Summarize the changelog with AI

How to get there: Go to Settings → AI & automation. The AI summarization option appears when creating a changelog entry.

Learn how to use ProductLift's AI to automatically generate professional changelog summaries from multiple posts, saving time while maintaining quality communication with your users.

What is AI Changelog Summarization?

AI Changelog Summarization uses artificial intelligence to transform your changelog posts into user-friendly summaries. Instead of manually writing release notes, the AI analyzes your features, bug fixes, and improvements to generate polished, professional changelog descriptions.

The AI can:

  • Summarize multiple features into a single release announcement
  • Convert technical details into user-friendly language
  • Generate marketing-ready changelog copy
  • Create consistent, professional output across all releases
  • Save hours of manual writing time

When to Use AI Summarization

Use AI summarization for:

  • Multi-feature releases: Combining multiple features into cohesive release notes
  • Time constraints: Quick professional summaries when you're busy
  • Consistency: Maintaining uniform style across changelog
  • Writer's block: Getting started when you don't know what to write

Consider manual writing for:

  • Major launches: Marketing campaigns requiring specific messaging
  • Sensitive topics: Pricing changes, deprecations, breaking changes
  • Brand voice specifics: Highly distinctive company voice
  • Simple updates: Single-line updates don't need AI

Best approach: Use AI to generate draft, then edit for brand voice and specific details.

Accessing the Summarizer

The changelog summarizer is available in the Changelog board:

  1. Navigate to your Changelog board
  2. Click the "Summarize changelog" button in the toolbar
  3. The summarization modal opens

[Screenshot: Changelog board with "Summarize changelog" button highlighted in toolbar]

Creating AI-Generated Summaries

Step 1: Select Time Period

Choose the date range for posts to include in the summary:

Quick Presets:

  • Last Week: Posts from the past 7 days
  • Last Month: Posts from the past 30 days (default)
  • Last 3 Months: Posts from the past quarter
  • This Year: All posts from the current year

Custom Dates:
You can also set specific start and end dates using the date pickers.

After selecting a date range, the tool shows how many posts were found in that period.

[Screenshot: Date selection step showing preset buttons and custom date inputs with "23 posts found" message]

Step 2: Configure Summary Options

Summary Type:

Choose how you want your summary structured:

Type Description
Overview Summary Narrative summary of all changes
Detailed Titles and descriptions of each item
Categorized Changes Organized by feature/bug fix/improvement
Simple List Basic bullet point list

Detail Level:

  • Brief: Concise, high-level summary
  • Medium: Balanced detail (recommended)
  • Detailed: Comprehensive descriptions

Target Audience:

  • General: Broad, accessible language
  • Customers: User-focused benefits
  • Business: Stakeholder-friendly messaging
  • Technical: Developer-focused details

Output Format:

  • Markdown: Standard markdown formatting
  • HTML: Ready-to-use HTML
  • Plain Text: Simple text without formatting

Include Links: Optionally add links to the original changelog posts.

[Screenshot: Summary options step showing summary type cards, dropdown selectors for detail/audience/format]

Custom Instructions (Optional)

For more control over the output, expand the "Custom instructions" section and provide specific guidance:

Examples:

"Focus on benefits to enterprise customers"
"Emphasize performance improvements"
"Keep it under 200 words"
"Write in first-person plural (we/our)"
"Include a call-to-action to upgrade"

Step 3: Generate Summary

  1. Review your settings
  2. Click "Generate Summary" button
  3. AI processes the request (typically 5-15 seconds)
  4. Summary appears in the output area

AI Credits:

  • Each generation uses 1 AI credit
  • Check your credit balance in the interface
  • Purchase additional credits if needed

[Screenshot: Generate button with loading spinner and "1 AI Credit" indicator]

Working with Generated Summaries

Edit Tab

The generated summary appears in an editable text area. Make any adjustments:

  • Fix specific wording
  • Add additional context
  • Remove irrelevant items
  • Adjust formatting

Preview Tab

For HTML and Markdown formats, switch to the Preview tab to see how the summary will appear when rendered.

Actions

Regenerate: Not satisfied? Click "Regenerate" to create a new version with the same settings. Adjust settings first if needed by clicking "Adjust settings".

Copy: Copy the summary to your clipboard for pasting elsewhere.

Copy & Close: Copy the summary and close the modal.

[Screenshot: Generated summary view showing edit/preview tabs, summary text, and action buttons]

Best Practices

Provide Context in Your Changelog Posts

The AI works best when your changelog posts have clear, descriptive titles and meaningful descriptions. Better input produces better summaries.

Good changelog post titles:

  • ✅ "Dark mode support for web and mobile"
  • ✅ "Fixed search crash on iOS 16 devices"
  • ✅ "50% faster page load with optimized queries"

Poor changelog post titles:

  • ❌ "Fixed bug"
  • ❌ "Update"
  • ❌ "Improvements"

Review Before Publishing

Always review AI-generated summaries:

  • Check for accuracy
  • Verify no important features were missed
  • Ensure tone matches your brand
  • Add any missing context or links

Use Appropriate Detail Level

  • Brief: For quick updates or social media
  • Medium: For email newsletters and blog posts
  • Detailed: For comprehensive release notes

Troubleshooting

Issue: Summary Too Generic

Solution:

  • Add custom instructions with specifics
  • Ensure your changelog posts have detailed descriptions
  • Try the "Detailed" detail level
  • Edit output to add specific examples

Issue: Wrong Tone

Solution:

  • Change the "Target Audience" setting
  • Add tone-specific custom instructions
  • Regenerate with adjusted settings

Issue: Out of AI Credits

Solution:

  • Wait for monthly refresh (credits reset each billing cycle)
  • Purchase additional credits in Settings → Billing
  • Write manually for this period

Issue: Summary Too Long/Short

Solution:

  • Adjust the "Detail Level" setting
  • Add custom instruction: "Keep under 200 words"
  • Edit output to condense or expand

Changelog Management:

AI Features:

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