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Release Note Generation

Official
microsoft·vlatest·devops·MIT

Automatically generates concise, structured release notes from commit messages and issue tracking data.

Repository

Install on your platform

Showing Claude Code. One command installs this skill into any of the agents below.

  1. 1

    Run this in your project

    terminal
    $ npx skills add microsoft/powertoys --skill release-note-generation -a claude-code

  2. Uses the open-source skills CLI and needs Node.js. Add -g to install it for your user instead of this project.

What we know about this skill

Publisher

microsoft

Matched to the vendor's own GitHub organisation.

Install target

Live repository

Not pinned. Installing fetches whatever the repository holds at the time you run the command.

No human has reviewed this code. The checks below are a static scan of the files at one commit — nobody has run this skill or judged whether it works. A skill runs with whatever access you give your agent, so read the source before you install it.

Automated safety checks

scanned

This skill failed 1 of 6 checks. A failure is not proof of bad intent; it means something in the code needs a human to look at it before you run it.

  • No undeclared network calls: failed

    Contacts 2 hosts that are neither well-known infrastructure nor declared in the skill's frontmatter: dev.azure.com, microsoft.visualstudio.com.

    Every host the skill dials — from its scripts, its config endpoints or the commands it tells the agent to run — is either well-known package and API infrastructure or declared in its own frontmatter. Links in documentation are not counted.

    Hosts contacted

    github.comsource hostmicrosoft.visualstudio.comundeclareddev.azure.comundeclared

    What it found (3 of 7)

    • .github/skills/release-note-generation/scripts/get-release-build-metadata.ps1:14contacts microsoft.visualstudio.com
      .\get-release-build-metadata.ps1 -Build 'https://microsoft.visualstudio.com/Dart/_build/results?buildId=154000000'
    • .github/skills/release-note-generation/scripts/get-release-build-metadata.ps1:408contacts microsoft.visualstudio.com
      buildUrl = "https://microsoft.visualstudio.com/$Project/_build/results?buildId=$buildId"
    • .github/skills/release-note-generation/tests/preview-release.Tests.ps1:221contacts microsoft.visualstudio.com
      -Build "https://microsoft.visualstudio.com/Dart/_build/results?buildId=154000000" `

  • Declares what it does: passed

    SKILL.md parses and declares a name and a description.

    SKILL.md exists, its frontmatter parses, and it declares a name and a description.

  • No obfuscated payloads: passed

    No encoded or obfuscated payloads.

    No base64, hex or compressed blob is decoded and then executed, and no encoded shell commands.

  • No credential access: passed

    Reads no keys, tokens, keychains or credential files.

    Neither the code nor the SKILL.md instructions read SSH keys, cloud credentials, keychains, token stores, browser cookie databases or dotfiles that hold secrets.

  • No pipe-to-shell installers: passed

    No pipe-to-shell or download-and-run installers.

    No `curl … | sh` pattern, in the code or in the instructions, that runs code fetched at run time.

  • Pinned to a commit: passed

    Scanned microsoft/powertoys at 5c4f655d33.

    The exact upstream commit SHA that was scanned is recorded, so the result refers to specific bytes.

Commit
5c4f655d33
Manifest
.github/skills/release-note-generation/SKILL.md
Scanned
32 files, 4,949 lines
This is a static scan, not a review. It reads the skill's files; it does not run them, and it cannot tell you whether the skill is any good or whether the code does what its description says. A skill runs with whatever access you give your agent.
What each check looks for →

About this skill

What it does

This skill automatically generates release notes from code changes or pull requests, streamlining the documentation process for software updates. It helps teams maintain consistent communication about new features, bug fixes, and improvements without manual drafting.

When to use it

  • Automating changelog entries after merging a feature branch into main.
  • Creating standardized summaries for weekly sprint reviews or release cycles.
  • Generating initial draft notes for stakeholder presentations based on commit history.
  • Ensuring consistent formatting across multiple repositories in a large organization.

Key capabilities

  • Analyzes code diffs and pull request descriptions to extract meaningful updates.
  • Formats output into structured release note templates (e.g., "Added," "Fixed," "Changed").
  • Integrates with Microsoft PowerToys ecosystem for enhanced developer workflow.
  • Supports multiple languages and coding styles for broader applicability.

Example prompts

  • "Generate a release note summary from the latest pull request in my repository."
  • "Create a formatted changelog entry based on these code commits: [paste commit hashes]."
  • "Draft a user-facing update message highlighting new features added in this sprint."

Tips & gotchas

Ensure your repository has clear commit messages and pull request descriptions for accurate parsing. The skill works best when used alongside version control systems that support detailed metadata tracking.