claude /release-notes: Check What Changed in Each Version

What if a command you clearly used until yesterday isn't showing today? Claude Code updates often, so commands appearing or disappearing is common. By checking version-by-version changes with the /release-notes command, you can catch up at a glance on what changed.

Definition (What It Is)

/release-notes is a command that shows version-by-version changes (a record organizing what was added, modified, or removed in each update). Release notes refer to the list of changes that the maker organizes each time a new version comes out.

Claude Code has a fast update cycle, so it's easy to miss which features were added and removed. With this command, you can check that flow directly.

How to Use It (By Difficulty)

Basic — Viewing the Changelog

/release-notes

Type this single line and a version list appears. You can pick the version you want and check what changed in that version. When you think "something seems different?" after an update, it's the first thing to press.

Applied — Updating the Reference Version in Your Posts

Check the latest version -> Update the "reference version" notation in your blog

If you note a version in a blog or document like "Reference: vX.X.X," you can use /release-notes to check the latest version and then update that notation. This keeps the post's information from getting stale.

Advanced — Recycling It as Material

Changes across the last N versions -> Write an "update roundup" post

You can also gather changes from several recent versions to create content like an "update roundup." The changelog itself becomes good material.

Common Pitfalls (If Applicable)

Since updates are frequent, a command you used before may have disappeared. If a command doesn't work, suspect not your mistake but the possibility that it was dropped in that version. Checking with /release-notes makes it clear.

Real-World Example

Before updating a blog post about commands, checking recent changes with /release-notes lets you clean up already-removed commands (e.g., /vim) in your post or add newly added ones. It's an essential review step for delivering accurate information to readers.

Taking It Further

Being able to track version changes means you can also use them as material like an "update roundup." If you build the habit of regularly checking the changelog, you can learn new features faster than others and organize that content into posts as well.

Summary

/release-notes is a command for checking version-by-version changes. Typing it lets you pick a version and see what changed. Using it for post-update review is the basics, and you can also use it to update the reference version in your posts or to find material for an "update roundup."

Reference: Claude Code v2.1.154 (2026.05)