How to publish a changelog for your app

The short answer: for every release, write what changed in the user's words, put it somewhere public with the version and date, and tell the people who reported the bugs you fixed. This guide does all three from one form.

What makes a changelog worth reading?

One entry per version, newest first, with the date.
Written for users: "Export keeps going past page three", not "fix off-by-one in paginator".
Grouped into what is new and what is fixed. Keep a Changelog describes a common convention.
Easy to find: a page with its own address, linked from the app and its website.

Step 1: Create an app in SnagFrog

Step 2: Publish a release

Open the app's Releases tab and choose New release. Fill in the version, an optional title and the notes:

## Fixed
- Saving an empty note no longer crashes
- Export keeps going past page three

## New
- **Dark mode** follows the system setting

A line starting with - is a list item and ## a heading; **bold**, `code` and links are shown as such. The form previews the result as you type.

Step 3: Link the reports it fixes

The form lists the app's closed and in-progress reports that no release includes yet. Tick the ones this version fixes. Publishing closes them, and if you leave Tell the reporters ticked, each reporter gets a message saying which version has the fix. People who reported a duplicate are told too.

Step 4: Show it on your own site

<div id="changelog"><a href="https://snagfrog.com/r/your-app/changelog">What's new</a></div>
<script src="https://snagfrog.com/changelog.js" data-app="your-app" data-target="#changelog" async></script>

The script replaces the element's content with the releases. If they cannot be loaded, what was there stays, so the link above is a fallback. The changelog reference covers the markup, the JSON address and the Atom feed.

Step 5: Or let Claude publish it

With Claude Code connected, "publish 1.4.2 with the fixes since the last release" writes the notes from the reports that were fixed and publishes them. Reporters are emailed only if you ask for that.

Questions

What should a changelog entry contain?

The version, the date, and what changed for the person using the app, in their words: what is new, what is fixed, and anything they have to do. Leave out refactors and internal ticket numbers.

How do I tell users their bug is fixed?

Link the reports a release fixes when you publish it. SnagFrog then posts a message in each report's thread telling its reporter, and everyone who reported a duplicate, which version has the fix. The message is in the language they reported in.

Can I show the changelog on my own website?

Yes. One script tag renders the releases into an element on your page as plain markup that takes your site's styles. There is also a JSON address and an Atom feed.

Are the linked bug reports public?

No. Only the version, title, date and notes are public. The reports behind a release are never shown.

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