Stop Staring at Blank Changelogs: Meet Your AI Release Notes Generator
Never translate “Refactor auth flow” again; let an AI handle it for you.
TL;DR – Release The Notes! is a macOS AI release notes generator that turns your Git commits into copy‑ready changelogs for users and stakeholders in seconds. Ship features, not explanations.
The Ancient Art of Git Archaeology
Picture this: it’s 4 p.m. on release day. You’ve squashed the final bug, merged the pull request, and-like Parzival hitting the boost in his DeLorean during the race, you’re ready to hit 88 mph toward production. Then your boss pings: “Hey, can you deploy tonight? We just need release notes first.”
Suddenly you’re spelunking through commit messages that made perfect sense yesterday:
refact login
Better perf
attempt #3
Welcome to Git archaeology, where you CSI your own codebase just to figure out what actually changed. And the real kicker? Even when you do decode those commits, you still have to rewrite them so marketing, support, and beta testers eyes won’t glaze over.
That’s two jobs: coding and decoding. Only one of them ships software.
Why “Just Write Better Commits” Isn’t the Answer
In a perfect universe every commit is a Stack Overflow answer with 10k upvotes. Here on Earth we run on deadlines, brain fog, and the occasional “Friday afternoon quick fix.” Expecting pristine commit poetry every time is like expecting kids to keep LEGO sets sorted by colour. Good luck with that.
Enter Release The Notes!: Your Personal AI Release Notes Generator
Release The Notes! plugs into any local Git repository and, with a single click, handles the boring parts for you:
- Filters the noise – Test snapshots, asset churn, and
package-lock.json
diff‑spam disappear. - Summarises the story – Generates plain‑English (or product‑ready) bullet points that even execs can skim pre‑coffee.
- Doubles the output – One set for users, one for stakeholders. Because a Twitter thread and a board presentation aren’t the same thing.
- Variations on demand – Concise, humorous, technical, or marketing‑friendly. Pick your flavour.
Mac app. SwiftUI. A bit of personality never hurts.
What Makes It “AI”: Why That Matters
Traditional changelog tools rely on regex trickery or “Conventional Commits.” Helpful until real life barrels in with a commit like hotfix (╯°□°)╯︵ ʞooqǝɔɐɟ
. Large language models actually read the diff, spot the intent, and translate it into human language:
- Users see: “Fixed a bug causing login failures when switching Wi‑Fi networks.”
- Stakeholders see: A structured summary that spells out category, title, why it matters, who touched it, user impact, and a brief technical note. In practice that might look like:
Token refresh rewritten; query indices optimised - reduces login latency by 60 percent, thanks to Alice and Bob.
Does It Really Save Time? Let’s Do the Maths
Let’s be realistic: some commits take 10 seconds to understand (Fix typo
), others take 2-3 minutes (Refactor auth flow
). For a typical 30-commit release, you’re probably looking at:
- 20 quick commits (15 seconds each) = 5 minutes
- 8 medium commits (45 seconds each) = 6 minutes
- 2 complex commits (2 minutes each) = 4 minutes
Total: ~15 minutes. Then you rewrite it all for stakeholders. Grand total: ~25 minutes.
Release The Notes! handles the same range in about 30 seconds. That’s still a 100× speedup, and you didn’t have to context-switch from shipping code to playing technical translator.
Quick FAQ
Does my code leave my machine? Only the diffs you choose, sent over encrypted channels. Nothing is stored.
Will it work with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or an air‑gapped repo? If Git can clone it and your Mac can see it, you’re set.
Can I customise the note style? User and stakeholder drafts are automatic. Need concise, humorous, or marketing copy? Hit “Generate Variation”-no extra wait.
Trade Your Archaeology Brushes for Ship Bells
Stop digging through commit history like you’re carbon-dating fossils. Let an AI release notes generator handle the translation work while you focus on what actually matters: shipping software that users love.