g-samroberts · Feb 14, 2026 · Feb 12, 2026 · Feb 13, 2026 · Feb 13, 2026 · Feb 13, 2026
@@ -1,125 +1,131 @@
 ---
 name: docs-changelog
-description: Provides a step-by-step procedure for generating Gemini CLI changelog files based on github release information.
+description: >-
+  Generates and formats changelog files for a new release based on provided
+  version and raw changelog data.
 ---
 
 # Procedure: Updating Changelog for New Releases
 
-The following instructions are run by Gemini CLI when processing new releases.
-
 ## Objective
 
-To standardize the process of updating the Gemini CLI changelog files for a new
-release, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to project style
-guidelines.
-
-## Release Types
-
-This skill covers two types of releases:
-
-*   **Standard Releases:** Regular, versioned releases that are announced to all
-    users. These updates modify `docs/changelogs/latest.md` and
-    `docs/changelogs/index.md`.
-*   **Preview Releases:** Pre-release versions for testing and feedback. These
-    updates only modify `docs/changelogs/preview.md`.
-
-Ignore all other releases, such as nightly releases.
-
-### Expected Inputs
-
-Regardless of the type of release, the following information is expected:
-
-*   **New version number:** The version number for the new release
-    (e.g., `v0.27.0`).
-*   **Release date:** The date of the new release (e.g., `2026-02-03`).
-*   **Raw changelog data:** A list of all pull requests and changes
-    included in the release, in the format `description by @author in
-    #pr_number`.
-*   **Previous version number:** The version number of the last release can be
-    calculated by decreasing the minor version number by one and setting the
-    patch or bug fix version number.
-
-## Procedure
-
-### Initial Setup
-
-1.  Identify the files to be modified: 
-
-    For standard releases, update `docs/changelogs/latest.md` and
-    `docs/changelogs/index.md`. For preview releases, update
-    `docs/changelogs/preview.md`.
-
-2.  Activate the `docs-writer` skill.
-
-### Analyze Raw Changelog Data
-
-1.  Review the complete list of changes. If it is a patch or a bug fix with few
-    changes, skip to the "Update `docs/changelogs/latest.md` or
-    `docs/changelogs/preview.md`" section.
+To standardize the process of updating changelog files (`latest.md`,
+`preview.md`, `index.md`) based on automated release information.
+
+## Inputs
+
+- **version**: The release version string (e.g., `v0.28.0`,
+  `v0.29.0-preview.2`).
+- **TIME**: The release timestamp (e.g., `2026-02-12T20:33:15Z`).
+- **BODY**: The raw markdown release notes, containing a "What's Changed"
+  section and a "Full Changelog" link.
+
+## Guidelines for `latest.md` and `preview.md` Highlights
+
+- Aim for **3-5 key highlight points**.
+- **Prioritize** summarizing new features over other changes like bug fixes or
+  chores.
+- **Avoid** mentioning features that are "experimental" or "in preview" in
+  Stable Releases.
+- **DO NOT** include PR numbers, links, or author names in these highlights.
+- Refer to `.gemini/skills/docs-changelog/references/highlights_examples.md`
+  for the correct style and tone.
+
+## Initial Processing
+
+1.  **Analyze Version**: Determine the release path based on the `version`
+    string.
+    - If `version` contains "nightly", **STOP**. No changes are made.
+    - If `version` ends in `.0`, follow the **Path A: New Minor Version**
+      procedure.
+    - If `version` does not end in `.0`, follow the **Path B: Patch Version**
+      procedure.
+2.  **Process Time**: Convert the `TIME` input into two formats for later use:
+    `yyyy-mm-dd` and `Month dd, yyyy`.
+3.  **Process Body**:
+    - Save the incoming `BODY` content to a temporary file for processing.
+    - In the "What's Changed" section of the temporary file, reformat all pull
+      request URLs to be markdown links with the PR number as the text (e.g.,
+      `[#12345](URL)`).
+    - If a "New Contributors" section exists, delete it.
+    - Preserve the "**Full Changelog**" link. The processed content of this
+      temporary file will be used in subsequent steps.
 
-2.  Group related changes into high-level categories such as
-    important features, "UI/UX Improvements", and "Bug Fixes". Use the existing
-    announcements in `docs/changelogs/index.md` as an example.
-
-### Create Highlight Summaries
-
-Create two distinct versions of the release highlights.
-
-**Important:** Carefully inspect highlights for "experimental" or
-"preview" features before public announcement, and do not include them.
-
-#### Version 1: Comprehensive Highlights (for `latest.md` or `preview.md`)
-
-Write a detailed summary for each category focusing on user-facing
-impact.
-
-#### Version 2: Concise Highlights (for `index.md`)
-
-Skip this step for preview releases.
-
-Write concise summaries including the primary PR and author
-(e.g., `([#12345](link) by @author)`).
-
-### Update `docs/changelogs/latest.md` or `docs/changelogs/preview.md`
-
-1. Read current content and use `write_file` to replace it with the new
-  version number, and date.
-
-  If it is a patch or bug fix with few changes, simply add these
-  changes to the "What's Changed" list. Otherwise, replace comprehensive
-  highlights, and the full "What's Changed" list. 
-
-2. For each item in the "What's Changed" list, keep usernames in plaintext, and
-  add github links for each issue number. Example:
+---
 
-  "- feat: implement /rewind command by @username in
-  [#12345](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/pull/12345)"
+## Path A: New Minor Version
+
+*Use this path if the version number ends in `.0`.*
+
+### A.1: Stable Release (e.g., `v0.28.0`)
+
+For a stable release, you will generate two distinct summaries from the
+changelog: a concise **announcement** for the main changelog page, and a more
+detailed **highlights** section for the release-specific page.
+
+1.  **Create the Announcement for `index.md`**:
+    -   Generate a concise announcement summarizing the most important changes.
+    -   **Important**: The format for this announcement is unique. You **must**
+        use the existing announcements in `docs/changelogs/index.md` and the
+        example within
+        `.gemini/skills/docs-changelog/references/index_template.md` as your
+        guide. This format includes PR links and authors.
+    -   Add this new announcement to the top of `docs/changelogs/index.md`.
+
+2.  **Create Highlights and Update `latest.md`**:
+    -   Generate a comprehensive "Highlights" section, following the guidelines
+        in the "Guidelines for `latest.md` and `preview.md` Highlights" section
+        above.
+    -   Take the content from
+        `.gemini/skills/docs-changelog/references/latest_template.md`.
+    -   Populate the template with the `version`, `release_date`, generated
+        `highlights`, and the processed content from the temporary file.
+    -   **Completely replace** the contents of `docs/changelogs/latest.md` with
+        the populated template.
+
+### A.2: Preview Release (e.g., `v0.29.0-preview.0`)
+
+1.  **Update `preview.md`**:
+    -   Generate a comprehensive "Highlights" section, following the highlight
+        guidelines.
+    -   Take the content from
+        `.gemini/skills/docs-changelog/references/preview_template.md`.
+    -   Populate the template with the `version`, `release_date`, generated
+        `highlights`, and the processed content from the temporary file.
+    -   **Completely replace** the contents of `docs/changelogs/preview.md`
+        with the populated template.
 
-3. Skip entries by @gemini-cli-robot.
+---
 
-4. Do not add the "New Contributors" section.
+## Path B: Patch Version
 
-5. Update the "Full changelog:" link by doing one of following:
+*Use this path if the version number does **not** end in `.0`.*
 
-   If it is a patch or bug fix with few changes, retain the original link
-   but replace the latter version with the new version. For example, if the
-   patch is version is "v0.28.1", replace the latter version:
-   "https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/compare/v0.27.0...v0.28.0" with
-   "https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/compare/v0.27.0...v0.28.1".
-
-   Otherwise, for minor and major version changes, replace the link with the
-   one included at the end of the changelog data.
+### B.1: Stable Patch (e.g., `v0.28.1`)
 
-6. Ensure lines are wrapped to 80 characters.
+- **Target File**: `docs/changelogs/latest.md`
+- Perform the following edits on the target file:
+    1.  Update the version in the main header.
+    2.  Update the "Released:" date.
+    3.  **Prepend** the processed "What's Changed" list from the temporary file
+        to the existing "What's Changed" list in the file.
+    4.  In the "Full Changelog" URL, replace only the trailing version with the
+        new patch version.
 
-### Update `docs/changelogs/index.md`
+### B.2: Preview Patch (e.g., `v0.29.0-preview.3`)
 
-Skip this step for patches, bug fixes, or preview releases.
+- **Target File**: `docs/changelogs/preview.md`
+- Perform the following edits on the target file:
+    1.  Update the version in the main header.
+    2.  Update the "Released:" date.
+    3.  **Prepend** the processed "What's Changed" list from the temporary file
+        to the existing "What's Changed" list in the file.
+    4.  In the "Full Changelog" URL, replace only the trailing version with the
+        new patch version.
 
-Insert a new "Announcements" section for the new version directly
-above the previous version's section. Ensure lines are wrapped to
-80 characters.
+---
 
-### Finalize
+## Finalize
 
-Run `npm run format` to ensure consistency.
+- After making changes, run `npm run format` to ensure consistency.
+- Delete any temporary files created during the process.
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+## Highlights example 1
+
+- **Plan Mode Enhancements**: Significant updates to Plan Mode, including new
+  commands, support for MCP servers, integration of planning artifacts, and
+  improved iteration guidance.
+- **Core Agent Improvements**: Enhancements to the core agent, including better
+  system prompt rigor, improved subagent definitions, and enhanced tool
+  execution limits.
+- **CLI UX/UI Updates**: Various UI and UX improvements, such as autocomplete in
+  the input prompt, updated approval mode labels, DevTools integration, and
+  improved header spacing.
+- **Tooling & Extension Updates**: Improvements to existing tools like
+  `ask_user` and `grep_search`, and new features for extension management.
+- **Bug Fixes**: Numerous bug fixes across the CLI and core, addressing issues
+  with interactive commands, memory leaks, permission checks, and more.
+- **Context and Tool Output Management**: Features for observation masking for
+  tool outputs, session-linked tool output storage, and persistence for masked
+  tool outputs.
+
+## Highlights example 2
+
+- **Commands & UX Enhancements:** Introduced `/prompt-suggest` command,
+  alongside updated undo/redo keybindings and automatic theme switching.
+- **Expanded IDE Support:** Now offering compatibility with Positron IDE,
+  expanding integration options for developers.
+- **Enhanced Security & Authentication:** Implemented interactive and
+  non-interactive OAuth consent, improving both security and diagnostic
+  capabilities for bug reports.
+- **Advanced Planning & Agent Tools:** Integrated a generic Checklist component
+  for structured task management and evolved subagent capabilities with dynamic
+  policy registration.
+- **Improved Core Stability & Reliability:** Resolved critical environment
+  loading, authentication, and session management issues, ensuring a more robust
+  experience.
+- **Background Shell Commands:** Enabled the execution of shell commands in the
+  background for increased workflow efficiency.
+
+## Highlights example 3
+
+- **Event-Driven Architecture:** The CLI now uses an event-driven scheduler for
+  tool execution, improving performance and responsiveness. This includes
+  migrating non-interactive flows and sub-agents to the new scheduler.
+- **Enhanced User Experience:** This release introduces several UI/UX
+  improvements, including queued tool confirmations and the ability to expand
+  and collapse large pasted text blocks. The `Settings` dialog has been improved
+  to reduce jitter and preserve focus.
+- **Agent and Skill Improvements:** Agent Skills have been promoted to a stable
+  feature. Sub-agents now use a JSON schema for input and are tracked by an
+  `AgentRegistry`.
+- **New `/rewind` Command:** A new `/rewind` command has been implemented to
+  allow users to go back in their session history.
+- **Improved Shell and File Handling:** The shell tool's output format has been
+  optimized, and the CLI now gracefully handles disk-full errors during chat
+  recording. A bug in detecting already added paths has been fixed.
+- **Linux Clipboard Support:** Image pasting capabilities for Wayland and X11 on
+  Linux have been added.
+
+## Highlights example 4
+
+- **Improved Hooks Management:** Hooks enable/disable functionality now aligns
+  with skills and offers improved completion.
+- **Custom Themes for Extensions:** Extensions can now support custom themes,
+  allowing for greater personalization.
+- **User Identity Display:** User identity information (auth, email, tier) is
+  now displayed on startup and in the `stats` command.
+- **Plan Mode Enhancements:** Plan mode has been improved with a generic
+  `Checklist` component and refactored `Todo`.
+- **Background Shell Commands:** Implementation of background shell commands.
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+## Announcements: {{version}} - {{release_date_yyyy_mm_dd}}
+
+{{highlights}}
+
+<!-- Example entry, multiple entries per highlights
+  - **Highlighted Feature:** We've added a new highlighted feature to help
+  you generate prompt suggestions
+  ([#nnnnn](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/pull/nnnnn) by
+  @author).
+-->
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+# Latest stable release: {{version}}
+
+Released: {{release_date_month_dd_yyyy}}
+
+For most users, our latest stable release is the recommended release. Install
+the latest stable version with:
+
+```
+npm install -g @google/gemini-cli
+```
+
+## Highlights
+
+{{highlights_content}}
+
+## What's Changed
+
+{{changelog_list}}
+
+**Full Changelog**: {{full_changelog_link}}
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Preview release: {{version}}
+
+Released: {{release_date_month_dd_yyyy}}
+
+Our preview release includes the latest, new, and experimental features. This
+release may not be as stable as our [latest weekly release](latest.md).
+
+To install the preview release:
+
+```
+npm install -g @google/gemini-cli@preview
+```
+
+## Highlights
+
+{{highlights_content}}
+
+## What's Changed
+
+{{changelog_list}}
+
+**Full Changelog**: {{full_changelog_link}}
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ jobs:
 
           # Use a heredoc to preserve multiline release body
           echo 'RAW_CHANGELOG<<EOF' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-          echo "${BODY}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+          printf "%s\n" "${BODY}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           echo 'EOF' >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: '${{ secrets.GEMINI_CLI_ROBOT_GITHUB_PAT }}'