Use this template to explain what changed, who benefits, and whether customers need to take action. Replace the placeholders and remove sections that do not apply to your release.

Copy the template

Word Markdown

[Product] release notes

Version: [Version] | Released: [Date]

[One sentence explaining the most useful change and who it helps.]

New features

• [Feature]: [What customers can now do]. [Where to find it].

Improvements

• [Existing workflow]: [What is easier or faster now].

Bug fixes

• Fixed [customer-visible problem] when [trigger].

Known issues

• [Remaining limitation]. [Workaround, if available].

Action required

• [Who needs to act, what to do, and by when].

[Link to the relevant documentation or support channel].

Choose a template for your audience

The general template above works for a customer-facing software update. These versions change the structure for a specific workflow:

• Jira release notes template: turn selected Jira work into an update, with an example showing what to rewrite and what to leave out.
• Internal release notes template: prepare support and operations with rollout details, known issues, and escalation guidance.
• Release notes email template: announce the most relevant change and link to the full release notes.

Word and Markdown downloads contain the same editable placeholders as the template on each page. They are free to download without signing up. Software and product release notes can use the same structure; the audience and the changes determine which sections you keep.

A completed release notes example

This fictional example is for a reporting app called Northstar. It shows how a short update can give customers enough detail to try a feature and recognize a fix.

Northstar 2.8 — September 8, 2026

Save a report view once and return to the same filters next week.

New features

You can now save the filters on a report as a named view. Open a report, choose your filters, and select Save view. Saved views are available to all workspace members.

Improvements

CSV exports now include the report’s date range in the filename, making weekly reports easier to tell apart.

Bug fixes

Fixed an issue where a CSV export could omit the final day of a selected date range.

Known issues

Saved views do not yet include column widths. Adjust columns after opening a saved view.

Action required

No setup is required. Refresh your browser to see the update.

There is no need to include every section in every post. An update containing one fix can be a title and a sentence. A release that changes an API may need migration instructions and a deadline before any feature summary.

What to include in release notes

Identify the release. Give readers a date and, when useful, a version number. If availability differs across customers, state who has access rather than treating the release date as universal availability.

Explain the change from the reader’s perspective. “Save report filters as a named view” is more useful than “Added persistence for filter configuration.” Include the next step when a feature would otherwise be hard to find.

Make fixes recognizable. Describe the problem and the circumstances in which it occurred. Customers who encountered it should be able to tell whether this release addresses their issue.

Put required action where readers will see it. If customers must change a setting or complete a migration, state who must act, the deadline, and where to find instructions. Move this above the feature list when the consequences matter more than the new functionality.

Keep known issues specific. Include limitations relevant to this release and an available workaround. Avoid promises about a fix date unless the team has confirmed them.

Turn Jira work into a customer update

Start with work that is actually available to the intended audience. A completed ticket may still be waiting for a rollout or feature flag, so check availability before describing it as released.

Group related issues into one customer-facing change. Rewrite internal summaries, remove private links and implementation details, and confirm the steps with someone who has used the feature. The Jira template includes a worked issue-to-update example.

In Released, go to Settings → Templates, create a template, and add headings and AI blocks. Use Issue sections for features that need explanation and Issue lists for short fixes. Generate a draft from the selected work, review it, then add screenshots and publish. Downloads on this page are writing templates; they do not configure Released automatically.

See the template setup documentation for block settings and the current image limitation: images can be added to the generated post, rather than the template itself.

Check the update before publishing

Read the update as a customer who has not seen the Jira tickets. Can they tell what changed, whether they have access, and whether they need to do anything?

Verify feature names, links, dates, and instructions against the shipped product. Remove empty headings, unresolved placeholders, and internal information. Ask a colleague to check any claims about performance or availability.

For more editorial guidance, see how to write release notes. For a compact record of individual changes, see release notes vs. changelogs.

Publish release notes your customers will read

Select shipped Jira work, turn it into a clear draft, and publish the approved update where customers will find it.

Try Released in Jira →