The Release Notes Dilemma

When a new version lands on GitHub, the first instinct for many teams is to copy the raw changelog straight into a customer‑facing email. A few developers later, the same update is rewritten for engineers, a third version is tailored for executives, and a fourth is sketched for marketing. The result is a fragmented communication pipeline that can overwhelm both the writers and the audience.

A recent Hacker News discussion highlighted three extreme approaches:

  1. Paste raw GitHub changelogs into customer emails – fast, but often cryptic.
  2. Manually rewrite the same update for each audience – thorough, but labor‑intensive.
  3. Skip release notes entirely – saves time, but erodes transparency and trust.

The core question remains: Do we really need more than one set of release notes? And if so, how can teams manage the overhead?

Why Audience‑Specific Release Notes Matter

Different stakeholders consume information at different levels of detail and with distinct priorities:

Audience Typical Concerns Desired Detail Level
End‑users Feature highlights, bug fixes, impact on workflow Concise, benefit‑driven
Engineers API changes, deprecation warnings, migration steps Technical depth, code examples
Executives ROI, feature adoption, roadmap alignment High‑level, metrics

A one‑size‑fits‑all changelog can dilute value for each group, leading to miscommunication or, worse, missed opportunities for adoption.

The Pitfalls of Common Practices

1. Raw GitHub Changelogs

GitHub’s autogenerated changelog is a goldmine of commit messages, but it assumes the reader is comfortable parsing diff output. For non‑technical stakeholders, a list of "fixed bug #1234" or "refactored module X" offers little insight.

2. Manual Rewrites

Rewriting release notes for every audience is a classic copy‑editing problem. The risk is twofold: time pressure and inconsistent messaging. Even a seasoned technical writer can slip a typo or misinterpret a feature’s impact.

3. Skipping Release Notes

Some teams opt to omit release notes entirely, believing the effort outweighs the benefit. However, this can erode customer trust, especially when a critical bug is fixed or a breaking change is introduced.

Practical Strategies for Managing Multiple Release Notes

1. Automate the Base Changelog

Use tools like Release Drafter or semantic-release to generate a base changelog from commit messages. These tools can be configured to include only the most relevant sections for each audience.

# .github/workflows/release-drafter.yml
name: Release Drafter
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
jobs:
  update:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: release-drafter/release-drafter@v5
        with:
          config-name: release-drafter.yml

2. Use Template Layers

Create a master template that contains all technical details. Then, apply audience‑specific layers that strip or augment content.

# Release Notes v1.2.0

## Technical Summary
- Added `User::login` API endpoint
- Deprecated `Session::create`

> **Engineering Note:** Migration requires updating your `auth.js` module.

## End‑User Highlights
- New dark‑mode theme now available.
- Bug #567 fixed: profile pictures no longer crash on load.

Tools like Pandoc or Jinja2 can render these templates for each audience.

3. Centralize Communication Channels

Instead of emailing raw changelogs, publish them to a single source of truth—such as a Confluence page or a Notion database. Use channel‑specific notifications:

  • Slack: Post a short digest to #product-updates.
  • Email: Send a curated version to customers.
  • Docs: Update the API reference with migration guides.

4. Leverage Content Management Systems (CMS)

A lightweight CMS can host release notes and expose APIs for automated ingestion. This allows you to programmatically generate PDFs, newsletters, or embed release cards on your product’s landing page.

5. Iterate Based on Feedback

Track engagement metrics—open rates, click‑throughs, support tickets—to refine the content for each audience. A/B test different formats to see which resonates best.

The Bottom Line

Multiple audience‑specific release notes are not a luxury; they are a necessity in a modern product ecosystem where users, engineers, and executives all demand clear, actionable information. By automating the grunt work, templating intelligently, and centralizing distribution, teams can keep the overhead manageable while delivering value to every stakeholder.

The next time you’re tempted to copy‑paste a raw GitHub changelog into an email, remember that the effort to tailor the message is an investment in transparency, trust, and ultimately, product success.