Install to Claude Code
npx -y skills add https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip --skill release-changelogDescription
release changelog
SKILL.md
---
name: release-changelog
description: >
Generate the stable Paperclip release changelog at releases/vYYYY.MDD.P.md by
reading commits, changesets, and merged PR context since the last stable tag.
---
# Release Changelog Skill
Generate the user-facing changelog for the **stable** Paperclip release.
## Versioning Model
Paperclip uses **calendar versioning (calver)**:
- Stable releases: `YYYY.MDD.P` (e.g. `2026.318.0`)
- Canary releases: `YYYY.MDD.P-canary.N` (e.g. `2026.318.1-canary.0`)
- Git tags: `vYYYY.MDD.P` for stable, `canary/vYYYY.MDD.P-canary.N` for canary
There are no major/minor/patch bumps. The stable version is derived from the
intended release date (UTC) plus the next same-day stable patch slot.
Output:
- `releases/vYYYY.MDD.P.md`
- a `release` Case, upserted by `(caseType, key)` when Cases are enabled, with a
`body` document revision containing the changelog body
Important rules:
- even if there are canary releases such as `2026.318.1-canary.0`, the changelog file stays `releases/v2026.318.1.md`
- do not derive versions from semver bump types
- do not create canary changelog files
## Step 0 — Idempotency Check
Before generating anything, check whether the file already exists:
```bash
ls releases/vYYYY.MDD.P.md 2>/dev/null
```
If it exists:
1. read it first
2. present it to the reviewer
3. ask whether to keep it, regenerate it, or update specific sections
4. never overwrite it silently
## Step 1 — Determine the Stable Range
Find the last stable tag:
```bash
git tag --list 'v*' --sort=-version:refname | head -1
git log v{last}..HEAD --oneline --no-merges
```
The stable version comes from one of:
- an explicit maintainer request
- `./scripts/release.sh stable --date YYYY-MM-DD --print-version`
- the release plan already agreed in `doc/RELEASING.md`
Do not derive the changelog version from a canary tag or prerelease suffix.
Do not derive major/minor/patch bumps from API intent — calver uses the date and same-day stable slot.
## Step 2 — Gather the Raw Inputs
Collect release data from:
1. git commits since the last stable tag
2. `.changeset/*.md` files
3. merged PRs via `gh` when available
Useful commands:
```bash
git log v{last}..HEAD --oneline --no-merges
git log v{last}..HEAD --format="%H %s" --no-merges
ls .changeset/*.md | grep -v README.md
gh pr list --state merged --search "merged:>={last-tag-date}" --json number,title,body,labels
```
## Step 3 — Detect Breaking Changes
Look for:
- destructive migrations
- removed or changed API fields/endpoints
- renamed or removed config keys
- `BREAKING:` or `BREAKING CHANGE:` commit signals
Key commands:
```bash
git diff --name-only v{last}..HEAD -- packages/db/src/migrations/
git diff v{last}..HEAD -- packages/db/src/schema/
git diff v{last}..HEAD -- server/src/routes/ server/src/api/
git log v{last}..HEAD --format="%s" | rg -n 'BREAKING CHANGE|BREAKING:|^[a-z]+!:' || true
```
If breaking changes are detected, flag them prominently — they must appear in the
Breaking Changes section with an upgrade path.
## Step 4 — Categorize for Users
Use these stable changelog sections:
- `Breaking Changes`
- `Highlights`
- `Improvements`
- `Fixes`
- `Upgrade Guide` when needed
Exclude purely internal refactors, CI changes, and docs-only work unless they materially affect users.
Guidelines:
- group related commits into one user-facing entry
- write from the user perspective
- keep highlights short and concrete
- spell out upgrade actions for breaking changes
### Inline PR and contributor attribution
When a bullet item clearly maps to a merged pull request, add inline attribution at the
end of the entry in this format:
```
- **Feature name** — Description. ([#123](https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/pull/123), @contributor1, @contributor2)
```
Rules:
- Only add a PR link when you can confidently trace the bullet to a specific merged PR.
Use merge commit messages (`Merge pull request #N from user/branch`) to map PRs.
- List the contributor(s) who authored the PR. Use GitHub usernames, not real names or emails.
- If multiple PRs contributed to a single bullet, list them all: `([#10](url), [#12](url), @user1, @user2)`.
- If you cannot determine the PR number or contributor with confidence, omit the attribution
parenthetical — do not guess.
- Core maintainer commits that don't have an external PR can omit the parenthetical.
## Step 5 — Write the File
The opening line of the changelog must be an H1 of the format `# Paperclip {version}`
(no braces), e.g. `# Paperclip v2026.618.0`. Always include the `Paperclip ` prefix and
the `v` on the version.
Template:
```markdown
# Paperclip vYYYY.MDD.P
> Released: YYYY-MM-DD
## Breaking Changes
## Highlights
## Improvements
## Fixes
## Upgrade Guide
## Contributors
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this release!
@username1, @username2, @username3
```
Omit empty sections except `Highlights`, `Improvements`, and `Fixes`, which should usually exist.
The `Contributors` section should always be included. List every person who authored
commits in the release range, @-mentioning them by their **GitHub username** (not their
real name or email). To find GitHub usernames:
1. Extract usernames from merge commit messages: `git log v{last}..HEAD --oneline --merges` — the branch prefix (e.g. `from username/branch`) gives the GitHub username.
2. For noreply emails like `user@users.noreply.github.com`, the username is the part before `@`.
3. For contributors whose username is ambiguous, check `gh api users/{guess}` or the PR page.
**Never expose contributor email addresses.** Use `@username` only.
Exclude bot accounts (e.g. `lockfile-bot`, `dependabot`) from the list.
Exclude Paperclip founders from the list (e.g. `cryppadotta`, `forgottendev`, `devinfoley`, `sockmonster`, `scotttong`)
List contributors in alphabetical order by GitHub username (case-insensitive).
If there are no contributors left after exclusions, then just skip this section and don't mention it.
## Step 5b — Upsert The Release Case
After writing `releases/vYYYY.MDD.P.md`, emit or refresh the top-level release
case when the run has Paperclip API context. Use `skills/paperclip/references/cases.md`
as the API contract. If the API returns `403 Cases are disabled`, report that
Cases must be enabled and continue with the changelog file only.
Request:
```http
POST /api/companies/:companyId/cases
{
"caseType": "release",
"key": "paperclip-release:vYYYY.MDD.P",
"title": "Paperclip vYYYY.MDD.P release",
"summary": "Stable Paperclip release notes for vYYYY.MDD.P.",
"status": "in_progress",
"fields": {
"schema_version": 1,
"version": "vYYYY.MDD.P",
"release_date": "YYYY-MM-DD",
"release_patch": 0,
"stable": true,
"channels": ["changelog", "blog_post", "tweet_storm"],
"artifacts": {
"changelog_path": "releases/vYYYY.MDD.P.md",
"github_release_url": null
},
"verification": {
"typecheck": "unknown",
"tests": "unknown",
"build": "unknown",
"smoke": "unknown"
},
"notes": null
}
}
```
This fields schema deliberately exercises every generic field value type:
string, number, boolean, array, object, and null. Keep the keys stable across
runs and send the full object on every upsert because fields are replaced, not
deep-merged.
Then write the changelog into the case body document:
```http
PUT /api/cases/:releaseCaseId/documents/body
{
"title": "Paperclip vYYYY.MDD.P changelog",
"format": "markdown",
"body": "<contents of releases/vYYYY.MDD.P.md>",
"changeSummary": "Initial stable changelog"
}
```
If updating an existing body document, fetch the case first and pass the latest
`baseRevisionId`. On `409 stale_base_revision`, refetch, merge intentionally,
and retry once.
## Step 6 — Review Before Release
Before handing it off:
1. confirm the H1 heading is `# Paperclip {version}` (e.g. `# Paperclip v2026.618.0`) with the stable version only
2. confirm there is no `-canary` language in the title or filename
3. confirm any breaking changes have an upgrade path
4. confirm the `release` case exists or explain why Cases were unavailable
5. present the draft for human sign-off
This skill never publishes anything. It only prepares the stable changelog artifact.