- 1. Understand your audience
- 2. Use a release notes template
- 3. Make your headline clear
- 4. Add a category or subject
- 5. Pinpoint the main product feature
- 6. Be concise
- 7. Add supporting imagery
- 8. Link to supporting resources
- 9. Ask for customer feedback
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Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Are Release Notes?
- New features
- Product changes
- Bug fixes
- App updates
- API changes
- User experience enhancements
- Security updates
It’s common to find release notes in SaaS products and digital tools, as these products change frequently to account for bugs, security, and innovation. You might also find release notes described as a changelog or product updates, depending on the company publishing them.
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Summarize this article for me pleaseWhy Are Good Release Notes Important?
- Reduce incoming support tickets asking how to use a new or changed feature
- Improve customer retention
- Introduce your customers to new or better ways they can use your product
- Allow you to spotlight specific features or plan upgrades
- Signal that you’re actively working on improving your product
- Help your team members form habits around innovation, improvement, and change
After working on a product release or bug fix for so long, writing about it isn’t always at the top of your team’s mind—but it’s an essential step to retain your loyal audience.
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Summarize this article for me pleaseWho Should Write Release Notes?
Release notes differ from other types of corporate communication because they’re handled by the team that worked on the product itself—not your marketing or communications team. If you’re part of a small team, the lead developer will often write release notes. The product manager takes the lead in a larger product or software development team. Your marketing team might get involved with ideas on where to share release notes, but largely, this is a content type that comes directly from the product development team. 💻
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Summarize this article for me please9 Steps to Writing Effective Release Notes and Product Updates
Release notes aren’t just a nice bonus; they’re essential to keep your users informed and engaged with your product. Learn how to write better release notes with this step-by-step guide.
1. Understand your audience
To write better, you need to know your audience better. Spend time thinking about your end users, what they value, and what information they’ll need from your release notes or product changelog. ✨ Avoid overly technical jargon—except where it’s necessary to describe a feature or if your audience requires it. Otherwise, opt for plain language instead.
2. Use a release notes template
With so many technical documentation templates, there’s no need to start from scratch. Shortcut your way to success using a purpose-built release notes template that means you won’t skip any of the essentials. 📄
The best template for this is the Release Notes Template by ClickUp. This template has everything you need to start writing better changelog updates—including space for your release date, version number, heading, categories, and screenshots.
3. Make your headline clear
Every update in your changelog should be clear without the end user having to click through and read every one. Give each update a clear title or heading that explains what’s new. It’s fine to start your updates with “New release” or “Feature release,” but the title should also give some more insight. Explain that you’re launching an update for your app, bug fixes for your desktop version, or a new integration with a popular tool.
4. Add a category or subject
With so many product updates happening over time, it can be hard for users to review related notes without some organization system. Simplify the experience by adding tags, categories, or subjects. Group your release notes together by type so they’re easy to filter through. Create and use categories like “user experience update,” “integration update,” or “new product feature” so you can keep release notes organized and easy to find.
5. Pinpoint the main product feature
Your product releases might have more than one update or bug fix. While you should mention every change, it’s also helpful to highlight the main change in functionality or new features to attract attention and spotlight an exciting new introduction. 💡 Mention the main feature or change in your new update’s heading and some imagery to introduce users to the new product feature or enhanced functionality. This is a great way to increase product utilization and encourage users to explore your product further. If you’re dedicating an update to a new feature, try using a product launch template to streamline the process.
6. Be concise
Product release notes shouldn’t be overly wordy. It’s tempting to write at length about a feature you’re excited about but save this for a supporting blog post. Keep your release notes concise so they’re easy to read. ✍️ Keep your headings short, use clear language in short paragraphs, and use bullet points wherever possible. The goal is to communicate what’s changed and its impact—for anything else, you can always add a link to more information.
7. Add supporting imagery
While some companies favor a “no-frills” approach to software release notes, it’s almost always helpful to include some imagery—especially if introducing a new feature or product. 🖼️ Screenshots, animated walkthroughs, GIFs, and short video clips are all ideal ways to share your new feature or functionality with end users. Work with your design team to create assets that explain your new feature and encourage users to try it out themselves.
8. Link to supporting resources
Your release notes should be short, but sometimes, you’ll want to explain a concept in more detail or refer back to a previous release. That’s where linking to supporting resources comes in handy. 🔗 Use internal links thoughtfully within release notes to signpost users to help articles, blog posts, and previous release notes that add context or give practical tips on using a feature. You might also want to link to your product roadmap or project milestones for transparency. You can include details on contacting your support team with any questions.
9. Ask for customer feedback
Even though you’re fixing bugs regularly and introducing updates based on feature requests, you won’t always get it right. Asking for customer feedback is a key part of the cycle, and there’s no better place to do it than within your product release notes. 🎉 Include a line at the end of your changelog to ask users to submit their feedback, a bug report, or a feature request. Make this process even easier by using ClickUp’s Form view to create a feedback form or one of the bug report templates. You could also open comments and reply to users within the feed—this is a great way to introduce transparency and build a stronger relationship with your community.
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