managing-changelog

A CHANGELOG.md documents all notable changes in your project using a standardized format. This Skill creates and updates CHANGELOG.md files following Common Changelog or Keep a Changelog standards, organizing changes by release version, date, and category (Added, Changed, Fixed, Removed, Deprecated, Security) so teams track modifications consistently.

Common Changelog and Keep a Changelog are two widely adopted markdown standards for versioning release notes. Common Changelog uses categories: Changed, Added, Removed, Fixed. Keep a Changelog expands these with Deprecated and Security sections. This Skill enforces both schemas and helps you choose the right one for your project's needs.

Yes. This Skill automates creating release entries with semantic versioning, populating standard sections, and updating the Unreleased area during development. You trigger updates by referencing changelog-related terms like 'release notes', 'version history', or 'add to changelog', and the Skill handles formatting and validation.

This Skill includes format validation against recognized standards, checking that your CHANGELOG.md adheres to Common Changelog or Keep a Changelog structure. Validation catches inconsistencies in section headers, version formatting, and semantic versioning so your release notes remain compliant and readable.

Semantic versioning is the standard versioning scheme this Skill implements and expects. It uses MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH format (e.g., 1.2.3) to organize release entries. If your project already uses semantic versioning, integration is straightforward; the Skill enforces consistency across all changelog entries.

Yes. This Skill creates a new CHANGELOG.md from scratch when none exists, setting up the standard structure and sections for your project. You can then add retrospective release entries or begin tracking changes going forward using the established format.