The purpose of a git commit message is to answer the question “why does this commit exist?” That is the principal question you should be answering when you type `git commit`. This is the question you will be asking yourself when you find that commit in `git blame` or if it shows up in `git bisect`. Try to help your future self out.
The changelog, on the other hand, answers the question “why does the customer care about these changes?” It could be the same reason as why the commit exists, but the question is different. If the customer doesn’t care, maybe it doesn’t even need an entry. Maybe why they care is slightly different than the reason the commit(s) exist.
This is why I advocate for a hand-updated CHANGELOG.md. It’s a very small amount of writing that forces developers to consider how their PRs will impact customers that an auto-generator will never be able to do well.
The changelog, on the other hand, answers the question “why does the customer care about these changes?” It could be the same reason as why the commit exists, but the question is different. If the customer doesn’t care, maybe it doesn’t even need an entry. Maybe why they care is slightly different than the reason the commit(s) exist.
This is why I advocate for a hand-updated CHANGELOG.md. It’s a very small amount of writing that forces developers to consider how their PRs will impact customers that an auto-generator will never be able to do well.