Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Write Release Notes agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Write Release Notes skill is an agent skill from the tailcallhq/forgecode project that asks your AI agent to draft a user-facing release note for a version tag. It is aimed at maintainers of GitHub projects who publish releases and want a first draft built from the pull requests linked in each release. After this guide you will know what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it with a plain request, and what to check before you publish the output.
Write Release Notestailcallhq/forgecode · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the write-release-notes skill ZIP from this page and unzip it.
- 2Place the skill folder. Move the write-release-notes folder into ~/.claude/skills/ or into your project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Check GitHub CLI access. Make sure gh is installed and signed in with access to the repository that has the release.
- 4Ask for the release notes. Request release notes for a version, for example write release notes for v1.32.0.
- 5Review the draft. Read the generated note against the linked PRs and correct any overstated or wrong changes.
- 6Publish. Copy the reviewed Markdown into your GitHub release or changelog.
What the skill makes the agent do
When you ask for release notes for a version, the agent uses the GitHub CLI (gh) to fetch that release's metadata and the pull requests linked in its description. It then groups the changes into Features, Bug Fixes, Performance, Refactors and Maintenance, using conventional commit prefixes (such as feat, fix, perf) or PR labels.
The result is a short Markdown release note in a fixed structure: a title with a tagline, a one-sentence summary, a What's New narrative, Highlights, Bug Fixes, Under the Hood, and a Contributors section. The skill also checks that the note is under 2000 characters and trims it if it is longer.
Install the skill
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. For a personal setup, place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in the project's .claude/skills/ folder instead.
You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/write-release-notes/
- Project install: .claude/skills/write-release-notes/ inside your repository
Trigger the skill with a natural request
The skill is meant to be triggered by asking the agent to write, generate or create release notes for a version. The skill's own description gives these examples of requests that should activate it.
Run the skill from inside the repository that has the release, so the GitHub CLI can detect the current repo when no owner/repo is given.
- write release notes for v1.32.0
- generate release notes for the latest release
- create changelog for v2.0
What the skill needs
The skill needs bash, the GitHub CLI (gh) authenticated with access to the repository, jq, sed and standard Unix tools such as grep, tr and mktemp. It runs scripts and uses the network to call GitHub.
The scripts are fetch-release-data.sh, which gathers the release and PR data, and validate-release-notes.sh, which checks the length of the draft. The main instructions are in SKILL.md.
- bash
- GitHub CLI (gh), signed in with access to the repository
- jq, sed, grep, tr, mktemp
Safety notes: scripts and network access
This skill runs local scripts and makes network requests to GitHub through gh. Read the scripts in the skill folder before you run it on a private repository, and make sure your gh login only has the access you intend the agent to use.
The skill fetches data and prints the draft in chat. According to its instructions, it does not write files unless you explicitly ask it to.
Tips for better results
Give a clear version tag, such as v1.32.0, so the script fetches the right release. Releases that link their PRs in the description give the best results, because the skill reads those links.
If the release has no linked PRs, the skill's notes describe a fallback that lists commits between two tags using the GitHub API. Review the output carefully in that case, since there is less context to work from.
- Use the exact tag name from your repository.
- Link PRs in the release description so they can be retrieved.
- Check every claim against the actual PRs before publishing.
What people use it for
- Drafting a first version of release notes for a new tag in a GitHub project.
- Turning PRs linked in a release description into readable prose for users.
- Producing a short upbeat summary of a release for a community post, after review.
- Generating a changelog draft for a version such as v2.0 when the PRs are already linked.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the write-release-notes agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need to run the write-release-notes skill?
You need bash, the GitHub CLI (gh) signed in with access to the repository, and jq, sed and standard Unix tools such as grep, tr and mktemp. The skill runs scripts and uses the network.
Is the write-release-notes skill free?
The skill is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, as listed on this page. Check the licence file in the source repository for the full terms.
What if my repository has no linked PRs in its releases?
The skill's main script finds little or nothing to work with in that case. The skill describes a fallback that lists commit messages between two tags using the GitHub API.
Should I publish the generated release notes without checking them?
No. The output is an AI synthesis that can overstate or misstate changes, so review it against the actual PRs before publishing. It is a first draft, not a reviewed changelog for compliance.
Can the skill write the notes to a file?
By default no. According to its instructions, the agent prints the final release notes in chat and only writes to a file if you explicitly ask.
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Our verdict
This skill suits maintainers of GitHub projects who link PRs in their releases and want a fast first draft of user-facing notes. It is a poor fit for repositories without GitHub releases or linked PR numbers, and for anyone who needs exact, reviewed changelogs for compliance; for those, write the notes by hand or use a dedicated changelog tool.
Download the skill