10 Release Note Examples from Top SaaS Companies
Learn from the best: analyze how Linear, Stripe, Notion, Figma and other top SaaS companies write release notes that users actually read.
10 Release Note Examples from Top SaaS Companies
The best way to improve your release notes? Study what works. We analyzed release notes from top SaaS companies to identify patterns you can steal for your own product communication.
What Makes a Great Release Note?
Before we dive into examples, here's what they all have in common:
- Clear value proposition - Users immediately understand what changed and why it matters
- Consistent structure - Every update follows a recognizable pattern
- User-focused language - Benefits over implementation details
- Visual elements - Screenshots, GIFs, or illustrations that show the change
- Scannable format - Easy to skim and find what matters to you
Now let's look at specific examples.
1. Linear: Visual Storytelling
What they do:
🎨 New: Roadmap views
Plan and visualize your product roadmap directly in Linear.
Create timeline views, organize by quarter, and share
progress with stakeholders.
[Beautiful screenshot showing the roadmap feature]
Why it works:
- Single emoji for quick categorization
- Benefit-first language ("Plan and visualize")
- Specific use cases mentioned
- Always includes high-quality visuals
- Minimal but sufficient detail
Pattern to steal: Lead with the outcome, not the feature name. "Plan your roadmap" beats "Roadmap feature added."
2. Stripe: Developer-Focused Precision
What they do:
2024-12-10 API Update
New: Payment Links now support subscription trials
You can now offer free trials on Payment Links.
Set trial periods from 1 to 90 days.
Breaking: Deprecated checkout.session.subscription_data
Use checkout.session.subscription instead.
Migration guide →
Learn more in the Payment Links documentation →
Why it works:
- Date-stamped for API versioning
- Clear "New" vs "Breaking" categorization
- Specific parameters and limits documented
- Direct links to migration guides
- Technical enough for developers, clear enough for PMs
Pattern to steal: Always link to detailed docs. Release notes are the announcement, docs are the reference.
3. Notion: Personality + Clarity
What they do:
✨ What's New
Custom icons for your databases
Your databases can now have personality! Add custom
icons (emoji or uploaded images) to make your workspace
feel more like home.
🔧 Improvements
- Faster page loading (up to 2x on large databases)
- Improved search relevancy
- Better mobile scrolling performance
🐛 Fixes
- Fixed syncing issues with offline edits
- Resolved calendar view timezone bugs
Why it works:
- Warm, friendly tone without being unprofessional
- Quantified improvements ("up to 2x")
- Grouped by category with clear emoji markers
- Mix of major features and small fixes
- Shows they listen to user feedback
Pattern to steal: Don't be afraid to show personality. "Feel more like home" > "Customize your workspace."
4. Figma: Show, Don't Tell
What they do:
- Every release note includes an embedded video or GIF
- Usually 15-30 seconds showing the feature in action
- Minimal text, maximum visual demonstration
- Before/after comparisons when relevant
Why it works:
- Designers are visual learners
- GIFs demonstrate interaction patterns
- Reduces need for lengthy explanations
- More engaging than walls of text
Pattern to steal: If your feature involves UI changes, show it. A 10-second screen recording beats three paragraphs.
5. GitHub: Comprehensive Changelog
What they do:
December 11, 2024
🚀 Features
- Code scanning now supports custom queries (Public beta)
- New merge queue insights dashboard
- Repository templates can include Actions workflows
🔐 Security & Compliance
- Enhanced audit log filtering
- SAML single logout support
📚 Documentation
- Updated API versioning guide
- New migration tool for GitHub Apps
🐛 Bug fixes and improvements
- Fixed race condition in Actions workflow dispatch
- Improved diff performance for large files
Why it works:
- Chronological and comprehensive
- Multiple audience types (developers, security, admins)
- Beta/GA status clearly marked
- Groups security separately (important for enterprise)
- Acknowledges "behind the scenes" improvements
Pattern to steal: Mark feature maturity (beta, preview, GA). Sets expectations appropriately.
6. Slack: User Scenarios
What they do:
New: Scheduled send for messages
Need to send a message at 9am but it's currently midnight?
Schedule it! Click the dropdown arrow next to Send and
choose when you want your message delivered.
Perfect for:
- Working across time zones
- Sending reminders at specific times
- Drafting messages in advance
Why it works:
- Opens with relatable user problem
- Clear instructions on how to use it
- Provides specific use cases
- Helps users imagine using the feature
Pattern to steal: Start with the pain point. "Need to..." immediately hooks users who have that exact problem.
7. Vercel: Technical + Impact
What they do:
Edge Functions: Faster cold starts
We've reduced Edge Function cold start time from ~50ms
to ~5ms through runtime optimization and better caching.
Impact:
- 10x faster initial response times
- Reduced latency for globally distributed functions
- Better experience for first-time visitors
Technical details:
- New V8 snapshot caching
- Optimized module resolution
- Reduced bundle sizes
Read the engineering blog post →
Why it works:
- Leads with the improvement
- Quantifies the impact (10x faster)
- Separates user impact from technical details
- Links to deep dive for interested readers
- Balances accessibility with technical depth
Pattern to steal: State the outcome first, technical details second. Most users care about "10x faster," not V8 snapshots.
8. Superhuman: Aspirational Framing
What they do:
Become a keyboard wizard 🧙♂️
New keyboard shortcuts get you through email even faster:
⌘ + K → Quick command palette
⌘ + E → Archive and next
⌘ + # → Snooze options
Spend less time in your inbox. More time on what matters.
Why it works:
- Aspirational identity ("keyboard wizard")
- Clear shortcuts with symbols
- Emotional benefit at the end
- Aligns with product philosophy (speed)
- Makes users feel powerful
Pattern to steal: Frame features as identity upgrades. "Become X" > "We added Y."
9. Supabase: Community-Driven
What they do:
Edge Functions with Deno 1.38
Thanks to @username for suggesting this improvement!
New capabilities:
- Built-in npm package support
- Faster cold starts
- Better TypeScript support
This was our #1 requested feature. Keep the feedback coming!
Try it now: [quickstart guide]
Why it works:
- Credits community contributors
- Acknowledges user requests
- Shows they're listening
- Builds community engagement
- Celebrates milestones (#1 requested)
Pattern to steal: Credit user requests. "You asked, we built it" creates goodwill and encourages more feedback.
10. Framer: Design-Led Communication
What they do:
- Every release note is a beautiful mini landing page
- Custom illustrations for major features
- Interactive demos embedded directly
- Graduated information density (headline → detail → docs)
- Brand-consistent visual language
Why it works:
- Practices what they preach (design tool with designed updates)
- Makes release notes a destination, not a chore
- Visual consistency builds trust
- Sets them apart from competitors
Pattern to steal: Your release notes reflect your product values. If you value design, show it. If you value speed, be concise.
Common Patterns Across All Examples
After analyzing these companies, here are the universal principles:
- Value before details - Start with why it matters
- Consistency builds trust - Same format every time
- Visual > verbal - Show when possible
- Categorization helps scanning - Group similar changes
- Link for depth - Release note = overview, docs = detail
- Personality within professionalism - Be human, not robotic
- Acknowledge users - Credit requests, thank reporters
Template Pattern You Can Use Today
Based on these examples, here's a proven structure:
[Emoji] [Category]: [Feature Name]
[One sentence describing user benefit]
[2-3 bullet points with specifics or use cases]
[Screenshot/GIF if visual change]
[Link to docs or guide]
Example:
⚡ Improvement: Faster dashboard loading
Your dashboard now loads 3x faster, even with
thousands of items.
- Large datasets load in under 2 seconds
- Smooth scrolling on mobile devices
- Reduced memory usage by 40%
[Link to performance optimization docs]
Making This Sustainable
The challenge isn't knowing what good release notes look like—it's maintaining that quality every single week.
Most teams struggle because:
- Gathering updates takes hours
- Formatting is manual and tedious
- Consistency is hard when you're rushing
- Publishing requires multiple steps
ReleaseNotes.pm helps you maintain this level of quality by:
- Collecting scattered updates from Slack
- Auto-categorizing changes
- Maintaining consistent formatting
- Publishing to your changelog automatically
Conclusion
Great release notes aren't magic—they're patterns you can learn and replicate:
- Lead with value, not features
- Show visually when possible
- Group and categorize clearly
- Link to detailed documentation
- Maintain consistent structure
- Let your brand personality show
Pick 2-3 patterns from this list and try them in your next release note. Your users will notice.
Which release note style resonates most with your product? We'd love to hear what works for your team.
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