A software update can install automatically and still change what someone must do to finish a task. A list of new features and bug fixes will not necessarily explain that next step.
Release notes describe an update’s relevant changes and consequences. The two release notes templates below put the reader’s decision first: take action or carry on. Use them for workplace notices, then add technical detail where the intended audience needs it.
Choose the template by what users need to do
Choose according to the reader’s next step, not the release’s size. A minor change can require new settings; a major upgrade might need no user intervention.
Useful release notes support IT release management by explaining when changes reach users, what those users need to do, and where they can get help. Technical deployment and user availability can happen at different times, so the deployment date alone does not tell readers when they will encounter a change.
For a staged rollout, name the affected group and its availability window. Distinguish a planned date from confirmed access rather than announcing that a feature is available to everyone.
Template 1: Action required
Use this format when users must install something, change a setting, or follow a different procedure. Replace bracketed text with confirmed details.
> Subject: [Software]: [required action] by [deadline, if applicable].
> For: [Affected teams, roles, or platforms].
> Your next step: [Specific instructions, with a link to detailed guidance if needed].
> Timing: [When this group receives the change, including the time zone where relevant].
> What changes: [Previous behavior, new behavior, and the practical effect on work].
> Limitations: [Relevant restriction and available workaround, if any].
> Help: [Support route and useful details to include when reporting a problem].
If a deadline applies, state the confirmed consequence of missing it. Remove irrelevant fields rather than leaving empty headings or inventing information to fill them.
Template 2: No action required
For genuinely informational updates, say explicitly that users need not act. Confirm that statement covers changes to the task itself, not just installation: an automatic update can still introduce a new step.
> Subject: [Software]: [change], no action required.
> Applies to: [Affected groups or platforms].
> Available: [Confirmed availability for those users].
> What you’ll notice: [Plain-language description of the change and its practical effect].
> Your next step: No action required. [Specify what remains unchanged or happens automatically].
> Limitations: [Relevant restriction or workaround; omit if unnecessary].
> Questions: [Accessible support contact or help route].
Keep the explanation specific. Describe the changed screen or resolved behavior instead of relying on “various improvements.”
A completed example for a staged rollout
In this hypothetical example, a company introduces a building selector in its meeting-room booking tool, initially for a facilities pilot group. Its notice could read:
> Subject: Room booking: choose a building before searching.
> For: Facilities pilot participants only. Other employees keep the current booking process.
> Your next step: Select a building from the menu above the room search, then choose your date and time.
> Timing: Starting November 9, 2026, at 9 a.m. Eastern Time.
> What changes: Search results now show rooms in your selected building rather than every location. Existing reservations remain unchanged.
> Limitations: The pilot does not save your building preference; select it each time you search.
> Help: In the booking tool, open Help, then Contact support. Include the building and the step where you encountered difficulty.
The notice explains both the changed task and the rollout boundary. It does not imply that employees outside the pilot have access or invent a date for them.
Check these details before publishing
Before sending, review the notice against the release details rather than checking grammar alone:
- Audience and timing: Confirm who receives the change and whether availability is planned or actual. Check that distribution matches those groups.
- Instructions: Follow the stated steps using the intended user’s access level. Make sure linked guidance is available without elevated permissions.
- Claims and limitations: Check descriptions of fixes, compatibility, and unchanged behavior with the responsible team. Remove unsupported performance claims.
- Support readiness: Confirm the contact route works and support staff have the same notice. Give them enough context to recognize update-related questions.
Send advance instructions when people need preparation time, but reserve “available now” for confirmed access. An affected reader should be able to identify their next step without interpreting a deployment record.