update exlude pattern for commit filter if start and end are from different branch

.github/actions/spell-check/excludes.txt

@@ -93,6 +93,7 @@
 \.xz$
 \.zip$
 ^\.github/actions/spell-check/
+^\.github/skills/
 ^\.github/workflows/spelling\d*\.yml$
 ^\.gitmodules$
 ^\Q.pipelines/ESRPSigning_core.json\E$

.github/skills/changelog-generator/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+---
+name: changelog-generator
+description: Automatically creates user-facing changelogs from git commits by analyzing commit history, categorizing changes, and transforming technical commits into clear, customer-friendly release notes. Turns hours of manual changelog writing into minutes of automated generation.
+---
+
+# Changelog Generator
+
+This skill transforms technical git commits into polished, user-friendly changelogs that your customers and users will actually understand and appreciate.
+
+## When to Use This Skill
+
+- Preparing release notes for a new version
+- Generating changelog between two tags/commits
+- Creating draft release notes from recent commits
+
+## Quick Start
+
+```
+Create a changelog from commits since v0.96.1
+```
+
+```
+Create release notes for version 0.97.0 starting from tag v0.96.1
+```
+
+---
+
+## Workflow Overview
+
+```
+┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────────┐
+│ 1. Fetch     │───▶│ 2. Filter    │───▶│ 3. Categorize│───▶│ 4. Generate  │
+│ Commits      │    │ & Dedupe     │    │ by Module    │    │ Descriptions │
+└──────────────┘    └──────────────┘    └──────────────┘    └──────────────┘
+       │                   │                   │                   │
+       ▼                   ▼                   ▼                   ▼
+  📄 github-api      📄 commit-         📄 module-         📄 user-facing-
+     reference.md       filtering.md       mapping.md         description.md
+```
+
+## Sub-Skills Reference
+
+This skill is composed of the following sub-skills. 
+
+**⚠️ IMPORTANT: Do NOT read all sub-skills at once!**
+- Only read a sub-skill when you reach that step in the workflow
+- This saves context window and improves accuracy
+- Use `read_file` to load a sub-skill only when needed
+
+| Step | Sub-Skill | When to Read |
+|------|-----------|--------------|
+| Fetch data | [github-api-reference.md](sub-skills/github-api-reference.md) | When fetching commits/PRs |
+| Filter commits | [commit-filtering.md](sub-skills/commit-filtering.md) | When checking if commit should be skipped |
+| Categorize | [module-mapping.md](sub-skills/module-mapping.md) | When determining which module a PR belongs to |
+| Generate text | [user-facing-description.md](sub-skills/user-facing-description.md) | When writing the changelog entry text |
+| Attribution | [contributor-attribution.md](sub-skills/contributor-attribution.md) | When checking if author needs thanks |
+| Large releases | [progress-tracking.md](sub-skills/progress-tracking.md) | Only if processing 50+ commits |
+
+---
+
+## Step-by-Step Summary
+
+### Step 1: Get Commit Range
+```powershell
+# Count commits between tags
+gh api repos/microsoft/PowerToys/compare/v0.96.0...v0.96.1 --jq '.commits | length'
+```
+👉 Details: [github-api-reference.md](sub-skills/github-api-reference.md)
+
+### Step 2: Filter Commits
+- Skip commits already in start tag
+- Skip cherry-picks and backports
+- Deduplicate by PR number
+
+👉 Details: [commit-filtering.md](sub-skills/commit-filtering.md)
+
+### Step 3: For Each PR, Generate Entry
+1. Get PR title, body, files, labels
+2. Determine module from file paths or labels
+3. Check if user-facing (skip internal changes)
+4. Transform to user-friendly description
+5. Add contributor attribution if needed
+
+👉 Details: [user-facing-description.md](sub-skills/user-facing-description.md), [module-mapping.md](sub-skills/module-mapping.md), [contributor-attribution.md](sub-skills/contributor-attribution.md)
+
+### Step 4: Checkpoint (if 50+ commits)
+- Save progress after every 15-20 commits
+- Track processed PRs for deduplication
+- Enable resume from interruption
+
+👉 Details: [progress-tracking.md](sub-skills/progress-tracking.md)
+
+### Step 5: Format Output
+```markdown
+## ✨ What's new
+**Version X.XX (Month Year)**
+
+**✨ Highlights**
+ - [Most impactful change 1]
+ - [Most impactful change 2]
+
+### [Module Name - Alphabetical]
+ - [Description]. Thanks [@contributor](https://github.com/contributor)!
+
+### Development
+ - [Internal changes]
+```
+
+---
+
+## Example Output
+
+```markdown
+## ✨ What's new
+**Version 0.96.1 (December 2025)**
+
+**✨ Highlights**
+ - Advanced Paste now supports multiple AI providers.
+ - PowerRename can extract photo metadata for renaming.
+
+### Advanced Paste
+ - Added support for Azure OpenAI, Google Gemini, Mistral, and more.
+
+### Awake
+ - The countdown timer now stays accurate over long periods. Thanks [@daverayment](https://github.com/daverayment)!
+
+### Development
+ - Resolved build warnings in Command Palette projects.
+```
+
+---
+
+## Tips
+
+1. **Propose highlights** after all entries are generated
+2. **Check PR body** when title is unclear
+3. **Thank external contributors** - see [contributor-attribution.md](sub-skills/contributor-attribution.md)
+4. **Use progress tracking** for large releases - see [progress-tracking.md](sub-skills/progress-tracking.md)
+5. **Save output** to `release-change-note-draft.md`
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+| Problem | Solution |
+|---------|----------|
+| Lost progress mid-generation | Read `release-notes-progress.md` to resume |
+| Duplicate entries | Check processed PR list, dedupe by PR number |
+| Commit already released | Use `git merge-base --is-ancestor` to verify |
+| API rate limited | Check `gh api rate_limit`, wait or use token |
+
+👉 See sub-skills for detailed troubleshooting.

.github/skills/changelog-generator/sub-skills/commit-filtering.md

@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+# Commit Filtering Rules
+
+This sub-skill defines rules for filtering commits to include in the changelog.
+
+## Understanding the Branch Model
+
+PowerToys uses a release branch model where fixes are cherry-picked from main:
+
+```
+main:     A---B---C---D---E---F---G---H  (HEAD)
+               \
+release:        X---Y---Z  (v0.96.1 tag)
+                    ↑
+            (X, Y are cherry-picks of C, E from main)
+```
+
+**Key insight:** When comparing `v0.96.1...main`:
+- The release tag (v0.96.1) is on a **different branch** than main
+- GitHub compare finds the merge-base and returns commits on main after that point
+- Commits C and E appear in the results even though they were cherry-picked to release as X and Y
+- **The SHAs are different**, so SHA-based filtering won't work!
+
+## ⚠️ CRITICAL: Filter by PR Number, Not SHA
+
+Since cherry-picks have different SHAs, you **MUST** check by PR number:
+
+```powershell
+# Extract PR number from commit message and check if it exists in the release tag
+$prNumber = "43785"
+$startTag = "v0.96.1"
+
+# Search the release branch for this PR number in commit messages
+$cherryPicked = git log $startTag --oneline --grep="#$prNumber"
+if ($cherryPicked) {
+    Write-Host "SKIP: PR #$prNumber was cherry-picked to $startTag"
+} else {
+    Write-Host "INCLUDE: PR #$prNumber is new since $startTag"
+}
+```
+
+## Complete Filtering Workflow
+
+```powershell
+$startTag = "v0.96.1"   # Release tag (on release branch)
+$endRef = "main"         # Target (main branch)
+
+# Step 1: Get all commits from main since the merge-base with release tag
+$commits = gh api "repos/microsoft/PowerToys/compare/$startTag...$endRef" `
+    --jq '.commits[] | {sha: .sha, message: .commit.message}' | ConvertFrom-Json
+
+# Step 2: Build list of PR numbers already in the release tag
+$releasePRs = git log $startTag --oneline | Select-String -Pattern '#(\d+)' -AllMatches | 
+    ForEach-Object { $_.Matches.Groups[1].Value } | Sort-Object -Unique
+
+Write-Host "PRs already in $startTag : $($releasePRs.Count)"
+
+# Step 3: Filter commits - skip if PR was cherry-picked to release
+$newCommits = @()
+foreach ($commit in $commits) {
+    if ($commit.message -match '#(\d+)') {
+        $prNumber = $matches[1]
+        if ($releasePRs -contains $prNumber) {
+            Write-Host "SKIP: PR #$prNumber already in $startTag (cherry-picked)"
+            continue
+        }
+    }
+    $newCommits += $commit
+}
+
+Write-Host "New commits to process: $($newCommits.Count)"
+```
+
+## Why SHA-Based Methods Don't Work Here
+
+| Method | Works for same branch? | Works for cross-branch (cherry-picks)? |
+|--------|------------------------|----------------------------------------|
+| `git merge-base --is-ancestor` | ✅ Yes | ❌ No - different SHAs |
+| `git tag --contains` | ✅ Yes | ❌ No - tag is on different branch |
+| GitHub Compare API | ✅ Yes | ❌ No - returns commits by SHA |
+| **PR number matching** | ✅ Yes | ✅ **Yes** |
+
+## Skip Rules Summary
+
+| Priority | Condition | Action |
+|----------|-----------|--------|
+| 1 | PR number found in `git log $startTag --grep="#$prNumber"` | **SKIP** - cherry-picked |
+| 2 | Same PR number already processed in this run | **SKIP** - duplicate |
+| 3 | Bot author (dependabot, etc.) | **SKIP** - unless user-visible |
+| 4 | Internal-only change (CI, tests, refactor) | Move to **Development** section |
+
+## User-Facing vs Non-User-Facing
+
+**Include in changelog:**
+- New features and capabilities
+- Bug fixes that affect users
+- UI/UX improvements
+- Performance improvements users would notice
+- Breaking changes or behavior modifications
+- Security fixes
+
+**Exclude from changelog (put in Development section):**
+- Internal refactoring
+- CI/CD changes
+- Code style fixes
+- Test additions/modifications
+- Documentation-only changes
+- Dependency updates (unless user-visible impact)

.github/skills/changelog-generator/sub-skills/contributor-attribution.md

@@ -0,0 +1,110 @@
+# Contributor Attribution Rules
+
+This sub-skill defines when and how to credit contributors in changelog entries.
+
+## Attribution Rules
+
+- Check [COMMUNITY.md](../../../COMMUNITY.md) for the "PowerToys core team" section
+- If author is **NOT** in core team → Add `Thanks [@username](https://github.com/username)!`
+- If author **IS** in core team → No attribution needed
+- Microsoft employees working on PowerToys as their job → No attribution needed
+
+## Core Team Members
+
+Current core team members (from COMMUNITY.md) - do NOT thank these:
+
+```
+@craigloewen-msft, @niels9001, @dhowett, @yeelam-gordon, @jamrobot, 
+@lei9444, @shuaiyuanxx, @moooyo, @haoliuu, @chenmy77, @chemwolf6922,
+@yaqingmi, @zhaoqpcn, @urnotdfs, @zhaopy536, @wang563681252, @vanzue,
+@zadjii-msft, @khmyznikov, @chatasweetie, @MichaelJolley, @Jaylyn-Barbee,
+@zateutsch, @crutkas
+```
+
+## Check Author Script
+
+```powershell
+$coreTeam = @(
+    'craigloewen-msft', 'niels9001', 'dhowett', 'yeelam-gordon', 'jamrobot',
+    'lei9444', 'shuaiyuanxx', 'moooyo', 'haoliuu', 'chenmy77', 'chemwolf6922',
+    'yaqingmi', 'zhaoqpcn', 'urnotdfs', 'zhaopy536', 'wang563681252', 'vanzue',
+    'zadjii-msft', 'khmyznikov', 'chatasweetie', 'MichaelJolley', 'Jaylyn-Barbee',
+    'zateutsch', 'crutkas'
+)
+
+function Get-Attribution {
+    param([string]$author)
+    
+    if ($coreTeam -contains $author) {
+        return $null  # No attribution needed
+    }
+    return "Thanks [@$author](https://github.com/$author)!"
+}
+
+# Usage
+$author = gh pr view 12345 --repo microsoft/PowerToys --json author --jq '.author.login'
+$attribution = Get-Attribution $author
+if ($attribution) {
+    Write-Host "Add: $attribution"
+} else {
+    Write-Host "No attribution needed (core team member)"
+}
+```
+
+## Attribution Format
+
+**With attribution:**
+```markdown
+ - The Awake countdown timer now stays accurate over long periods. Thanks [@daverayment](https://github.com/daverayment)!
+```
+
+**Without attribution (core team):**
+```markdown
+ - Added new feature to Command Palette for opening settings.
+```
+
+## Special Cases
+
+1. **Co-authored commits**: Credit the primary author (first in list)
+2. **Bot accounts** (dependabot, etc.): No attribution
+3. **Former core team members**: Check if they were core team at time of PR
+4. **Multiple PRs by same external contributor**: Thank them on each entry
+
+## High-Impact Community Members
+
+These contributors have made significant ongoing contributions and are recognized in COMMUNITY.md.
+**ALWAYS thank these contributors** - they are NOT core team and deserve recognition:
+
+```
+@davidegiacometti, @htcfreek, @daverayment, @jiripolasek
+```
+
+Check COMMUNITY.md for the full up-to-date list under "High impact community members" section.
+
+## Updated Check Author Script
+
+```powershell
+$coreTeam = @(
+    'craigloewen-msft', 'niels9001', 'dhowett', 'yeelam-gordon', 'jamrobot',
+    'lei9444', 'shuaiyuanxx', 'moooyo', 'haoliuu', 'chenmy77', 'chemwolf6922',
+    'yaqingmi', 'zhaoqpcn', 'urnotdfs', 'zhaopy536', 'wang563681252', 'vanzue',
+    'zadjii-msft', 'khmyznikov', 'chatasweetie', 'MichaelJolley', 'Jaylyn-Barbee',
+    'zateutsch', 'crutkas'
+)
+
+# High-impact community members - ALWAYS thank these!
+$highImpactCommunity = @(
+    'davidegiacometti', 'htcfreek', 'daverayment', 'jiripolasek'
+)
+
+function Get-Attribution {
+    param([string]$author)
+    
+    # Core team and bots don't need thanks
+    if ($coreTeam -contains $author -or $author -match '\[bot\]$') {
+        return $null
+    }
+    # Everyone else (including high-impact community) gets thanked
+    return "Thanks [@$author](https://github.com/$author)!"
+}
+```

.github/skills/changelog-generator/sub-skills/github-api-reference.md

@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+# GitHub API Reference for Changelog Generation
+
+This sub-skill provides GitHub API commands and scripts for fetching commit and PR data.
+
+## Authentication
+
+```powershell
+# Ensure gh CLI is authenticated
+gh auth status
+
+# Or use personal access token
+$headers = @{ Authorization = "token $env:GITHUB_TOKEN" }
+```
+
+## Useful API Endpoints
+
+```powershell
+# Compare two refs (tags, branches, commits)
+gh api repos/microsoft/PowerToys/compare/v0.96.0...v0.96.1
+
+# List commits with pagination
+gh api "repos/microsoft/PowerToys/commits?per_page=100&page=1"
+
+# Get PR associated with a commit
+gh api repos/microsoft/PowerToys/commits/{sha}/pulls
+
+# Get PR details
+gh api repos/microsoft/PowerToys/pulls/{number}
+
+# Get files changed in a PR
+gh api repos/microsoft/PowerToys/pulls/{number}/files
+
+# Search PRs merged in date range
+gh api "search/issues?q=repo:microsoft/PowerToys+is:pr+is:merged+merged:2025-01-01..2025-01-31"
+```
+
+## Fetch Commits in Range
+
+```powershell
+$owner = "microsoft"
+$repo = "PowerToys"
+$startTag = "v0.96.0"
+$endTag = "v0.96.1"
+
+# Get all commits between two tags
+gh api repos/$owner/$repo/compare/$startTag...$endTag --jq '.commits[] | {sha: .sha, message: .commit.message, author: .author.login, date: .commit.author.date}'
+```
+
+## Get PR Details for a Commit
+
+```powershell
+# Get PR associated with a commit SHA
+gh api "repos/$owner/$repo/commits/{sha}/pulls" --jq '.[0] | {number: .number, title: .title, body: .body, user: .user.login, labels: [.labels[].name]}'
+
+# Get full PR details
+gh pr view 1234 --repo microsoft/PowerToys --json title,body,author,files,labels,mergedAt
+```
+
+## Batch Processing Script
+
+```powershell
+$startTag = "v0.96.0"
+$endTag = "v0.96.1"
+
+$commits = gh api repos/microsoft/PowerToys/compare/$startTag...$endTag --jq '.commits[].sha' | ForEach-Object {
+    $sha = $_
+    $prInfo = gh api "repos/microsoft/PowerToys/commits/$sha/pulls" 2>$null | ConvertFrom-Json
+    if ($prInfo) {
+        [PSCustomObject]@{
+            SHA = $sha
+            PRNumber = $prInfo[0].number
+            Title = $prInfo[0].title
+            Author = $prInfo[0].user.login
+            Labels = $prInfo[0].labels.name -join ", "
+        }
+    }
+}
+$commits | Format-Table
+```
+
+## Rate Limiting
+
+```powershell
+# Check remaining rate limit
+gh api rate_limit --jq '.rate'
+# Authenticated: 5000 requests/hour
+# Unauthenticated: 60 requests/hour
+```
+
+## Pagination for Large Results
+
+```powershell
+# GitHub API returns max 100 items per page
+$page = 1
+$allCommits = @()
+do {
+    $commits = gh api "repos/$owner/$repo/commits?per_page=100&page=$page" | ConvertFrom-Json
+    $allCommits += $commits
+    $page++
+} while ($commits.Count -eq 100)
+```

.github/skills/changelog-generator/sub-skills/module-mapping.md

@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+# PowerToys Module Path Mapping
+
+This sub-skill maps file paths to PowerToys module names for categorization.
+
+## Module Path Mapping Table
+
+| Module | Path Pattern |
+|--------|--------------|
+| Advanced Paste | `src/modules/AdvancedPaste/**` |
+| Always On Top | `src/modules/alwaysontop/**` |
+| Awake | `src/modules/Awake/**` |
+| Color Picker | `src/modules/colorPicker/**` |
+| Command Palette | `src/modules/cmdpal/**` |
+| Crop And Lock | `src/modules/CropAndLock/**` |
+| Environment Variables | `src/modules/EnvironmentVariables/**` |
+| FancyZones | `src/modules/fancyzones/**` |
+| File Explorer Add-ons | `src/modules/previewpane/**`, `src/modules/FileExplorerPreview/**` |
+| File Locksmith | `src/modules/FileLocksmith/**` |
+| Find My Mouse | `src/modules/MouseUtils/FindMyMouse/**` |
+| Hosts File Editor | `src/modules/Hosts/**` |
+| Image Resizer | `src/modules/imageresizer/**` |
+| Keyboard Manager | `src/modules/keyboardmanager/**` |
+| Light Switch | `src/modules/LightSwitch/**` |
+| Mouse Highlighter | `src/modules/MouseUtils/MouseHighlighter/**` |
+| Mouse Jump | `src/modules/MouseUtils/MouseJump/**` |
+| Mouse Pointer Crosshairs | `src/modules/MouseUtils/MousePointerCrosshairs/**` |
+| Mouse Without Borders | `src/modules/MouseWithoutBorders/**` |
+| New+ | `src/modules/NewPlus/**` |
+| Paste As Plain Text | `src/modules/PastePlain/**` |
+| Peek | `src/modules/Peek/**` |
+| PowerRename | `src/modules/powerrename/**` |
+| PowerToys Run | `src/modules/launcher/**` |
+| Quick Accent | `src/modules/QuickAccent/**` |
+| Registry Preview | `src/modules/RegistryPreview/**` |
+| Screen Ruler | `src/modules/MeasureTool/**` |
+| Shortcut Guide | `src/modules/ShortcutGuide/**` |
+| Text Extractor | `src/modules/TextExtractor/**` |
+| Video Conference Mute | `src/modules/videoconference/**` |
+| Workspaces | `src/modules/Workspaces/**` |
+| ZoomIt | `src/modules/ZoomIt/**` |
+| Settings | `src/settings-ui/**` |
+| Runner | `src/runner/**` |
+| Installer | `installer/**` |
+| General / Infrastructure | `src/common/**`, `.github/**`, `tools/**` |
+
+## Categorization by PR Labels
+
+Common PowerToys PR labels for modules:
+- `Product-FancyZones`
+- `Product-PowerToys Run`
+- `Product-Awake`
+- `Product-ColorPicker`
+- `Product-Keyboard Manager`
+- etc.
+
+## Auto-Categorization Script
+
+```powershell
+function Get-ModuleFromPath {
+    param([string]$filePath)
+    
+    $moduleMap = @{
+        'src/modules/AdvancedPaste/' = 'Advanced Paste'
+        'src/modules/alwaysontop/' = 'Always On Top'
+        'src/modules/Awake/' = 'Awake'
+        'src/modules/colorPicker/' = 'Color Picker'
+        'src/modules/cmdpal/' = 'Command Palette'
+        'src/modules/CropAndLock/' = 'Crop And Lock'
+        'src/modules/EnvironmentVariables/' = 'Environment Variables'
+        'src/modules/fancyzones/' = 'FancyZones'
+        'src/modules/previewpane/' = 'File Explorer Add-ons'
+        'src/modules/FileExplorerPreview/' = 'File Explorer Add-ons'
+        'src/modules/FileLocksmith/' = 'File Locksmith'
+        'src/modules/MouseUtils/FindMyMouse/' = 'Find My Mouse'
+        'src/modules/Hosts/' = 'Hosts File Editor'
+        'src/modules/imageresizer/' = 'Image Resizer'
+        'src/modules/keyboardmanager/' = 'Keyboard Manager'
+        'src/modules/LightSwitch/' = 'Light Switch'
+        'src/modules/MouseUtils/MouseHighlighter/' = 'Mouse Highlighter'
+        'src/modules/MouseUtils/MouseJump/' = 'Mouse Jump'
+        'src/modules/MouseUtils/MousePointerCrosshairs/' = 'Mouse Pointer Crosshairs'
+        'src/modules/MouseWithoutBorders/' = 'Mouse Without Borders'
+        'src/modules/NewPlus/' = 'New+'
+        'src/modules/PastePlain/' = 'Paste As Plain Text'
+        'src/modules/Peek/' = 'Peek'
+        'src/modules/powerrename/' = 'PowerRename'
+        'src/modules/launcher/' = 'PowerToys Run'
+        'src/modules/QuickAccent/' = 'Quick Accent'
+        'src/modules/RegistryPreview/' = 'Registry Preview'
+        'src/modules/MeasureTool/' = 'Screen Ruler'
+        'src/modules/ShortcutGuide/' = 'Shortcut Guide'
+        'src/modules/TextExtractor/' = 'Text Extractor'
+        'src/modules/videoconference/' = 'Video Conference Mute'
+        'src/modules/Workspaces/' = 'Workspaces'
+        'src/modules/ZoomIt/' = 'ZoomIt'
+        'src/settings-ui/' = 'Settings'
+        'src/runner/' = 'Runner'
+        'installer/' = 'Installer'
+        'src/common/' = 'General'
+        '.github/' = 'Development'
+        'tools/' = 'Development'
+    }
+    
+    foreach ($pattern in $moduleMap.Keys) {
+        if ($filePath -like "*$pattern*") {
+            return $moduleMap[$pattern]
+        }
+    }
+    return 'General'
+}
+
+# Usage: categorize a PR by its changed files
+$files = gh pr view 12345 --repo microsoft/PowerToys --json files --jq '.files[].path'
+$modules = $files | ForEach-Object { Get-ModuleFromPath $_ } | Sort-Object -Unique
+Write-Host "PR affects modules: $($modules -join ', ')"
+```
+
+## Output Organization
+
+Modules should be listed in **alphabetical order** in the changelog:
+
+```markdown
+### Advanced Paste
+ - ...
+
+### Awake
+ - ...
+
+### Command Palette
+ - ...
+
+### General
+ - ...
+
+### Development
+ - ...
+```

.github/skills/changelog-generator/sub-skills/progress-tracking.md

@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+# Progress Tracking for Large Changelogs
+
+This sub-skill provides the checkpoint mechanism for processing many commits without losing progress.
+
+## When to Use Progress Tracking
+
+- Processing 50+ commits
+- Long-running changelog generation
+- Risk of context overflow in AI conversations
+
+## Checkpoint Mechanism
+
+1. **Before starting**: Create a progress tracking file `release-notes-progress.md`
+2. **After each batch**: Append processed results to `release-change-note-draft.md`
+3. **Track position**: Record the last processed commit SHA in `release-notes-progress.md`
+
+## Progress File Template
+
+Create `release-notes-progress.md`:
+
+```markdown
+# Release Notes Generation Progress
+
+## Configuration
+- Start Tag: v0.96.0
+- End Tag: v0.96.1
+- Total Commits: 127
+- Batch Size: 20
+
+## Progress Tracker
+| Batch | Status | Last SHA | PRs Processed |
+|-------|--------|----------|---------------|
+| 1 (1-20) | ✅ Done | abc1234 | #1001, #1002, #1003... |
+| 2 (21-40) | ✅ Done | def5678 | #1004, #1005... |
+| 3 (41-60) | 🔄 In Progress | ghi9012 | #1006... |
+| 4 (61-80) | ⏳ Pending | - | - |
+| 5 (81-100) | ⏳ Pending | - | - |
+| 6 (101-120) | ⏳ Pending | - | - |
+| 7 (121-127) | ⏳ Pending | - | - |
+
+## Processed PRs (deduplication list)
+#1001, #1002, #1003, #1004, #1005, #1006
+
+## Last Checkpoint
+- Timestamp: 2025-01-07 10:30:00
+- Last processed commit: ghi9012
+- Next commit to process: jkl3456
+```
+
+## Batch Processing Workflow
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ 1. Get total commit count and create progress file          │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+                              ▼
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ 2. Filter: Skip commits already in start tag                │
+│    - Check if commit is ancestor of start tag               │
+│    - Skip cherry-picks or backports already released        │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+                              ▼
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ 3. Process batch of 15-20 commits                           │
+│    - Fetch commit details                                   │
+│    - Get associated PRs                                     │
+│    - Generate changelog entries                             │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+                              ▼
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ 4. CHECKPOINT: Save progress                                │
+│    - Append entries to release-change-note-draft.md         │
+│    - Update release-notes-progress.md with last SHA         │
+│    - Record processed PR numbers                            │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+                              ▼
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ 5. Check: More commits remaining?                           │
+│    YES → Go to step 3 with next batch                       │
+│    NO  → Go to step 6                                       │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+                              ▼
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ 6. Final merge and formatting                               │
+│    - Combine all batches                                    │
+│    - Deduplicate by PR number                               │
+│    - Sort by module alphabetically                          │
+│    - Add highlights section                                 │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+## Resuming from Checkpoint
+
+If interrupted, read `release-notes-progress.md` to find:
+1. Which batch was last completed
+2. The SHA of the last processed commit
+3. Which PRs have already been processed (for deduplication)
+
+Then continue from the next unprocessed commit:
+
+```powershell
+# Find where you left off
+$lastSha = "abc1234"  # from progress file
+$remainingShas = gh api repos/microsoft/PowerToys/compare/$lastSha...main --jq '.commits[].sha'
+```
+
+## Batch Size Recommendations
+
+| Total Commits | Recommended Batch Size |
+|---------------|------------------------|
+| < 30 | Process all at once |
+| 30-100 | 15-20 per batch |
+| 100-300 | 20 per batch |
+| 300+ | 25 per batch + parallel processing |
+
+## Deduplication
+
+Track processed PR numbers to avoid duplicates:
+- Same PR can appear multiple times (multiple commits)
+- Cherry-picks may reference same PR
+- Always check `Processed PRs` list before generating entry

.github/skills/changelog-generator/sub-skills/user-facing-description.md

@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+# Generating User-Facing Descriptions
+
+This sub-skill explains how to transform technical PR/commit info into user-friendly changelog entries.
+
+## Information Sources (Priority Order)
+
+1. **PR Title** - Often the best summary, already user-facing
+2. **PR Description/Body** - Look for "What does this PR do?" or summary sections
+3. **Commit Message** - First line is usually descriptive
+4. **Changed Files** - Infer the impact from what was modified
+5. **PR Labels** - Indicate type (bug, feature, enhancement)
+
+## Data Collection Command
+
+```powershell
+# Get all relevant info for a PR
+$prNumber = 12345
+$prData = gh pr view $prNumber --repo microsoft/PowerToys --json title,body,author,files,labels,mergedAt
+
+# Parse the data
+$pr = $prData | ConvertFrom-Json
+Write-Host "Title: $($pr.title)"
+Write-Host "Author: $($pr.author.login)"
+Write-Host "Labels: $($pr.labels.name -join ', ')"
+Write-Host "Files changed: $($pr.files.Count)"
+Write-Host "Body preview: $($pr.body.Substring(0, [Math]::Min(500, $pr.body.Length)))"
+```
+
+## Transformation Rules
+
+| Source Info | Transformation | Example Output |
+|-------------|----------------|----------------|
+| PR Title: "Fix null reference in FancyZones editor" | Describe the fix from user perspective | "Fixed a crash that could occur when editing zone layouts." |
+| PR Title: "Add support for XYZ format" | State the new capability | "Added support for XYZ format in File Explorer preview." |
+| PR Title: "[FancyZones] Refactor grid logic" | Check if user-visible; if not → Development section | (Development) "Refactored FancyZones grid logic for improved maintainability." |
+| PR with label "bug" | Frame as a fix | "Fixed an issue where..." |
+| PR with label "enhancement" | Frame as improvement | "Improved..." or "Enhanced..." |
+
+## Description Generation Process
+
+```
+┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ INPUT: PR #12345                                               │
+│ Title: "Fix Awake timer drift after system sleep"              │
+│ Body: "The timer was resetting incorrectly when the system     │
+│        resumed from sleep, causing the countdown to be wrong." │
+│ Author: @daverayment                                           │
+│ Labels: [bug, Product-Awake]                                   │
+└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+                              ▼
+┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ ANALYSIS:                                                      │
+│ 1. Is it user-facing? YES (timer behavior affects users)       │
+│ 2. Category: Bug fix                                           │
+│ 3. Module: Awake (from label + file paths)                     │
+│ 4. Author in core team? NO → needs attribution                 │
+└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+                              ▼
+┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ OUTPUT:                                                        │
+│ "The Awake countdown timer now stays accurate over long        │
+│  periods. Thanks [@daverayment](https://github.com/daverayment)!" │
+└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+## Writing Style Guidelines
+
+**DO:**
+- Start with what changed or what users can now do
+- Use active voice: "Added...", "Fixed...", "Improved..."
+- Be specific about the benefit to users
+- Keep it concise (1-2 sentences max)
+- Include link to documentation if it's a new feature
+
+**DON'T:**
+- Use technical jargon users won't understand
+- Reference internal code names, file names, or class names
+- Say "Fixed bug" without explaining what was wrong
+- Include PR numbers in the description (they're tracked separately)
+
+## Example Transformations
+
+| Technical PR Title | User-Facing Description |
+|--------------------|------------------------|
+| "Fix NRE in FZEditor when zones is null" | "Fixed a crash that could occur when opening the FancyZones editor with no saved layouts." |
+| "Add ExifTool integration for PowerRename" | "PowerRename can now extract and use photo metadata (EXIF, XMP) in renaming patterns like `%Camera`, `%Lens`, and `%ExposureTime`." |
+| "Perf: Reduce memory allocation in PT Run" | "Improved PowerToys Run startup performance and reduced memory usage." |
+| "Update Newtonsoft.Json to 13.0.3" | (Development) "Updated Newtonsoft.Json dependency." OR skip if no user impact |
+| "Add unit tests for color picker" | SKIP - not user-facing |
+| "Fix typo in settings UI" | "Fixed a typo in the Settings interface." (only if visible to users) |
+
+## Context-Aware Description
+
+Sometimes you need to read the PR body or changed files to understand the impact:
+
+```powershell
+# If PR title is unclear, check the body for context
+$prBody = gh pr view 12345 --repo microsoft/PowerToys --json body --jq '.body'
+
+# Look for common patterns in PR descriptions:
+# - "## Summary" or "## Description"
+# - "This PR fixes/adds/improves..."
+# - "Before/After" comparisons
+# - Screenshots (indicate UI changes)
+
+# Check what files changed to understand scope
+$files = gh pr view 12345 --repo microsoft/PowerToys --json files --jq '.files[].path'
+# If mostly .xaml files → UI change
+# If mostly .cs/.cpp in one module → module-specific change
+# If in src/common/ → potentially affects multiple modules
+```
+
+## Handling Ambiguous PRs
+
+If a PR's impact is unclear:
+1. **Check the linked issue** - often has user-reported symptoms
+2. **Look at file changes** - understand what was modified
+3. **Check PR comments** - may have discussion about user impact
+4. **When in doubt** - put in Development section or ask for clarification