Changelog List Template

Present your project's version history and release notes in a clean, scannable timeline.

This template is designed to clearly communicate updates to your users, categorizing each change with color-coded tags.

Screenshot of a changelog list with version numbers and tagged updates.

About this Template

This component is built with nested unordered lists, which is quite possibly the most semantic way to structure a changelog. The main list separates the versions, while nested lists contain the specific changes. This approach is excellent for both SEO and accessibility. It features a timeline-style vertical line connecting the version entries and uses styled tags to visually distinguish between new features, bug fixes, and improvements.

Features

Semantic Nested Lists: The core structure uses nested ul elements, which is the correct way to group related list items.
Visual Tags: Color-coded tags for "New", "Fix", and "Improved" make the list easy to scan.
Accessible Time Element: Uses the time element with a datetime attribute for machine-readable dates.
Self-Contained Styles: All CSS is scoped within the .changelog-template class to avoid conflicts with your project.
Easy Theming: All colors and key spacing can be quickly changed using CSS variables.

Code Breakdown

The entire structure is wrapped in a main ul with the class .changelog-list. Each major version entry is an li. Inside this list item, the version number and date are presented in a header, followed by a nested ul that contains the specific changes for that version.

Each change is its own li. A span with a class of .tag and a modifier class (e.g., .tag-new) is used to create the colored label. A simple vertical line is created on the main list using a ::before pseudo-element, giving the component a clear timeline feel.

Code

Here's the full code for the template:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Changelog List</title>
    <style>
        /* ==========================================================================
           Styles for Demo Preview Only
           ========================================================================== */
        body {
            font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
            background-color: #f8fafc;
            color: #334155;
            margin: 0;
            padding: 2rem;
            display: flex;
            justify-content: center;
        }

/* ==========================================================================
           Changelog List Component Styles - Copy from here
           ========================================================================== */
        .changelog-template {
            --changelog-font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
            --cl-primary-text-color: #1e293b;
            --cl-secondary-text-color: #64748b;
            --cl-border-color: #e2e8f0;
            --cl-tag-new-bg: #ecfdf5;
            --cl-tag-new-text: #059669;
            --cl-tag-fix-bg: #fff1f2;
            --cl-tag-fix-text: #e11d48;
            --cl-tag-improved-bg: #eff6ff;
            --cl-tag-improved-text: #2563eb;
            
            font-family: var(--changelog-font-family);
            color: var(--cl-primary-text-color);
            width: 100%;
            max-width: 800px;
        }

.changelog-template *,
        .changelog-template *::before,
        .changelog-template *::after {
            box-sizing: border-box;
        }

.changelog-template .changelog-header {
            text-align: center;
            margin-bottom: 3rem;
        }

.changelog-template .changelog-header h1 {
            font-size: 2.5rem;
            margin: 0 0 0.5rem 0;
        }

.changelog-list {
            list-style: none;
            padding: 0;
            margin: 0;
            position: relative;
        }
        
        /* The timeline vertical line */
        .changelog-list::before {
            content: '';
            position: absolute;
            top: 10px;
            bottom: 10px;
            left: 5px;
            width: 2px;
            background-color: var(--cl-border-color);
        }

.version-entry {
            position: relative;
            padding-left: 2.5rem; /* Space for the line and dot */
            padding-bottom: 2.5rem;
        }

.version-entry:last-child {
            padding-bottom: 0;
        }

/* The dot on the timeline */
        .version-entry::before {
            content: '';
            position: absolute;
            left: 0;
            top: 10px;
            width: 12px;
            height: 12px;
            border-radius: 50%;
            background-color: var(--cl-secondary-text-color);
            border: 2px solid #fff;
        }

.version-header h2 {
            font-size: 1.5rem;
            font-weight: 600;
            margin: 0;
        }

.version-header time {
            font-size: 0.875rem;
            color: var(--cl-secondary-text-color);
            margin-bottom: 1rem;
            display: block;
        }
        
        .changes-list {
            list-style: none;
            padding: 0;
            margin: 0;
        }
        
        .changes-list li {
            display: flex;
            align-items: flex-start;
            margin-bottom: 0.75rem;
            line-height: 1.6;
        }
        
        .changes-list li:last-child {
            margin-bottom: 0;
        }

.tag {
            flex-shrink: 0;
            margin-right: .75rem;
            padding: 0.125rem 0.5rem;
            border-radius: 9999px;
            font-size: .75rem;
            font-weight: 500;
            text-transform: uppercase;
        }

.tag-new {
            background-color: var(--cl-tag-new-bg);
            color: var(--cl-tag-new-text);
        }
        
        .tag-fix {
            background-color: var(--cl-tag-fix-bg);
            color: var(--cl-tag-fix-text);
        }

.tag-improved {
            background-color: var(--cl-tag-improved-bg);
            color: var(--cl-tag-improved-text);
        }

</style>
</head>
<body>

<div class="changelog-template">
    <header class="changelog-header">
        <h1>Quantum Cat-Flap OS Updates</h1>
    </header>

<ul class="changelog-list">
        <li class="version-entry">
            <div class="version-header">
                <h2>Version 2.0.1</h2>
                <time datetime="2024-05-18">May 18, 2024</time>
            </div>
            <ul class="changes-list">
                <li><span class="tag tag-fix">Fix</span>Patched wormhole instability that occasionally replaced the cat with a pot of petunias.</li>
                <li><span class="tag tag-fix">Fix</span>Addressed an issue where entry to ancient Rome was granted without a valid toga.</li>
            </ul>
        </li>

<li class="version-entry">
            <div class="version-header">
                <h2>Version 2.0.0</h2>
                <time datetime="2024-04-30">April 30, 2024</time>
            </div>
            <ul class="changes-list">
                <li><span class="tag tag-new">New</span>Integrated with local temporal paradox registry to prevent feline duplicates from arriving simultaneously.</li>
                <li><span class="tag tag-new">New</span>Introduced a "Quiet Mode" to reduce quantum tunneling noises during owner's conference calls.</li>
                <li><span class="tag tag-improved">Improved</span>Enhanced the dematerialization matrix for a smoother, less frizzy transition for long-haired breeds.</li>
                <li><span class="tag tag-improved">Improved</span>Recalibrated the treat-dispenser to account for hyper-dimensional calorie drift.</li>
            </ul>
        </li>

<li class="version-entry">
            <div class="version-header">
                <h2>Version 1.0.0</h2>
                <time datetime="2024-01-01">January 1, 2024</time>
            </div>
            <ul class="changes-list">
                <li><span class="tag tag-new">New</span>Initial public release of the Quantum Cat-Flap Operating System.</li>
            </ul>
        </li>

</ul>
</div>

</body>
</html>

View Output