Release planning and release notes
For product managers, product owners, project managers, developers and marketing or support staff who plan software releases and write the notes customers read. You should know what a backlog and a software version are. You'll plan a release around one clear objective with an explicit in and out list and a date, choose the version number using Semantic Versioning, sort changes into the types people look for, write each note so a user knows what changed and what to do, and check readiness before go-live. It draws on the GOV.UK Service Manual, Semantic Versioning 2.0.0, Keep a Changelog 1.1.0 and Google's developer documentation style guide. For staged rollouts, canaries and rollbacks, see 'Deployments and rollbacks without drama'. Your organisation's release policy decides who approves releases and announcements.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 88 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Plan a release with one clear objective, an in-scope and out-of-scope list and a date, small enough to ship and support
- Choose the next version number for a release using Semantic Versioning rules
- Sort release notes entries into change types (Added, Changed, Deprecated, Removed, Fixed, Security) instead of copying commit logs
- Write each release note so it states the user impact and any action needed, in present tense and active voice, with an unambiguous date
- Check release readiness before go-live: tested artifact, known versions, rollback route and reviewed notes
Course outline
- 1.Planning a release with one objective, a scope list and a dateLesson · 18 min
- 2.Choosing the next version number with Semantic VersioningLesson · 16 min
- 3.Sorting release notes entries into change types instead of copying commit logsLesson · 16 min
- 4.Writing each release note with the user impact and any action neededLesson · 16 min
- 5.Checking release readiness before go-liveLesson · 12 min
- 6.Release planning and release notes: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 7.Release planning and release notes: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- GOV.UK Service Manual: Deploying software regularly
- GOV.UK Service Manual: Developing a roadmap
- Semantic Versioning 2.0.0
- Keep a Changelog 1.1.0
- Google developer documentation style guide: Tense
- Google developer documentation style guide: Active voice
- Google developer documentation style guide: Dates and times
- Google developer documentation style guide: Future features
See it with your own jobs and topics
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