--- name: changelog-newsletter description: Transform technical changelog entries into user-friendly newsletter content for email, blog posts, and release notes. Use when converting CHANGELOG.md files, git commit logs, or release notes into customer-facing communications. --- # Changelog Newsletter Creator ## Overview Convert technical changelog entries into engaging, user-friendly newsletter content suitable for email campaigns, blog posts, and release notes pages. This skill helps translate developer-focused change descriptions into benefits-oriented content for end users. ## Quick Start Provide a changelog file or list of changes, and specify the desired output format (email, blog post, or release notes page). The skill will: 1. Identify change types (features, fixes, improvements, breaking changes) 2. Rewrite technical descriptions in user-friendly language 3. Organize content by impact and importance 4. Format for the target medium ## Detailed Instructions ### Step 1: Parse Changelog Input Accept changelog entries in various formats: - **Markdown CHANGELOG.md files** (Keep a Changelog format) - **Git commit logs** (structured or conventional commits) - **Raw change lists** (bullet points or paragraphs) - **Release notes** (existing technical documentation) Identify and categorize: - New features - Bug fixes - Improvements/enhancements - Breaking changes - Deprecations - Security updates ### Step 2: Transform to User-Friendly Language Apply these transformation principles: **Technical → User-Friendly:** - "Fixed null pointer exception in payment processor" → "Resolved an issue that could cause checkout to fail" - "Implemented OAuth2 authentication flow" → "Added secure single sign-on with your favorite services" - "Optimized database query performance" → "Made the app faster and more responsive" - "Deprecated legacy API endpoints" → "Upgrading our system for better reliability (action required)" **Focus on benefits, not implementation:** - What problem does this solve for users? - What can users now do that they couldn't before? - How does this improve their experience? ### Step 3: Organize by Priority and Impact Structure content by user impact: 1. **Headline Features** - Major new capabilities 2. **Improvements** - Enhanced existing features 3. **Fixes** - Resolved issues (group similar fixes) 4. **Coming Changes** - Deprecations or upcoming breaking changes Prioritize what users care about most: - Visible changes over internal improvements - Fixes for common pain points - Features that enable new workflows ### Step 4: Format for Target Medium #### Email Newsletter Format Structure: ``` Subject: [Product Name] - [Month] Update: [Key Highlight] Hi [Name], [Opening paragraph - highlight 1-2 biggest changes] 🎉 What's New [2-3 major features with benefits] ✨ Improvements [3-5 enhancements, can be brief bullets] 🔧 Fixes [Group related fixes, don't list every bug] 📢 Coming Soon [Preview next release or important notices] [Call to action - try new features, read docs, etc.] ``` Use: - Emoji sparingly for visual breaks - Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences max) - Bold for feature names - Links to documentation or demo videos #### Blog Post Format Structure: ```markdown # [Month/Quarter] Update: [Compelling Title] [Engaging introduction - story or user pain point] ## [Major Feature Name] [Description with benefits, use case, example] [Screenshot or demo link] ## Other Improvements - **[Feature]**: [Brief benefit-focused description] - **[Feature]**: [Brief benefit-focused description] ## Bug Fixes and Performance We've resolved several issues including: - [High-impact fix with user benefit] - [Group of related fixes] ## What's Next [Roadmap preview or upcoming features] --- [Footer with links to changelog, docs, support] ``` Use: - Headers for major sections - Images or screenshots where helpful - Code examples only if absolutely necessary - Links to detailed documentation #### Release Notes Page Format Structure: ```markdown ## Version X.Y.Z - [Date] ### New Features - **[Feature Name]**: [User-friendly description with benefit] - **[Feature Name]**: [User-friendly description with benefit] ### Improvements - [Enhancement with benefit] - [Enhancement with benefit] ### Bug Fixes - Fixed: [Description of resolved issue] - Resolved: [Description of resolved issue] ### Breaking Changes ⚠️ **Action Required** - [Change description and migration instructions] ### Deprecation Notices - [What's being deprecated and timeline] ``` Use: - Consistent formatting - Version and date clearly marked - Breaking changes prominently highlighted - Links to migration guides ## Examples ### Example 1: Technical Changelog to Email Newsletter **Input (Technical Changelog):** ``` ## v2.4.0 - Added GraphQL API endpoint for user queries - Fixed race condition in WebSocket connection handler - Implemented rate limiting middleware - Updated React to v18.2.0 - Removed deprecated /api/v1/users endpoint ``` **Output (Email Newsletter):** ``` Subject: Product Update - Faster API & Important Changes Hi there, We've shipped some exciting improvements this month, including a more powerful way to query data and better performance across the board. 🎉 What's New New Data Query Options You can now fetch exactly the data you need with our enhanced API, making your integrations faster and more efficient. ✨ Improvements - More reliable real-time features with improved connection handling - Better performance and protection with smart rate limiting - Updated to the latest React for improved speed and stability 📢 Action Required Legacy API Sunset: The old /api/v1/users endpoint has been removed. Please update your integrations to use /api/v2/users. See our migration guide: [link] Questions? Reply to this email or check our docs: [link] ``` ### Example 2: Git Commits to Blog Post **Input (Git Commits):** ``` feat: add dark mode toggle to settings fix: resolve infinite loop in notification polling perf: lazy load dashboard widgets fix: correct timezone handling in date picker docs: update API authentication guide ``` **Output (Blog Post):** ```markdown # April Updates: Dark Mode & Performance Boost We've been listening to your feedback, and this month's update delivers two of your most-requested improvements. ## Dark Mode is Here You can now switch between light and dark themes in Settings. Easy on the eyes during late-night work sessions, and easier on your battery too. ## Faster Dashboard Loading Your dashboard now loads widgets as you need them, making the initial page load noticeably faster—especially if you have lots of customizations. ## Fixes & Improvements - Notifications now update smoothly without hiccups - Date and time pickers now correctly handle your timezone - Updated API docs with clearer authentication examples Try out dark mode today and let us know what you think! ``` ### Example 3: Technical Release Notes **Input (Internal Changes):** ``` - Migrated to PostgreSQL 15 - Implemented Redis cache layer - Added Datadog APM instrumentation - Fixed memory leak in background job processor - Updated all dependencies to latest stable versions ``` **Output (User-Facing Release Notes):** ```markdown ## Version 3.1.0 - January 15, 2025 ### Improvements - **Faster Performance**: We've upgraded our infrastructure to deliver faster page loads and quicker response times. - **Better Reliability**: Enhanced monitoring helps us catch and fix issues before they affect you. - **Improved Stability**: Resolved a background processing issue that could cause delays in scheduled tasks. ### Technical Updates - Database and caching infrastructure upgrades - Dependency updates for security and performance As always, we're working behind the scenes to make the product faster and more reliable. ``` ## Best Practices ### Writing User-Friendly Content 1. **Lead with benefits** - Answer "What's in it for me?" 2. **Use active voice** - "You can now..." not "Users are able to..." 3. **Be specific** - "3x faster" not "improved performance" 4. **Group related items** - Don't list 20 individual bug fixes 5. **Avoid jargon** - No database names, framework versions, or architecture details unless necessary ### Handling Different Change Types **Features:** - Emphasize new capabilities and use cases - Include examples or screenshots when possible - Link to tutorials or documentation **Bug Fixes:** - Focus on the user impact, not the technical cause - Group similar fixes together - Only highlight fixes for issues users likely experienced **Breaking Changes:** - Make them prominent (use warning emoji or styling) - Explain what users need to do - Provide migration guide links - Give timeline if applicable **Internal/Infrastructure:** - Translate to user benefits (speed, reliability, security) - Group under "Improvements" or "Performance" - Don't list every dependency update ### Tone and Style - **Conversational but professional** - friendly without being overly casual - **Enthusiastic about improvements** - celebrate wins - **Honest about issues** - acknowledge and explain fixes - **Respectful of user time** - be concise ## Common Issues and Solutions **Too many minor changes to list:** Group them by category and summarize. For example: "Fixed several issues with form validation" instead of listing 8 individual input field bugs. **Highly technical changes:** Focus on the outcome, not the implementation. "Improved security" rather than "Implemented bcrypt password hashing with salt rounds." **Breaking changes requiring action:** Always include: what's changing, why it matters, what users need to do, and when they need to do it by. **Nothing user-facing this release:** If it's all internal improvements, frame it as: "Behind-the-scenes improvements for better performance, security, and reliability." ## Additional Considerations ### Segmentation Consider creating different versions for different audiences: - **End users**: Focus on features and user-visible fixes - **Developers/API users**: Include API changes, SDK updates - **Admins**: Highlight security, compliance, configuration changes ### Linking Strategy Always link to: - Detailed documentation for complex features - Migration guides for breaking changes - Video demos or screenshots for visual features - Full changelog for technical details ### Timing - **Email newsletters**: Monthly or quarterly summaries - **Blog posts**: Major releases or significant feature launches - **Release notes**: Every release, even minor ones --- Source attribution: tomique34 Original project: https://github.com/tomique34/claude-skill-creator/blob/6d1dad0ba6237cd7607068c7530ed07285c4451e/changelog-newsletter/SKILL.md License: MIT License information: https://opensource.org/license/mit Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice MIT License Copyright (c) 2024 tomique34 Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software. THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE. # Dave AI resource metadata Creator / publisher: tomique34 Original project: https://github.com/tomique34/claude-skill-creator/blob/6d1dad0ba6237cd7607068c7530ed07285c4451e/changelog-newsletter/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Recovered original package and original project license at a pinned revision Fields of work: Content & Media, Marketing, Customer Support Roles: Content Marketer, Copywriter, Customer Experience, Email Marketer, Product Marketer Specialties: Specialty not specified Tools: Email (SMTP/IMAP), Gmail, Outlook Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: 09dfb4bdaa139d5d41f1a30f8183dd96110c73c2d07291cf9dd894c150bc5676 Metadata reviewed: 2026-10-27 This metadata supersedes earlier Dave AI catalog attribution. Original instruction and supporting files are preserved.