Creating product changelogs from commit messages

Creating a product changelog from commit messages involves parsing your version control history and translating that into a readable and organized format. Here’s a simple guide to help you transform your commit messages into a well-structured changelog.

Steps for Creating a Product Changelog from Commit Messages:

1. Understand Your Commit Message Convention:

   • It’s crucial to have a clear and consistent commit message format in your development workflow. Teams often use a convention like Conventional Commits or Semantic Versioning to categorize changes. For example:

     • feat: A new feature

     • fix: A bug fix

     • chore: Routine task or maintenance

     • docs: Documentation updates

     • style: Code style changes (not affecting functionality)

     • refactor: Code changes that neither fix a bug nor add a feature

2. Generate Commit History:
   You can use tools like git log to generate a history of commit messages:

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   git log --oneline
   

   This gives you a simple list of commit hashes and their messages. For more detailed formatting, you can customize the output:

   bash
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   git log --pretty=format:"%h - %s"
   

3. Group and Organize by Type:
   Once you have your commit messages, group them by type (feature, fix, etc.). This gives your changelog a logical structure, making it easier for users to understand what changed and why.

   Example Format:

   markdown
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   ## [Unreleased]
   - feat: Add new user authentication flow
   - fix: Correct typo in registration form
   - docs: Update API documentation
   
   ## [1.2.0] - 2025-05-18
   ### Added
   - feat: Integrate third-party payment gateway
   
   ### Fixed
   - fix: Resolve session timeout issue
   
   ## [1.1.0] - 2025-04-20
   ### Added
   - feat: Introduce dashboard metrics
   

4. Extract Relevant Information:
   When creating a changelog, not every commit message will be relevant. Focus on the ones that contribute to the product’s changes (new features, bug fixes, improvements) and leave out mundane commits like “fix typos” or “update README”.

5. Add Version Numbers and Dates:
   For each release, add a version number and the release date. Version numbers follow the semantic versioning standard (major.minor.patch), where:

   • Major: Incompatible API changes

   • Minor: Added functionality in a backward-compatible manner

   • Patch: Backward-compatible fixes

   Example:

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   ## [2.0.0] - 2025-06-01
   ### Breaking Changes
   - refactor: Major overhaul of authentication logic
   
   ### Added
   - feat: Introduce multi-language support
   
   ### Fixed
   - fix: Resolve issue with data sync
   

6. Use Automation Tools:
   Tools like Keep a Changelog or semantic-release can automate the changelog generation process. They can help automate version bumping, changelog creation, and ensure your commit messages follow conventions.

7. Formatting and Best Practices:

   • Keep it concise: The changelog should be easy to skim and should focus on what’s most important.

   • Group by categories: Use categories like “Added,” “Fixed,” “Changed,” and “Deprecated” to group changes logically.

   • Be consistent: Ensure the formatting and phrasing are consistent across entries.

Example Changelog

markdown
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# Changelog

## [1.3.0] - 2025-05-20
### Added
- feat: Add dark mode support to the UI
- feat: Implement email notifications for new messages

### Fixed
- fix: Resolve issue with form validation in signup process
- fix: Correct minor UI glitches on mobile view

### Changed
- refactor: Update payment gateway to v2 API

## [1.2.0] - 2025-04-18
### Added
- feat: Introduce user feedback system
- feat: Add search functionality to the dashboard

### Fixed
- fix: Resolve bug preventing data sync after app crash

## [1.1.0] - 2025-03-25
### Added
- feat: Integrate social media login (Facebook, Google)

By using the structure above and implementing it into your workflow, you’ll ensure your changelog is both informative and easy to navigate.