Release Notes Examples: 30+ From Companies That Get It Right
Some companies treat release notes like a chore. Others treat them like a product feature. The difference is obvious the moment you read them.
We reviewed release notes from 30+ SaaS companies to find the patterns that work, the formats that users actually engage with, and the approaches worth stealing. This isn't a list of "good" and "bad" examples. Every company on this list does something well. The question is which approach fits YOUR product and audience.
The visual storytellers
These companies turn release notes into a content experience. Heavy on screenshots, GIFs, and design.
1. Notion
URL: notion.com/releases
Notion's "What's New" page is a magazine-style layout. Each release gets a hero image, a headline, and a short narrative explaining why it matters. Major features get dedicated blog posts. Minor improvements get grouped into monthly roundups.
What works: The visual hierarchy. You know instantly whether a release is big or small. Major features feel like product launches. Minor fixes don't pretend to be more than they are.
Steal this: Use different formats for different release sizes. Not every update deserves the same treatment.
2. Figma
Figma splits their updates into two streams: high-level marketing updates for big launches (with events, videos, and landing pages) and a granular changelog for weekly improvements. The changelog uses short, specific entries with links to documentation.
What works: The two-tier approach. Big features get marketing treatment. Small improvements get documented without fanfare. Users can engage at whatever depth they want.
Steal this: Separate your "announcement" releases from your "we fixed stuff" releases. They serve different audiences.
3. Linear
URL: linear.app/changelog
Linear's changelog is a masterclass in clean design. Each entry has a date, a title, a concise description, and often a screenshot or GIF. The tone is direct and confident. No fluff, no "we're excited to announce."
What works: Consistency and density. Linear ships fast and their changelog reflects it. New entries appear weekly, sometimes more. Users trust that the changelog is current because it always is.
Steal this: Ship your release notes on the same cadence as your product. If you deploy weekly, publish weekly.
4. Loom
Loom uses short video walkthroughs for major features, embedded directly in their release notes. For a screen recording product, this is on-brand and effective. Users see the feature in action before they try it.
What works: Dogfooding. They use their own product to communicate about their product. The videos are 30-60 seconds, not 5-minute tutorials.
Steal this: If your product is visual, show don't tell. A 15-second GIF communicates more than a paragraph.
5. Canny
URL: canny.io/changelog
Canny links changelog entries back to the feature requests that inspired them. Users who voted for a feature get notified when it ships. The changelog becomes the closing loop in their feedback cycle.
What works: The feedback connection. Users feel heard when they see "You asked for this, we built it." It turns release notes into a retention mechanism.
Steal this: If you collect feature requests, reference them in your release notes. Close the loop publicly.
The minimalists
These companies keep release notes short and scannable. Less is more.
6. Stripe
URL: stripe.com/docs/changelog
Stripe's changelog is developer-focused and precise. Each entry is 1-3 sentences. Breaking changes are flagged clearly. API version numbers are prominent. No marketing language, no feature hype.
What works: Precision. Developers trust Stripe's changelog because it tells them exactly what changed, what version it affects, and whether they need to do anything.
Steal this: If your audience is technical, respect their time. Short entries with links to detailed docs beat long entries that try to explain everything inline.
7. GitHub
GitHub's changelog uses short titles with one-paragraph descriptions. Changes are tagged by product area (Actions, Codespaces, Copilot, etc.). Users can filter to see only the changes relevant to them.
What works: Filtering. GitHub ships dozens of changes per week across many products. Tags let users focus on what matters to them.
Steal this: If your product has distinct modules or areas, let users filter release notes by what they actually use.
8. Basecamp
Basecamp's release notes are famously opinionated. Short, confident sentences. No hedging. They explain WHY they made a change, not just what changed. "We removed the notification bell because it was a source of anxiety, not information."
What works: Voice. Basecamp's release notes sound like they were written by a specific human with opinions. Users feel like they're getting a letter from the team, not a corporate announcement.
Steal this: Let your company voice come through. Release notes written by a committee sound like they were written by a committee.
9. Vercel
URL: vercel.com/changelog
Vercel's changelog is dense and developer-oriented. Each entry is a paragraph with a screenshot. New entries appear almost daily. The pace communicates velocity: this team ships fast.
What works: Frequency. Daily or near-daily entries create a sense of momentum. Developers evaluate infrastructure providers partly on how actively they ship.
Steal this: If your competitive advantage is shipping speed, let your changelog prove it.
10. Plausible Analytics
Plausible uses a simple blog format for release notes. Each post covers a single feature or improvement with context about why it was built. They often reference community feedback and explain trade-offs.
What works: Transparency. Plausible is open-source and privacy-focused, and their release notes reflect that ethos. They explain what they chose NOT to build and why.
Steal this: Share your reasoning, not just your output. Users appreciate understanding the trade-offs behind decisions.
The narrative builders
These companies write release notes that tell a story. Each update has context, motivation, and a clear "before and after."
11. Slack
Slack's major feature announcements are mini blog posts. They open with a problem, explain their approach, and reveal the solution. Minor updates go into a separate, more traditional changelog. Their tone is warm and conversational.
What works: The problem-solution structure. Users understand why the feature exists, not just that it exists. This drives adoption because users immediately see where it fits in their workflow.
Steal this: For major features, start with the problem. "You told us search was slow. Here's what we did about it."
12. Intercom
Intercom groups their updates into themed collections: "AI updates," "Messenger improvements," "Reporting." Each collection tells a story about a product area's evolution over time.
What works: Thematic grouping. Instead of a chronological list, users see the narrative arc of a feature area. It communicates strategy, not just tactics.
Steal this: Occasionally step back and group recent changes by theme. "Over the past month, we've made 5 improvements to search." The narrative is more compelling than individual entries.
13. Superhuman
Superhuman sends release notes via email, written like a personal letter from the CEO. Short paragraphs, conversational tone, and always emphasizing speed and delight. Each email feels hand-crafted, even if it isn't.
What works: The channel. Email-native release notes meet users where they already are. The personal tone creates a connection between the product and its maker.
Steal this: Don't just publish release notes on your website. Distribute them through the channels your users actually check.
14. Raycast
Raycast's changelog is beautifully designed with inline product screenshots, keyboard shortcuts highlighted, and a tone that speaks directly to power users. They celebrate community extensions alongside core product updates.
What works: Audience awareness. Raycast knows their users are keyboard-driven productivity enthusiasts. The release notes speak that language.
Steal this: Write for your actual users, not a generic audience. If your users are power users, don't dumb it down.
15. Arc Browser
Arc's release notes are playful and opinionated. They use humor, emojis, and casual language. Bug fixes get funny one-liners. Major features get enthusiastic descriptions. The personality matches the product.
What works: Brand consistency. Arc positions itself as the fun, design-forward alternative to Chrome. Their release notes reinforce that positioning.
Steal this: Your release notes are a brand touchpoint. They should sound like the rest of your product.
The enterprise communicators
These companies balance technical detail with business context. Their audience includes admins, security teams, and procurement.
16. Salesforce
Salesforce publishes seasonal release notes (Spring, Summer, Winter) as massive PDF documents. Each release note includes admin impact, setup requirements, and availability by edition. It's the opposite of a startup changelog, and it works for their audience.
What works: Thoroughness. Enterprise admins need to know exactly what changed, which editions are affected, and whether they need to take action. Salesforce delivers that.
Steal this (selectively): If you sell to enterprises, include admin impact and edition/plan availability. Your buyers aren't the end users.
17. Atlassian (Jira)
Jira's release notes are pragmatic and change-focused. They communicate upcoming changes before they happen (deprecation notices weeks in advance) and provide migration paths. The tone is informational, not promotional.
What works: Advance notice. Enterprise users hate surprises. Telling them what's coming before it arrives builds trust and reduces support tickets.
Steal this: For breaking changes or significant UI updates, give advance notice. "Starting April 1, the old dashboard will redirect to the new one. Here's how to prepare."
18. Datadog
Datadog's release notes are organized by product (Logs, APM, Infrastructure, Security) with clear date stamps and version numbers. Breaking changes are highlighted with warning callouts. Each entry links to comprehensive documentation.
What works: Organization by product area. When you have dozens of products, users need to find what's relevant to them quickly.
Steal this: Use warning callouts for breaking changes. Make them visually distinct from regular updates. Nobody should miss a breaking change because it was buried in a list.
Patterns across the best examples
After reviewing all of these, the patterns are clear:
1. Consistency beats perfection
The best release notes aren't the most beautifully written. They're the most consistent. Linear, Vercel, and GitHub ship updates frequently and reliably. Users trust their changelogs because they're always current.
2. Match format to audience
Stripe's terse, technical entries would fail for Notion's users. Notion's magazine-style layouts would annoy Stripe's developers. The format should serve the audience, not the team's aesthetic preferences.
3. Two tiers work better than one
Companies like Figma, Slack, and Notion separate "big announcements" from "routine improvements." This serves both the users who want the highlights and the users who want every detail.
4. Distribution matters as much as content
Superhuman sends email. Canny notifies voters. Loom shows video. The best release notes aren't just published, they're delivered to users through the channel most likely to reach them.
5. Voice creates connection
Basecamp, Arc, and Raycast prove that opinionated release notes outperform generic ones. A changelog with personality is a changelog people actually read.
6. Close the feedback loop
Canny and others link release notes back to user requests. "You asked, we built it" turns a passive update into an active conversation.
Building your own approach
You don't need to copy any single company. The best approach combines elements that fit your product and audience:
- Pick your format: Visual storytelling, minimalist, or narrative? Match your product's personality.
- Set your cadence: Weekly for fast-moving SaaS. Biweekly for steadier teams. Monthly for enterprise. Stick to it.
- Choose your channels: Changelog page as the permanent record. Email for reach. In-app for active users.
- Write for humans: Benefits over features. Short sentences. Clear categories.
- Be consistent: The worst release notes are the ones that stop coming.
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