The Commit Message Problem

Many teams generate release notes directly from commit messages. It seems efficient—the information is already there. But look at a real commit history:

fix: typo
wip
Merge branch 'feature/auth'
address PR feedback
fix: null check
bump version
chore: update deps
fix tests
final fix (hopefully)
actually fix it this time

Would you send this to your users? Of course not.

Why Commit Messages Fail as Release Notes

1. Written for Different Audiences

Commit messages are for developers reviewing code. Release notes are for users wanting to know what's new. Different purposes require different content.

2. Too Technical

"Refactor authentication middleware" means nothing to users. They want to know if login is faster or more secure.

3. Missing Context

"Fix: handle edge case" doesn't explain what was broken or who was affected.

4. Noisy

Merge commits, WIP commits, typo fixes—these pollute the changelog with irrelevant information.

5. Inconsistent Quality

Some developers write great commits. Others write "fix" for everything. Quality varies wildly.

What Good Release Notes Need

• User focus - Written from the user's perspective
• Clear benefits - What can users do now?
• Appropriate detail - Enough context, not too technical
• Consistency - Same quality every release
• Categorization - Easy to scan and find relevant info

Better Approaches

Option 1: Conventional Commits + Manual Curation

Enforce commit standards, then manually curate for release notes. Better, but still time-consuming.

Option 2: PR-Based Release Notes

Write release notes in PR descriptions, aggregate for releases. Requires discipline and process.

Option 3: AI Analysis

Let AI analyze actual code changes (not just commits) and generate user-friendly descriptions. This is what ReleaseFlow does.

The AI Advantage

ReleaseFlow doesn't just read commit messages—it analyzes code diffs. So even if your commit says "fix," AI understands what was actually fixed and writes:

"Fixed a crash that occurred when loading dashboards with no data"

No commit discipline required. Just better release notes.

Try It Free

Sign up for ReleaseFlow and see how AI creates release notes your users actually want to read.