read it briefly to match the project's tone, language, and wording style — but do NOT modify or create that file.
4. Classify each commit into one of the Keep a Changelog change types. Omit any type with no entries.
5. Output the release notes as Markdown, wrapped in a single fenced code block so the user can copy-paste into the GitHub release UI.

Types of changes (Keep a Changelog 1.1.0)

Use these exact heading labels, always in English (see Writing rules):

• Added — new features
• Changed — changes in existing functionality
• Deprecated — soon-to-be-removed features
• Removed — now-removed features
• Fixed — bug fixes
• Security — vulnerability fixes

Breaking changes

Keep a Changelog defines no dedicated category for breaking changes. Do NOT invent a Breaking heading. Instead, list each breaking change under its most relevant type (usually Changed or Removed) and mark the bullet with a fixed **Breaking:** prefix — this exact spelling and casing every time, never **breaking change**, **BREAKING**, or any variant:

### Changed
- **Breaking:** Renamed the `config.load()` option `path` to `configPath`

### Removed
- **Breaking:** Dropped support for Node.js 18

The **Breaking:** marker stays in English even when the rest of the notes are translated (see Writing rules).

Output format

Output ONLY the release notes Markdown inside a single fenced code block. No preamble, no trailing commentary, no surrounding explanation.

Do NOT include a version heading (## [x.y.z]) or date — GitHub's release page already renders the tag and publish date, so duplicating them is redundant. Start directly at the ### type headings:

### Added
- Short, user-facing description of the change

### Fixed
- Short, user-facing description of the fix

Writing rules

• Each bullet is one line, user-facing, and describes the impact — not the implementation.
• Do not include commit hashes or author names. PR numbers are fine if the existing CHANGELOG.md already uses them.
• Merge duplicate or related commits into a single bullet.
• Skip purely internal noise (lint config tweaks, CI-only changes, formatting passes, dependency bumps without user impact) unless that's all that exists — then group the meaningful ones under Changed.
• Match the language of the project's existing CHANGELOG.md if one exists; otherwise default to English.
• ALWAYS keep the type headings (Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security) and the **Breaking:** marker in English — even when the user explicitly asks to translate the notes into another language. Only the bullet descriptions are translated; these fixed labels never are.
• Omit empty change types entirely.