Agent skill

Changelog Maintenance

by pluk-inc in pluk-inc/himekuri

Maintain a clear and informative changelog for software releases.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Changelog Maintenance

skills CLI
$ npx skills add pluk-inc/himekuri --skill changelog-maintenance -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install pluk-inc/himekuri changelog-maintenance --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/pluk-inc/himekuri.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/changelog-maintenance .claude/skills/changelog-maintenance && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
changelog-maintenance
GitHub stars
163
Token cost
~2.4k tokens
SKILL.md length
459 words
Files
2
Skills in repo
2
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Maintain a clear and informative changelog for software releases.

  • Works in 5 steps: Identify contributors (REQUIRED — do… → Keep a Changelog format → Semantic Versioning → …
  • Documenting version changes
  • SKILL.md covers When to use this skill, Instructions, Output format and Constraints, plus 4 more sections
  • Calls gh and git; reaches github.com and keepachangelog.com

What it does

Changelog Maintenance is an agent skill from pluk-inc/himekuri. Maintain a clear and informative changelog for software releases. Use when documenting version changes, tracking features, or communicating updates to users. Always identifies external contributors from git/GitHub and credits them with @username tags. Handles semantic versioning, changelog formats, and release notes.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 1 other file.

It sits in Development, covering Changelog and release notes. It works with GitHub, Git and macOS. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Documenting version changes
  • Tracking features
  • Communicating updates to users

Example prompts

  • “/changelog-maintenance”

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Identify contributors (REQUIRED — do this first)
  2. Keep a Changelog format
  3. Semantic Versioning
  4. Release Notes (user-friendly)
  5. Breaking Changes migration guide

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 5e0f368. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • gh
    • git

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • github.com
    • keepachangelog.com
    • semver.org

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Changelog Maintenance loads about 2.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 85 tokens; SKILL.md has 459 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~85
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from pluk-inc/himekuri at commit 5e0f368, republished under its MIT licence (© pluk-inc). 459 words, ~2,425 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/changelog-maintenance/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
changelog-maintenance
description
Maintain a clear and informative changelog for software releases. Use when documenting version changes, tracking features, or communicating updates to users. Always identifies external contributors from git/GitHub and credits them with @username tags. Handles semantic versioning, changelog formats, and release notes.
metadata.tags
changelog, release-notes, versioning, semantic-versioning, documentation, contributors
metadata.platforms
Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini

Changelog Maintenance

When to use this skill

  • Before release: organize changes before shipping a version
  • Continuous: update whenever significant changes occur
  • Migration guide: document breaking changes

Instructions

Step 0: Identify contributors (REQUIRED — do this first)

Always check who contributed before drafting an entry. Skipping this step is a defect.

  1. Determine the previous-release tag/commit. Either parse it from CHANGELOG.md (the heading just below the new version) or ask the user.

  2. List commit authors and merged PR authors in the range:

    bash
    # Authors of all commits in the release range
    git log --format='%h %an <%ae> %s' <prev>..HEAD
    
    # Merged PRs in the range (if a GitHub remote is configured)
    gh pr list --state merged --limit 50 \
      --json number,title,author,mergedAt \
      --search "merged:>=<prev-merge-date>"
  3. Identify the maintainer(s) — usually the current git config user.email / repo owner — and treat everyone else as an external contributor that MUST be credited by GitHub @username.

  4. For PRs that close an issue authored by someone other than the PR author (e.g. Closes #33), inspect the issue with gh issue view <n> --json author and credit the reporter as well.

  5. Resolve every contributor's GitHub login (the @handle). If a commit author's email doesn't map to a GitHub login, look up the merged PR via gh pr list --search "<commit-sha>" and use author.login from there. Never invent a handle.

If the result is "maintainer-only", omit the Contributors block. If there is at least one external contributor or external bug reporter, you MUST include the Contributors block from Step 1.

Step 1: Keep a Changelog format

CHANGELOG.md:

markdown
# Changelog

All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.

The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html).

## [Unreleased]

### Added

- New user profile customization options
- Dark mode support

### Changed

- Improved performance of search feature

### Fixed

- Bug in password reset email

## [1.2.0] - 2025-01-15

### Added

- Two-factor authentication (2FA)
- Export user data feature (GDPR compliance)
- API rate limiting
- Webhook support for order events

### Changed

- Updated UI design for dashboard
- Improved email templates
- Database query optimization (40% faster)

### Deprecated

- `GET /api/v1/users/list` (use `GET /api/v2/users` instead)

### Removed

- Legacy authentication method (Basic Auth)

### Fixed

- Memory leak in background job processor
- CORS issue with Safari browser
- Timezone bug in date picker

### Security

- Updated dependencies (fixes CVE-2024-12345)
- Implemented CSRF protection
- Added helmet.js security headers

### Contributors

Thanks to the external contributors who shipped in this release:

- [@octocat](https://github.com/octocat) — webhook support for order events ([#142](https://github.com/username/repo/pull/142))
- [@hubot](https://github.com/hubot) — reported the password-reset email bug ([#138](https://github.com/username/repo/issues/138))

## [1.1.2] - 2025-01-08

### Fixed

- Critical bug in payment processing
- Session timeout issue

## [1.1.0] - 2024-12-20

### Added

- User profile pictures
- Email notifications
- Search functionality

### Changed

- Redesigned login page
- Improved mobile responsiveness

## [1.0.0] - 2024-12-01

Initial release

### Added

- User registration and authentication
- Basic profile management
- Product catalog
- Shopping cart
- Order management

[Unreleased]: https://github.com/username/repo/compare/v1.2.0...HEAD
[1.2.0]: https://github.com/username/repo/compare/v1.1.2...v1.2.0
[1.1.2]: https://github.com/username/repo/compare/v1.1.0...v1.1.2
[1.1.0]: https://github.com/username/repo/compare/v1.0.0...v1.1.0
[1.0.0]: https://github.com/username/repo/releases/tag/v1.0.0
Step 2: Semantic Versioning

Version number: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

Given a version number MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH, increment:

MAJOR (1.0.0 → 2.0.0): Breaking changes
  - API changes break existing code
  - Example: adding required parameters, changing response structure

MINOR (1.1.0 → 1.2.0): Backward-compatible features
  - Add new features
  - Existing functionality continues to work
  - Example: new API endpoints, optional parameters

PATCH (1.1.1 → 1.1.2): Backward-compatible bug fixes
  - Bug fixes
  - Security patches
  - Example: fixing memory leaks, fixing typos

Examples:

  • 1.0.0 → 1.0.1: bug fix
  • 1.0.1 → 1.1.0: new feature
  • 1.1.0 → 2.0.0: Breaking change
Step 3: Release Notes (user-friendly)
markdown
# Release Notes v1.2.0

**Released**: January 15, 2025

## 🎉 What's New

### Two-Factor Authentication

You can now enable 2FA for enhanced security. Go to Settings > Security to set it up.

![2FA Setup](https://example.com/images/2fa.png)

### Export Your Data

We've added the ability to export all your data in JSON format. Perfect for backing up or migrating your account.

## ✨ Improvements

- **Faster Search**: Search is now 40% faster thanks to database optimizations
- **Better Emails**: Redesigned email templates for a cleaner look
- **Dashboard Refresh**: Updated UI with modern design

## 🐛 Bug Fixes

- Fixed a bug where password reset emails weren't being sent
- Resolved timezone issues in the date picker
- Fixed memory leak in background jobs

## ⚠️ Breaking Changes

If you're using our API:

- **Removed**: Basic Authentication is no longer supported

  - **Migration**: Use JWT tokens instead (see [Auth Guide](docs/auth.md))

- **Deprecated**: `GET /api/v1/users/list`
  - **Migration**: Use `GET /api/v2/users` with pagination

## 🔒 Security

- Updated all dependencies to latest versions
- Added CSRF protection to all forms
- Implemented security headers with helmet.js

## 📝 Full Changelog

See [CHANGELOG.md](CHANGELOG.md) for complete details.

---

**Upgrade Instructions**: [docs/upgrade-to-v1.2.md](docs/upgrade-to-v1.2.md)
Step 4: Breaking Changes migration guide
markdown
# Migration Guide: v1.x to v2.0

## Breaking Changes

### 1. Authentication Method Changed

**Before** (v1.x):
\`\`\`javascript
fetch('/api/users', {
headers: {
'Authorization': 'Basic ' + btoa(username + ':' + password)
}
});
\`\`\`

**After** (v2.0):
\`\`\`javascript
// 1. Get JWT token
const { accessToken } = await fetch('/api/auth/login', {
method: 'POST',
body: JSON.stringify({ email, password })
}).then(r => r.json());

// 2. Use token
fetch('/api/users', {
headers: {
'Authorization': 'Bearer ' + accessToken
}
});
\`\`\`

### 2. User List API Response Format

**Before** (v1.x):
\`\`\`json
{
"users": [...]
}
\`\`\`

**After** (v2.0):
\`\`\`json
{
"data": [...],
"pagination": {
"page": 1,
"limit": 20,
"total": 100
}
}
\`\`\`

**Migration**:
\`\`\`javascript
// v1.x
const users = response.users;

// v2.0
const users = response.data;
\`\`\`

## Deprecation Timeline

- v2.0 (Jan 2025): Basic Auth marked as deprecated
- v2.1 (Feb 2025): Warning logs for Basic Auth usage
- v2.2 (Mar 2025): Basic Auth removed

Output format

CHANGELOG.md             # Developer-facing detailed log
RELEASES.md              # User-facing release notes
docs/migration/
  ├── v1-to-v2.md        # Migration guide
  └── v2-to-v3.md

Constraints

Show full SKILL.md (216 more words)Show less
Required rules (MUST)
  1. Reverse chronological: latest version at the top
  2. Include dates: ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD)
  3. Categorize entries: Added, Changed, Fixed, etc.
  4. Identify and credit external contributors: every release entry MUST be preceded by the Step 0 contributor check (git log + gh pr list + issue-reporter lookup for closed issues). When any non-maintainer contributed code or reported a fixed bug, a ### Contributors block with [@handle](https://github.com/handle) GitHub-tag links and the relevant PR/issue numbers MUST be added. Resolve handles from real GitHub data — never invent them.
Prohibited items (MUST NOT)
  1. No copying Git logs: write from the user's perspective
  2. Vague wording: "Bug fixes", "Performance improvements" (be specific)
  3. No silent contributor omission: do not ship a release entry without running the Step 0 check, even if the user didn't ask for credits explicitly. If the check returns maintainer-only, that is fine — but it must have been run.

Best practices

  1. Keep a Changelog: follow the standard format
  2. Semantic Versioning: consistent version management
  3. Breaking Changes: provide a migration guide

References

Metadata

Version
  • Current version: 1.0.0
  • Last updated: 2025-01-01
  • Compatible platforms: Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini
Tags

#changelog #release-notes #versioning #semantic-versioning #documentation

Examples

Example 1: Basic usage
<!-- Add example content here -->
Example 2: Advanced usage
<!-- Add advanced example content here -->

© pluk-inc, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file in .agents/skills/changelog-maintenance of pluk-inc/himekuri.

  • SKILL.md
  • SKILL.toon

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 5e0f368

Compare with similar skills

Changelog Maintenance next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Changelog Maintenance compared with similar skills
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Changelog Maintenance this skillpluk-inc/himekuri163—~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Mole CLI Release Flowtw93/Mole70k—~2.6kAutomated safety check: PassGPL-3.0
Draft Release Notesjamiepine/voicebox57k—~941Automated safety check: PassMIT
Mole Release Notes Publishertw93/Mole70k—~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassGPL-3.0
Release Bumpjamiepine/voicebox57k—~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Verdaccio Pull Request Workflowverdaccio/verdaccio18k—~1.9kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Changelog Maintenance

What does Changelog Maintenance do?

Maintain a clear and informative changelog for software releases. Changelog Maintenance is an agent skill from pluk-inc/himekuri. Maintain a clear and informative changelog for software releases.

When should I use Changelog Maintenance?

Changelog Maintenance fits situations like: documenting version changes; tracking features; communicating updates to users.

How do I install Changelog Maintenance in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add pluk-inc/himekuri --skill changelog-maintenance -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/changelog-maintenance in pluk-inc/himekuri) into .claude/skills/changelog-maintenance in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Changelog Maintenance in Codex?

Run `npx skills add pluk-inc/himekuri --skill changelog-maintenance -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/changelog-maintenance in pluk-inc/himekuri) into .agents/skills/changelog-maintenance in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Changelog Maintenance in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add pluk-inc/himekuri --skill changelog-maintenance -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/changelog-maintenance, .gemini/skills/changelog-maintenance, .github/skills/changelog-maintenance and .opencode/skills/changelog-maintenance in your project.

What does Changelog Maintenance need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Changelog Maintenance needs the command-line tools its instructions call (gh and git).

Does Changelog Maintenance access the network?

SKILL.md names 3 domains. In commands or code: github.com, keepachangelog.com and semver.org; the agent is likely to contact these when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Changelog Maintenance safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Changelog Maintenance use?

Changelog Maintenance is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Changelog Maintenance use?

About 2.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 9.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Changelog Maintenance?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Changelog Maintenance: Mole CLI Release Flow (tw93/Mole, 70k stars), Draft Release Notes (jamiepine/voicebox, 57k stars), Mole Release Notes Publisher (tw93/Mole, 70k stars) and Release Bump (jamiepine/voicebox, 57k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Changelog Maintenance?

pluk-inc (a GitHub organization) maintains it in pluk-inc/himekuri, which has 163 GitHub stars. The repository holds 2 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 8, 2026.

Source: pluk-inc/himekuri on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.