Creating and Publishing Changelogs

Write detailed patch notes in the PatchPost portal and publish them straight to your Discord channel.

Now that you have a project set up, it’s time to create a changelog entry (patch notes) for that project. PatchPost’s portal provides an easy editor to write your patch notes, and the bot will publish them directly to your Discord channel. This guide will walk you through composing a changelog and ensuring it appears correctly on Discord.

Starting a New Changelog

1. 1

   Open Your Project

   In the PatchPost portal, navigate to the project you want to post an update for. This will bring up the project’s detail page, which may show a list of existing changelogs (it could be empty if you haven't created any yet).

2. 2

   Create a New Changelog

   Click the New Changelog (or Add Changelog) button. This opens the changelog editor interface, where you will input the details of your update.

Composing the Changelog Content

The changelog editor lets you structure your patch notes clearly. You’ll typically encounter fields or sections for the following:

• Version or Update Type: Depending on the portal's design, you might either enter a version number or select an update type (Major, Minor, or Patch). PatchPost uses semantic versioning (X.Y.Z) for each changelog. For example, if your last update was 1.2.0 and you choose Patch for this update, PatchPost might label it as 1.2.1 automatically.
• Categories of Changes: PatchPost encourages you to categorize changes for clarity. In the editor, you’ll see sections for common categories like Added, Changed (or Improved), Fixed, and Removed. Use these categories to organize your notes:
  • Added: New features or content introduced in this update.
  • Changed/Improved: Tweaks, balance changes, or enhancements to existing features.
  • Fixed: Bug fixes and glitch resolutions.
  • Removed: Features or content that were removed or deprecated.
• Adding Entries: Under each relevant category, add bullet points describing the changes. Keep them concise but descriptive. For example, under Added you might write "New night-market vendor at Bandit Camp," and under Fixed you might write "Fixed crash when opening /shop during raid block."
• Sub-items (optional): If a change has sub-points or details, PatchPost allows you to indent bullet points (nested lists). For instance, you could have a main item "New abilities for Mage class" under Added, and then add indented sub-points for each specific ability added. Use this to clearly outline complex updates when necessary.

Double-check your content as you fill in the editor. If the portal provides a preview of the embed, take a look at it to ensure everything is formatted correctly. Make sure each change is under the proper category. (It's fine if some categories stay empty — only the categories you use will appear in the final post.)

Screenshot coming soon: PatchPost changelog editor, showing sections for Added, Changed, Fixed, etc., with bullet point entries.

Publishing the Changelog to Discord

Once you’ve written your patch notes, it’s time to publish them for your community to see:

1. 1

   Publish (Save) the Changelog

   When you're ready, click the Publish (or Save Changelog) button in the editor to finalize your changelog. (The exact button label might vary.)

2. 2

   Automatic Discord Post

   Upon publishing, PatchPost will immediately send the changelog to the designated Discord channel for that project, using the PatchPost bot. The bot will format the changelog as a rich embed in Discord. This embed includes the project title (if you set one), the version number, and the list of changes organized under each category you provided.

   PatchPost also adds helpful emojis to each section (for example: ✨ for Added, 🔄 for Changed, 🐞 for Fixed, 🔧 for Improved, 🗑️ for Removed) so that readers can easily identify the types of updates at a glance.

3. 3

   Check Discord

   Open your Discord server and navigate to the channel you selected for this project's updates. You should see a new message posted by PatchPost Bot. Verify that the content matches what you entered. For example, the embed’s title might say "Changelog v1.2.1" (or include your project name, like "MyGame Changelog v1.2.1"), and the fields below will list all the changes under the proper categories.

Screenshot coming soon: Example of a PatchPost changelog posted in Discord, showing an embedded message with the update categories and version.

Tips for Effective Changelogs

• Be clear and concise: Use simple language and keep each bullet point focused on one change. Gamers appreciate patch notes that are easy to read at a glance.
• Use categories wisely: Only include the categories that apply to your update. It's perfectly fine if an update has only a Fixed section (for example) and nothing under Added or Changed. PatchPost will only display categories that have entries.
• Version appropriately: Follow semantic versioning conventions. Increment the major version for big updates or significant changes, the minor version for medium-sized updates, and the patch version for small fixes or tweaks. This helps set expectations for the scale of the update.
• Preview before publishing: If the portal offers a preview of the Discord embed, take advantage of it. Ensure that the formatting looks good — bullet lists are properly nested, and no sections have glaring issues. This way, you can catch any formatting problems before your community sees the changelog.

Once you publish, your changelog is live on Discord for your community to read. If you notice a mistake after posting, don't worry — you can edit the changelog in the PatchPost portal (or delete it and publish again if necessary). PatchPost will update the Discord message if you make changes (the bot may mark the embed as "edited" to reflect any updates).

Congratulations! You’ve successfully created a project and shared your first changelog using PatchPost. Your community can now stay informed with updates in a structured, visually clear format. Continue using the PatchPost portal to manage future updates, create additional projects as needed, and keep your gaming community engaged and informed.