How to use Jira for Release Notes : Pros & Cons

Release notes are essential for keeping stakeholders informed about product updates, new features, and bug fixes.

Jira a popular project management and issue tracking software is widely used by software development teams to plan, track, and manage their projects, tasks, and issues throughout the development process. It also helps you create & track release notes in various formats & templates.

In this guide, I will walk you through how to use Jira for release notes, how you can customize release notes templates in Jira, and follow best practices.

We will also talk about a lot of missing capabilities that Jira doesn't currently have. At the end I will also list down some plugins & alternative tools that you can use in addition to Jira to enhance your product communication process.

1. What is Jira Release Notes

Jira plays a crucial role in software development, particularly in tracking versions and releases.

By leveraging Jira’s built-in tools, you can automate and streamline the process of creating, customizing, and distributing release notes.

Jira offers the capability to create new release notes and add formatting options by pulling in data & description from existing tasks, issues, sub-tasks or epics. You can chose to select the detailing that you want to put in your release notes. It also allows you copy and save your release notes in markdown or html formats.

2. How to Create Release Notes in Jira: Step-by-Step

Here’s a quick guide to generating release notes directly within Jira:

1. Navigate to the “Releases” section in your project.
2. Select the version for which you want to generate release notes.
3. Click the “Release Notes” button.
4. Choose how you’d like the release notes to be displayed (e.g., HTML or text).
5. Select issues/ tasks from where you want to  pull information and create a basic release note.

You can also set-up automations like When version is created → assign it to all the In Progress issues without a fix version or create your own set of automations.

This process automates the creation of notes based on issue types, version control, and release details.

3. Customizing Release Note Templates in Jira

By default, Jira provides a structured template for release notes that includes:

• Version Number
• Issue Type (Bug fixes, new features, etc.)
• Summary of Changes

However, to better suit your team’s or clients’ needs, you may want to customize these templates. Jira allows you to:

• Add custom fields like “Known Issues” or “Upcoming Features.”
• Use Jira’s markup language to tweak the formatting and make the notes more readable.
• Create custom workflows to add approval steps before publishing release notes.

If the default options are too limiting, several third-party Jira plugins (discussed later) allow for more flexibility in template design.

5. Best Practices for Writing Release Notes in Jira

While the technical aspect of generating release notes in Jira is essential, writing clear, user-friendly notes is equally crucial. Here are some best practices:

• Structure and Clarity: Keep your release notes organized with headings like “New Features,” “Bug Fixes,” and “Improvements.” Use bullet points to make it easier for readers to scan the content. Check out release notes formats that are used by companies like Notion, Amplitude, Helpscout etc.,
• Avoid Technical Jargon: Remember that release notes may be read by non-technical users, so keep the language simple and avoid overly complex terms.
• Include Visuals: Enhance your notes by adding screenshots, GIFs, or even short videos, especially for significant new features or UI changes.
• Integrate Slack: Communicate & inform your team members about the recent releases by notifying on Slack channels

Writing release notes that are accessible to both technical and non-technical audiences is key to keeping users informed and engaged.

By following these tips and leveraging Jira’s capabilities, your team can create better release notes that engage and inform stakeholders more effectively.

6. Exporting and Sharing Jira Release Notes

Once your release notes are created in Jira, you can export them in various formats, such as:

• HTML (for embedding in websites or Confluence pages)
• PDF (for sharing via email or storing in documentation)

To distribute the notes efficiently, integrate Jira with platforms like Confluence (for internal teams) or Slack (for real-time notifications). This helps ensure that all stakeholders, including developers, support teams, and customers, stay informed.

However, Jira doesn't currently have a robust way of distributing release notes via email or in-app product announcements. Communication is a key aspect of release notes which enables product success and product adoption and this is where Jira may not be an ideal tool to communicate release notes.

4. Top Jira Alternatives & Plugins for Advanced Release Note Management

While Jira’s native release note feature is helpful, several plugins & alternatives offer more advanced functionalities. Here are some of the best:

• Release notes by ProductLogz: This alternative helps you pull issues/ tasks from jira and draft an engaging release with the help of AI assistant and imagery. It has a robust distribution mechanism where you can share it with users & stakeholders using various channels including email, feed & in-app notifications. You can also add user segmentation where you can control what and to whom you want to share the releases with.
• Release Notes for Jira: This plugin allows you to create release notes from Jira data with enhanced formatting options and email integration.
• Jira Snapshots: Snapshots provide greater customization, allowing you to build release notes with dynamic content, visual elements, and external data integration.

Also read: Best changelog tools for SaaS

These tools offer more flexibility in formatting, automation, and ease of use, making them ideal for teams that need customized or complex release notes.

7. Conclusion: Streamlining Release Notes with Jira

Using Jira for release notes streamlines the entire process. If you are looking to save time, enhance collaboration, and maintain consistency across product releases, Jira is an excellent tool to consider.

However, Distribution feature of Jira may not be robust and other alternatives like Productlogz is best suited if you are looking for a more robust way to communicate your releases both internally & externally

‍