Feedback · Template
How to write a changelog people read
A changelog tells customers what changed in your product. Done well, it shows the product is alive, answers “did you fix that yet?”, and closes the loop with people who asked for things. It doesn't need to be long.
Two kinds of changelog
A CHANGELOG.md file in a code repository is for developers: versions, breaking changes, every fix. A product changelog is for customers: what they can do now that they couldn't before. This guide is about the second kind.
What to include
- Changes people will notice. New features, removed annoyances, fixed bugs that people reported.
- Why it matters, in one line. “Export to CSV” is a feature; “Send your list to any email tool” is a reason.
- Where to find it. A link or the menu path.
- A date. Always.
Leave out internal refactors, version numbers nobody sees, and “various improvements.”
A template you can copy
[Date]: [Short headline of the main change] [One or two sentences: what you can do now, and why it helps.] Find it in [Settings → Export]. Also new: - [Smaller change, one line] - Fixed: [bug people reported], thanks to everyone who wrote in.
Example: “October 18: Mark ideas as Planned, In progress or Done. Visitors to your ideas board now see what happened to each idea, without asking. Find it in Ideas & voting, next to each published idea.”
How often?
Whenever something worth telling ships, and at least once a month if you can. Regular short posts beat a long post twice a year. If a month passes with nothing visible, a short note on what you're working on keeps the page from looking abandoned.
Close the loop
When you ship something people asked for, tell them. Mark the idea as done on your ideas board, link to it from the changelog, and if you have their email, send a short note. People who see their request shipped tend to keep giving feedback, and to stay.
Where to put it
A page on your site, a “What's new” article in your help center, or a dedicated changelog tool. Pick the place you'll actually keep up to date. Link to it from your app's menu or help page so people find it.
Quick rule: Write each entry for the customer who asked for that change.
MvpKit doesn't have a separate changelog page yet. Many owners keep a “What's new” article in their MvpKit help center and update it with each release. Ideas marked as Done on the ideas board show people what shipped.
Want a place for “What's new” next to your help articles? See MvpKit.