Which Is It?
A release note is the technical documentation that is created and distributed when a new software product or an update is released. Recent enhancements, bug fixes, and feature enhancements are all examples of release notes. It gives a brief description of a new product or the particular changes in an update to a product.
Release notes are frequently drafted by product managers. The primary target audience is the product’s user, but release notes can also be used.
A release note cannot substitute for a user guide or other comprehensive product documentation, despite the fact that it contains useful information about a new or updated product.
Why are they utilized in product management?
Many businesses overlook and undervalue release notes during product launches or updates.
But because they give you a chance to talk to customers and the wider market, release notes can be an important part of the overall product experience. When done well, they have the potential to increase customer loyalty and engagement.
What should be included in release notes?
Despite the absence of a standard format, release notes should be written in accordance with your company’s guidelines. Release notes for brand-new products may be slightly more descriptive than those for bug fixes and feature enhancements. Like with any other product-related documentation, consistency is crucial.
Typically, they consist of one or more of the following:
Header: Product or document name Release number Version of the release note Date of release Best practices for release notes: Keep it short: Don’t go into too much detail if you only made a minor update or modification. Just say what you did. Only major updates and new products should have release notes that go into more detail.
Keep in mind that release notes are intended for users. Additionally, because the majority of users won’t have a computer science degree, use language that they can understand.
Include links of use: Even if you include a more in-depth summary of your updates or new product, users who are interested in learning more should still be provided with links. These may result in a user guide, walkthrough, or even video tutorials.
If you use headers, bold characters, and other visual tricks, your release notes will be easier for the user to read.
Don’t be afraid to show your company’s personality and brand:
Release notes are a great way to show your community and users the personality of your brand.
Include little surprises for those who read all of your release notes, which should be funny and conversational. Utilizing release notes to highlight your business’s personality is a great way to increase customer loyalty and set your company apart from the competition.
Although release notes contain a great deal of information about a new or updated product, they should not be used in place of more in-depth product documentation or a user guide.
Despite the fact that release notes can have a significant impact on a product’s success, businesses frequently undervalue them.
The first step in writing good release notes is to use the right structure. This template will assist you in including all of the necessary information, despite the fact that there is no standard release note format.
Product and changes should be briefly described.
Overview: The overview ought to talk about the product’s history and the need for changes. If you are making changes in response to feedback from customers or because of flaws or bugs in the product, make sure to mention the feedback or the request from customers. This demonstrates that customer feedback is taken into account in your updates.
Products, software, and users that will be impacted: This section ought to contain a list of the users who will be impacted as well as the services or products that are being altered.
Alterations to earlier release notes: This section outlines the preceding changes to previous release notes.
Resolved issues: Make a list of all the problems fixed by your most recent release in this section.
Restrictions, Obstacles, and Problems: You should discuss all of the restrictions and difficulties you encountered while implementing these changes in this section.
Implementation: You will discuss how you are implementing these new changes in this section. Include information about code and database modifications as well as other similar details.
Excellent release notes include:
Help Scout always directs users to features that are already available when a new feature is announced.
Retool’s categorization system divides release notes into major, minor, enhancement, and new subcategories. To find the information they require, users can quickly and easily skim through all of Retool’s release notes.
UiPath makes it easier for users to navigate by including a Table of Contents.
Release notes must be written in simple English because not all readers are tech savvy. Header:The first section of the release note should have a header.
Overview: You can provide the client with all necessary information in this section. Whether it’s a new product or an update, this will be the most important part.
Purpose: Each update’s release notes ought to contain this section. This section explains the update’s motivation.
Synopsis of the problem: The problem or any changes made are explained in this section. This will provide details regarding each bug.
Reproduction methods: In this section, include each necessary action to resolve the issue.
Effects on the final user: This section will provide an explanation of the modifications and actions required by the end user as a result of bugs or enhancements.
How to write a release note that works:
Be uncomplicated.
Make it clear, straightforward, and simple to comprehend. Avoid using too many technical terms. If you need to add any technical terms, make sure there is a section where you can just explain them.
The release note ought to be concise and specific.
It will be complicated and difficult to comprehend if you make it too long. Be specific, and only include the information that absolutely must be included.
When writing the release note, instead of focusing too much on the company’s side, think about how the customer will benefit. Write about the significance of the product, new features, and more.
If additional information is required at any time, it is irrelevant whether it is included in the note. A few links to other websites that explain those terms should be included.
How exactly is a release note written?
Three ideas are provided below. Our top recommendations are for what to include and how to write the content so that users can understand it.
- A blog post or article should be written in the same style as a release note. Nonetheless, in a much shorter format. We mean that the release note will have a title and content for the body, just like an article. The title of the release note ought to be as brief as possible. You can give it the name of the feature or improvement.
For instance, the following are some of the most recent titles in our own release notes:
- At Frill, our ideal customers are software developers and product managers with extensive experience in software development.
If your target audience is not technical, be sure to explain the significance and meaning of any technical language in your release note.
- We suggest adding tags to your notes because they make it easier to scroll through your announcements feed. Users can scroll down to find additional new features if they are looking for them.
These are the tags that we frequently employ in our announcements feed:
