Release Notes & Announcements
Release Notes (or Release Announcements) are brief, direct documents that accompany a new product release, patch, or update. They serve as the official record of what has changed, fixed, or been added.
The challenge? They must appeal to both the excited early adopter and the frustrated user looking for a specific bug fix, all while being short enough to be read in under a minute.
Audience and Purpose
The audience for Release Notes is the active user base. They want to know three things, in order:
- Is this important to me? (Determine if they need to update now.)
- What problem does it solve? (Validate a frustration they had.)
- How do I use the new thing? (The next step.)
| Goal | Description |
|---|---|
| Manage Expectations | Inform users that known issues are addressed, or that a requested feature is now live. |
| Reduce Support Load | Announce known issues or workarounds, preventing a flood of tickets after an update. |
| Provide a Legal Record | Serve as a formal record of changes for regulatory compliance (common in finance/health sectors). |
| Generate Excitement | Highlight major new features to drive user engagement and adoption. |
The Essential Structure of Release Notes
Unlike formal reports or comprehensive manuals, Release Notes are highly standardized and prioritized by impact. The structure is essentially a concise list categorized by type of change.
1. Header and Summary
- Title: Clear, high-level version designation (e.g., "Version 4.5.1 Released," or "May 2025 Security Patch").
- Release Date: The date the changes went live.
- A Brief Overview: A one-paragraph summary of the most significant changes. If there's one major feature, lead with it. If it's all bug fixes, state that clearly.
2. Categorized Changes (The Core)
The content should be grouped using clear, bold headings. This allows users to quickly scan for what interests them.
A. New Features and Enhancements
- Focus on the user benefit, not the technical implementation.
- Use a one-sentence description, followed by a link to the detailed documentation (e.g., the User Manual).
- Format Example:
- New: Dark Mode Theme. You can now switch to Dark Mode in the User Settings menu for improved viewing comfort. [Link to documentation]
- Enhanced: Faster Report Generation. Large data reports now complete 40% faster due to backend optimization.
B. Fixed Bugs (The "Bug Smash")
- List the fixed issues clearly. If possible, use the exact wording or ticket ID the user might have reported or seen in a forum.
- Avoid overly technical descriptions unless the audience is highly technical (e.g., developer APIs).
- Format Example:
- Fixed an issue where filtering by date range would occasionally exclude the last day of the selection.
- Resolved API Error 500 that occurred when attempting batch uploads with more than 100 items.
C. Known Issues and Deprecations
- This is crucial for setting expectations. Tell the user what you know is broken or what is going away.
- For known issues, provide a temporary workaround if one exists.
- For deprecations, clearly state why the item is being removed and what the new replacement is.
Best Practices for Writing Clear Release Notes
1. Be Concise and Direct
If you can say it in 5 words, don't use 25. Release Notes are a news flash, not a novel. Avoid marketing fluff in the detail sections.
Bad: "We have developed a groundbreaking, highly innovative new solution that completely changes the paradigm of saving."
Good: "Improved Save Function: Saving large documents is now instantaneous."
2. Prioritize the User’s Perspective
- When describing a fix, don't just state the action, state the outcome for the user.
- Good: "Fixed: Clicking the 'Export' button no longer freezes the application."
- Use present or past tense consistently, depending on your company's style guide (e.g., "We fixed," "We have introduced," or "Fixes: ...," "Adds: ...").
3. Maintain Consistency (The Series Effect)
Release notes are rarely standalone documents; they are a series. Maintain a consistent structure, tone, and set of headings across every release. Users should know exactly where to look for the "Bug Fixes" section every time.