Changesets Setup Guide

Author: Priyankar Prasad Date: 03.04.2025

What is Changeset?

Changesets is a tool for managing versions and changelogs in JavaScript/TypeScript projects. It’s particularly useful for:

• 📦 Managing package versions
• 🤝 Coordinating releases across multiple packages (works with monorepos)
• 🔄 Automating GitHub releases
• 📝 Generating changelogs

Why Use Changesets?

1. Structured Change Management

   • Track changes with detailed descriptions
   • Automatically determine version bumps
   • Generate comprehensive changelogs

2. GitHub Integration

   • Automated release PRs
   • GitHub releases creation
   • Changelog generation

3. Developer Experience

   • Simple CLI interface
   • Automated version management
   • Reduces manual release work

Quick Setup

1. Install Changesets

   npm install --save-dev @changesets/cli

2. Initialize Changesets

   npx changeset init

   This will create a .changeset directory with config.json:

     "privatePackages": {
       "version": true,
       "tag": true
     }

   These settings allow publishing releases to private GitHub repositories.

3. Add Scripts to package.json

    "scripts": {
        "version": "changeset version",
        "publish": "changeset publish",
        "changeset": "changeset"
      }

4. Install Changeset Bot (Recommended)

   • Go to Changeset Bot
   • Click “Install”
   • Select the repositories where you want to enable the bot

   The bot will:

   • Comment on PRs that need changesets
   • Provide direct links to create changesets
   • Confirm when changesets are properly added

Usage

1. Create a Changeset

   npm run changeset

   Follow the prompts to:

   • Choose version bump type
   • Add change description

2. Commit Changes

   git add .
   git commit -m "feat: added new feature"
   git push

3. GitHub Actions will:

   • Create a Release PR
   • Update versions when merged
   • Create GitHub releases

GitHub Actions Setup

The workflow is configured to:

• Run on pushes to main branch
• Create/update release PRs
• Publish releases when PRs are merged

Check .github/workflows/release.yml for the complete workflow configuration.

Best Practices

1. Create changesets for:

   • New features
   • Bug fixes
   • Breaking changes

2. Write clear, descriptive changeset messages

3. Review generated PRs before merging

Need Help?

• Changesets Documentation
• Changesets GitHub Action
• GitHub Actions Documentation