Release notes are one of the simplest ways to keep customers informed, build trust, and drive adoption—yet many SaaS teams still treat them as an afterthought. If your users open an app and something looks different, they immediately ask: “What changed?” Great release notes answer that question quickly, in plain language, with the right level of detail.
This guide explains how to write release notes that users actually read. You’ll get a repeatable structure, writing best practices, formatting tips for WordPress, and ready-to-use templates and examples. Whether you ship every release weekly or bundle updates into a monthly version, the goal is the same: communicate product changes clearly and make it easier for people to understand what’s new.
Key takeaways
- Release notes work best when they focus on user value, not internal implementation details.
- Use a consistent structure (New / Improved / Fixed / Changed) to make notes easy to scan.
- Publish in the channels your customers use, including in-app, email notifications, and a release notes page.
- Templates and a simple process help you ship good release notes every release, on time.
What are SaaS release notes?
SaaS release notes are short, user-facing notes that summarize changes in a software release. They highlight new features, improvements, fixes, and important information such as deprecations or behavior changes. In a SaaS environment, releases happen continuously, so release notes should be lightweight, consistent, and easy to scan.
Release notes vs. changelogs
A changelog is usually a complete, chronological list of technical changes (often written for development teams). Release notes, on the other hand, are curated for users. A good release note focuses on value: what the update does, why it’s better, and how to use it. Many products publish both—release notes for most customers and a detailed changelog for power users or admins.
Why release notes matter for product communication
Release notes can improve adoption, reduce support load, and strengthen retention. They’re also a great way to collect feedback because users can respond to specific updates instead of vague “the app changed” complaints.
1) Help users adopt new features
Users can’t use a feature they don’t know exists. Release notes can announce new features, explain the problem they solve, and show the first step to try. When you connect a feature to real workflows, you give users a reason to click.
2) Reduce confusion and support tickets
If a UI label changes, a setting moves, or an integration is updated, users may assume something broke. Clear notes prevent that. Even short notes about minor fixes and bug fixes can reduce issues, especially right after a release.
3) Build trust through transparency
Consistent release notes build credibility. They signal that the product is actively maintained, that quality is improving, and that your team is listening to user feedback and customer feedback.
4) Align internal teams
Release notes help product management, support, sales, and customer success stay aligned on what shipped. They also serve as lightweight documentation for future reference (for example, “When did we change that setting?”).
Before you write: choose the audience and the channel
The “right” release note depends on who will read it and where they will see it. Your release notes tool and distribution channels should match your users’ habits.
Common places to publish release notes
- In-app modal or widget: best for short updates and “what’s new” announcements.
- Release notes page: a searchable hub on your website or help center.
- Email notifications: useful for weekly or monthly summaries and enterprise stakeholders.
- Push notifications: only for high-impact updates; keep it extremely short.
If you support multiple customer segments, consider updates “across” the product: a general post for all users and a separate admin update that contains more technical details. This segmentation is especially important when a change affects permissions, security, billing, or integrations.
For product managers and other managers, release notes are also a lightweight way to track what shipped and measure user engagement. If you run a free trial, release notes can highlight product updates that improve the trial user experience and remove friction. Over a product release cycle, you can even add a small “More details” link for advanced readers, when possible, without increasing the number of words in the main note—making it easier for everyone to get what they need.
Tip: For a new release, keep product release notes short at the top and link to deeper documentation below.
How to structure SaaS release notes
A consistent structure makes release notes easier to skim. It also helps your team write faster and avoid last-minute scrambling.
Recommended heading structure
For most SaaS products, this simple structure works well:
- New: new features and big launches
- Improved: enhancements, performance, UX updates
- Fixed: bug fixes and resolved issues
- Changed/Deprecated: breaking changes, removals, migration steps
Lead with value
Start with the user benefit, then add details. For example: “We improved search so you can find records faster.” After that, add insights such as filters added, performance gains, or limits that changed.
Keep each entry scannable
Use short paragraphs, bullets, and bolding for key terms. Avoid walls of text. Users want a quick sense of what’s relevant and can decide whether to read more.
Writing release notes: best practices
Writing release notes is partly craft and partly process. The following practices help you write better notes consistently.
Use plain language (and avoid internal jargon)
Release notes are not engineering tickets. Don’t copy text from a commit message. Translate technical changes into user outcomes. If the release affects an API, include a short summary for developers, then link to the full docs.
Be specific about what changed
Vague phrases like “miscellaneous improvements” don’t help users. Instead, name the area of the product and the change: “Updated the dashboard filters” or “Improved CSV export speed.” This also helps users search later.
Say what users need to do (if anything)
Some releases require action: re-authentication, permission updates, or a migration step. Call this out clearly and early. If there’s a deadline, include the date, the last supported version, and the number of accounts affected (when you have that data).
Balance transparency and brevity
Users appreciate honesty about fixes and known issues, but you don’t need every low-level detail. If a bug impacted a subset of customers, say so. If there’s a workaround, include it. Otherwise, keep it short and move on.
Keep a consistent voice
A conversational tone is ideal for SaaS. Write like a helpful teammate. Consistency builds familiarity and makes every release feel reliable.
Release notes templates you can copy
Templates make release notes faster and more consistent. Here are two options you can paste into WordPress.
Template 1: Simple weekly update
New
• [Feature] — What it does and the value it delivers.
Improved
• [Area] — What’s better and how it affects workflows.
Fixed
• [Issue] — What was fixed (no blame, no drama).
Template 2: Feature launch note
New Feature: [Name]
- What it is: One sentence description.
- Why it matters: The user problem it solves.
- How to use it: 2–4 steps to get started.
- Learn more: Link to documentation.
Examples: what great release notes look like
Great release notes are short, clear, and focused on outcomes. They also match the product’s maturity and user expectations. Below are example patterns you can adapt for different releases.
Example: new feature
New: Saved Views for Reports
You can now save report filters as a view, so you don’t have to rebuild the same setup every time. Create a view from any report, name it, and share it with your team.
Example: improvement
Improved: Faster Search Results
Search is now up to 30% faster on large accounts. We also added a “recent searches” dropdown to help users get a sense of past queries and return to the right results.
Example: bug fix
Fixed: Export Timeout on Large Files
We fixed an issue that caused exports to time out for some customers. Exports now run reliably, even for larger datasets.
Notice how each example includes the product area, the user value, and a clear next step. Release notes can be as simple as that—and still provide a better experience than silence.
Formatting tips for WordPress release notes
WordPress formatting should prioritize readability. Most readers skim, so use structure and whitespace to make content easy to scan.
Use headings consistently
In WordPress, use <h2> for major sections and <h3> for subpoints. This improves the user experience and helps SEO tools interpret your page structure.
Use lists for multi-item updates
Bullets are ideal for a group of fixes, changes, or small updates. They’re also easier to read on mobile.
Add links to supporting documentation
If a change requires explanation, link to docs instead of writing a long paragraph in your notes. A single “Learn more” link keeps the release notes short while still providing depth.
Make important actions stand out
If users must take action, use bold text and a short callout sentence at the top of the relevant section (for example, “Action required: update your permissions by Friday”). This is a great way to prevent missed steps and avoid confusion.
Common mistakes to avoid
Release notes fail when they don’t match user needs, don’t explain value, or don’t stay consistent over time.
Writing for the wrong reader
Release notes software shouldn’t read like internal engineering logs. If you’re writing for users, remove internal ticket IDs, avoid heavy technical language, and explain changes in terms of workflow impact.
Being too vague
“Various improvements” and “multiple fixes” don’t help users. Name the area, explain the change, and share the value. Even small fixes can matter when they remove friction.
Skipping notes for smaller releases
Every release is a chance to reinforce trust. If you only publish notes for big launches, users won’t know whether updates are intentional, whether something is a fix, or whether a change was accidental.
Inconsistent publishing
If notes are posted sporadically, users stop checking. Set a cadence (weekly, biweekly, or monthly), then keep shipping notes on schedule.
Process: how to collect inputs and ship notes on time
A simple workflow helps you write consistently, keep release notes accurate, and reduce last-minute stress.
Step 1: Collect change summaries during development
Ask contributors to add a short user-facing summary as work is completed. This is better than reconstructing the release at the end of the sprint. It also surfaces issues early if a change is confusing or hard to explain.
Step 2: Draft and review
Have a single owner (often product management or a technical writer) compile the notes. Then run a quick review for accuracy, tone, terminology, and completeness—especially for changes that could impact integrations, security, or billing.
Step 3: Publish and learn from feedback
After publishing, look at engagement signals: clicks, replies, and support questions. This feedback loop helps you improve future notes and focus on the areas users care about most.
Scaling release notes as your SaaS grows
As your SaaS release cadence grows, a few things become essential: governance, consistency, and audience segmentation. Without standards, release notes can vary wildly depending on who writes them—and the overall experience feels less reliable.
Create a lightweight style guide that covers tone, common terms, and how you label sections. Define what “New,” “Improved,” “Fixed,” and “Changed” mean for your product. This keeps release notes consistent across teams and reduces rework.
Next, standardize your workflow. Many teams draft notes throughout development, finalize them during QA, and publish immediately after the product release. This makes writing release notes part of delivery, not an afterthought.
Finally, segment your notes when needed. A general post can keep most users informed, while an admin-focused post can include configuration details, migration steps, and links to deeper docs. This approach is a great release strategy: it’s transparent, it scales, and it supports different readers without overwhelming anyone.
If you want release notes that are clear, consistent, and aligned with your product voice, professional technical writing support can help. TimelyText works with SaaS teams to improve software documentation, including release notes, changelogs, help center content, onboarding materials, and more.
Learn more about our software documentation services and see how we can help you communicate updates better—without slowing down your release cadence.
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