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docs-changelog▌

google-gemini/gemini-cli · updated Apr 8, 2026

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$npx skills add https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli --skill docs-changelog
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summary

Generates and formats changelog files for new releases with version-aware templates and highlight extraction.

  • ›Handles three release types: stable minor versions, stable patches, and preview releases, each with distinct file update procedures
  • ›Automatically processes raw markdown release notes by reformatting PR URLs to markdown links and removing contributor sections
  • ›Generates concise 3–5 point highlight summaries for release announcements, prioritizing new features over bug fixes
skill.md

Procedure: Updating Changelog for New Releases

Objective

To standardize the process of updating changelog files (latest.md, preview.md, index.md) based on automated release information.

Inputs

  • version: The release version string (e.g., v0.28.0, v0.29.0-preview.2).
  • TIME: The release timestamp (e.g., 2026-02-12T20:33:15Z).
  • BODY: The raw markdown release notes, containing a "What's Changed" section and a "Full Changelog" link.

Guidelines for latest.md and preview.md Highlights

  • Aim for 3-5 key highlight points.
  • Each highlight point must start with a bold-typed title that summarizes the change (e.g., **New Feature:** A brief description...).
  • Prioritize summarizing new features over other changes like bug fixes or chores.
  • Avoid mentioning features that are "experimental" or "in preview" in Stable Releases.
  • DO NOT include PR numbers, links, or author names in these highlights.
  • Refer to .gemini/skills/docs-changelog/references/highlights_examples.md for the correct style and tone.

Initial Processing

  1. Analyze Version: Determine the release path based on the version string.
    • If version contains "nightly", STOP. No changes are made.
    • If version ends in .0, follow the Path A: New Minor Version procedure.
    • If version does not end in .0, follow the Path B: Patch Version procedure.
  2. Process Time: Convert the TIME input into two formats for later use: yyyy-mm-dd and Month dd, yyyy.
  3. Process Body:
    • Save the incoming BODY content to a temporary file for processing.
    • In the "What's Changed" section of the temporary file, reformat all pull request URLs to be markdown links with the PR number as the text (e.g., [#12345](URL)).
    • If a "New Contributors" section exists, delete it.
    • Preserve the "Full Changelog" link. The processed content of this temporary file will be used in subsequent steps.

Path A: New Minor Version

Use this path if the version number ends in .0.

Important: Based on the version, you must choose to follow either section A.1 for stable releases or A.2 for preview releases. Do not follow the instructions for the other section.

A.1: Stable Release (e.g., v0.28.0)

For a stable release, you will generate two distinct summaries from the changelog: a concise announcement for the main changelog page, and a more detailed highlights section for the release-specific page.

  1. Create the Announcement for index.md:

    • Generate a concise announcement summarizing the most important changes. Each announcement entry must start with a bold-typed title that summarizes the change.
    • Important: The format for this announcement is unique. You must use the existing announcements in docs/changelogs/index.md and the example within .gemini/skills/docs-changelog/references/index_template.md as your guide. This format includes PR links and authors. Stick to 1 or 2 PR links and authors.
    • Add this new announcement to the top of docs/changelogs/index.md.

  2. Create Highlights and Update latest.md:

    • Generate a comprehensive "Highlights" section, following the guidelines in the "Guidelines for latest.md and preview.md Highlights" section above.
    • Take the content from .gemini/skills/docs-changelog/references/latest_template.md.
    • Populate the template with the version, release_date, generated highlights, and the processed content from the temporary file.
    • Completely replace the contents of docs/changelogs/latest.md with the populated template.

A.2: Preview Release (e.g., v0.29.0-preview.0)

  1. Update preview.md:
    • Generate a comprehensive "Highlights" section, following the highlight guidelines.
    • Take the content from .gemini/skills/docs-changelog/references/preview_template.md.
    • Populate the template with the version, release_date, generated highlights, and the processed content from the temporary file.
    • Completely replace the contents of docs/changelogs/preview.md with the populated template.

Path B: Patch Version

Use this path if the version number does not end in .0.

Important: Based on the version, you must choose to follow either section B.1 for stable patches or B.2 for preview patches. Do not follow the instructions for the other section.

B.1: Stable Patch (e.g., v0.28.1)

  • Target File: docs/changelogs/latest.md
  • Perform the following edits on the target file:

    1. Update the version in the main header. The line should read, # Latest stable release: {{version}}

    2. Update the rease date. The line should read, Released: {{release_date_month_dd_yyyy}}

    3. Determine if a "What's Changed" section exists in the temporary file If so, continue to step 4. Otherwise, skip to step 5.

    4. Prepend the processed "What's Changed" list from the temporary file to the existing "What's Changed" list in latest.md. Do not change or replace the existing list, only add to the beginning of it.

    5. In the "Full Changelog", edit only the end of the URL. Identify the last part of the URL that looks like ...{previous_version} and update it to be ...{version}.

      Example: assume the patch version is v0.29.1. Change Full Changelog: https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/compare/v0.28.2…v0.29.0 to Full Changelog: https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/compare/v0.28.2…v0.29.1

B.2: Preview Patch (e.g., v0.29.0-preview.3)

  • Target File: docs/changelogs/preview.md
  • Perform the following edits on the target file:

    1. Update the version in the main header. The line should read, # Preview release: {{version}}

    2. Update the rease date. The line should read, Released: {{release_date_month_dd_yyyy}}

    3. Determine if a "What's Changed" section exists in the temporary file If so, continue to step 4. Otherwise, skip to step 5.

    4. Prepend the processed "What's Changed" list from the temporary file to the existing "What's Changed" list in preview.md. Do not change or replace the existing list, only add to the beginning of it.

    5. In the "Full Changelog", edit only the end of the URL. Identify the last part of the URL that looks like ...{previous_version} and update it to be ...{version}.

      Example: assume the patch version is v0.29.0-preview.1. Change Full Changelog: https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/compare/v0.28.2…v0.29.0-preview.0 to Full Changelog: https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/compare/v0.28.2…v0.29.0-preview.1

Finalize

  • After making changes, run npm run format ONLY to ensure consistency.
  • Delete any temporary files created during the process.
how to use docs-changelog

How to use docs-changelog on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

1

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

  • ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
  • ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
  • ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add docs-changelog
2

Execute installation command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli --skill docs-changelog

The skills CLI fetches docs-changelog from GitHub repository google-gemini/gemini-cli and configures it for Cursor.

3

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│ • Amp
│ • Antigravity
│ • Cline
│ • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│ • Cursor
│ • Windsurf
4

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/docs-changelog

Reload or restart Cursor to activate docs-changelog. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /docs-changelog) or your agent's skill management interface.

⚠

Security & Verification Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.

Additional Resources

›View source code on GitHub›Skills CLI documentation›Learn more about Cursor›What are agent skills?

List & Monetize Your Skill

Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning

GET_STARTED →

Use Cases▌

Task Automation & Efficiency

Automate repetitive workflows and reduce manual effort

Example

Generate reports, summarize documents, draft communications

✓

Save 3-5 hours per week on routine tasks

Knowledge Enhancement

Learn new skills, understand complex topics, get expert guidance

Example

Explain concepts, provide examples, suggest learning resources

✓

Accelerate learning and skill development by 2x

Quality Improvement

Enhance output quality through reviews, suggestions, and refinements

Example

Review drafts, suggest improvements, catch errors

✓

Improve work quality by 30-40% with less effort

Implementation Guide▌

Prerequisites

  • ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client with skill support
  • ›Clear understanding of task or problem to solve
  • ›Willingness to iterate and refine outputs

Time Estimate

15-45 minutes depending on use case complexity

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install skill using provided installation command
  2. 2.Test with simple use case relevant to your work
  3. 3.Evaluate output quality and relevance
  4. 4.Iterate on prompts to improve results
  5. 5.Integrate into regular workflow if valuable

Common Pitfalls

  • ⚠Expecting perfect results without iteration
  • ⚠Not providing enough context in prompts
  • ⚠Using skill for tasks outside its intended scope
  • ⚠Accepting outputs without review and validation

Best Practices▌

✓ Do

  • +Start with clear, specific prompts
  • +Provide relevant context and constraints
  • +Review and refine all outputs before using
  • +Iterate to improve output quality
  • +Document successful prompt patterns

✗ Don't

  • −Don't use without understanding skill limitations
  • −Don't skip validation of outputs
  • −Don't share sensitive information in prompts
  • −Don't expect skill to replace human judgment

💡 Pro Tips

  • ★Be specific about desired format and style
  • ★Ask for multiple options to choose from
  • ★Request explanations to understand reasoning
  • ★Combine AI efficiency with human expertise

When to Use This▌

✓ Use When

Use when skill capabilities match your task, clear ROI on time saved, and you can validate outputs. Best for repetitive tasks, learning, and quality improvement.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid when task requires deep expertise you can't validate, involves sensitive decisions, or when learning process is more valuable than speed of completion.

Learning Path▌

  1. 1Familiarize yourself with skill capabilities and limitations
  2. 2Start with low-risk, non-critical tasks
  3. 3Progress to more complex and valuable use cases
  4. 4Build expertise through regular use and experimentation

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
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general reviews

Ratings

4.4★★★★★73 reviews
  • ★★★★★Ama Abebe· Dec 24, 2024

    Useful defaults in docs-changelog — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • ★★★★★Mia Khan· Dec 24, 2024

    Keeps context tight: docs-changelog is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • ★★★★★Zara Flores· Dec 24, 2024

    docs-changelog is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.

  • ★★★★★Emma Diallo· Dec 24, 2024

    docs-changelog reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.

  • ★★★★★Shikha Mishra· Dec 20, 2024

    Registry listing for docs-changelog matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • ★★★★★Emma Okafor· Dec 8, 2024

    We added docs-changelog from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • ★★★★★Sophia Shah· Nov 27, 2024

    Keeps context tight: docs-changelog is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • ★★★★★Chinedu Lopez· Nov 15, 2024

    I recommend docs-changelog for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • ★★★★★Mia Smith· Nov 15, 2024

    We added docs-changelog from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

  • ★★★★★Ishan Agarwal· Nov 15, 2024

    docs-changelog reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.

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