diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/_free_notes.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/_free_notes.md.tera
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c4a841a992515a0016f8aec99cc0038e7428cafb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/_free_notes.md.tera
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+
+{# This file uses the Markdown format with additional templating such as this comment. -#}
+{# Such a comment will not show up in the rendered release notes. -#}
+{# The content of this file (if any) will be inserted at the top of the release notes -#}
+{# and generated for each new release candidate. -#}
+{# Ensure you leave an empty line at both top and bottom of this file. -#}
+
+<!-- Such a comment will be rendered but remain invisible in the rendered markdown -->
+<!-- Edit below this line -->
+<!-- Edit above this line -->
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/compiler.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/compiler.md.tera
index 0420a88c396536a6555938f7abb02992038b9873..6fa1baa6506197768fb1ac82b1961daa8ac5f9fa 100644
--- a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/compiler.md.tera
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/compiler.md.tera
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
## Rust compiler versions
-This release was tested against the following versions of `rustc`. Other versions may work.
+This release was built and tested against the following versions of `rustc`.
+Other versions may work.
- Rust Stable: `{{ env.RUSTC_STABLE }}`
- Rust Nightly: `{{ env.RUSTC_NIGHTLY }}`
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/debug.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/debug.md.tera
index 29ac673a39403964b5c32707e4c4cdd68944ac28..41f3702d7c0159a94de07835063cdc9afa2a6e48 100644
--- a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/debug.md.tera
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/debug.md.tera
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
{%- set to_ignore = changes | filter(attribute="meta.B.value", value=0) %}
<!--
-## Debug
-
changes:
- total: {{ changes | length }}
- silent: {{ to_ignore | length }}
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/docker_image.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/docker_image.md.tera
index 59f631106b5509ddd5e00d65cc52685ee6342b38..5311f18a18a2830146b422cc39d30f3db10d07fd 100644
--- a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/docker_image.md.tera
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/docker_image.md.tera
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
-<!--
+
## Docker images
-The docker image for this release can be found in [Docker hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/parity/polkadot-collator/tags?page=1&ordering=last_updated).
+The docker image for this release can be found in [Docker hub](https://hub.docker.com/r/parity/polkadot-collator/tags?page=1&ordering=last_updated)
+(It will be available a few minutes after this release was published).
You may also pull it with:
```
docker pull parity/polkadot-collator:latest
```
--->
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/host_functions.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/host_functions.md.tera
index 9f954078da20e70330927e9f19619b7a8462dc8e..46efc8cae929d5594ad51e5a491b04bce8425969 100644
--- a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/host_functions.md.tera
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/host_functions.md.tera
@@ -15,16 +15,16 @@
<!-- {{ host_fn_count }} host functions were detected -->
-{%- if host_fn_count == 0 -%}
-<!-- â„¹ï¸ This release does not contain any new host functions. -->
-{% elif host_fn_count == 1 -%}
## Host functions
+{%- if host_fn_count == 0 %}
+â„¹ï¸ This release does not contain any new host functions.
+{% elif host_fn_count == 1 -%}
âš ï¸ The runtimes in this release contain one new **host function**.
-âš ï¸ It is critical that you update your client before the chain switches to the new runtimes.
+âš ï¸ It is critical that you update your client before the chain switches to the new runtime.
{%- else -%}
âš ï¸ The runtimes in this release contain {{ host_fn_count }} new **host function{{ host_fn_count | pluralize }}**.
-âš ï¸ It is critical that you update your client before the chain switches to the new runtimes.
+âš ï¸ It is critical that you update your client before the chain switches to the new runtime.
{%- endif %}
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/migrations-db.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/migrations-db.md.tera
index d2fd8105e415d70d9d87994ab168d4fcd85643ad..02fbbf89d189530512c9b582b7f7fa5073ace7ef 100644
--- a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/migrations-db.md.tera
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/migrations-db.md.tera
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
{% endfor -%}
{%- if db_migration_count == 0 -%}
-No Database migration detected in this release.
+â„¹ï¸ There is no database migration in this release.
{% else %}
-There is {{ db_migration_count }} database migration(s) in this release.
+âš ï¸ There is {{ db_migration_count }} database migration(s) in this release.
Database migrations are operations bringing your database to the latest stand.
Some migrations may break compatibility and making a backup of your database is highly recommended.
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/migrations-runtime.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/migrations-runtime.md.tera
index 36529e0d21ed472239a2abec8b0aa763f8991280..4d357598cffe36be36c69bf55a28373b28df0479 100644
--- a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/migrations-runtime.md.tera
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/migrations-runtime.md.tera
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@
{% endfor -%}
{%- if runtime_migration_count == 0 -%}
-No Runtime migration detected in this release.
+â„¹ï¸ There is no runtime migration in this release.
{% else %}
-There is {{ runtime_migration_count }} runtime migration(s) in this release.
+âš ï¸ There is {{ runtime_migration_count }} runtime migration(s) in this release.
Runtime migrations are operations running once during a runtime upgrade.
{%- endif %}
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/pre_release.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/pre_release.md.tera
index 53a0e906541274735d50e9ef8df33e25aab97549..cb242e903102417f0c10d59c58c96e69095aea99 100644
--- a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/pre_release.md.tera
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/pre_release.md.tera
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
**Release candidates** are **pre-releases** may not be final.
Although they are reasonably tested, there may be additional changes or issues
before an official release is tagged. Use at your own discretion, and consider
-only using published releases on critical production infrastructure.
+only using final releases on critical production infrastructure.
</details>
{% else -%}
<!-- NOT a pre-release-->
diff --git a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/template.md.tera b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/template.md.tera
index e6e800fd9c7ca7c54e2a65d177f6a074ae647cca..42d0c9f57036cc913e3f8e2d172f1bfd18dd5e60 100644
--- a/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/template.md.tera
+++ b/polkadot/scripts/ci/changelog/templates/template.md.tera
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
{% include "pre_release.md.tera" -%}
{% if env.PRE_RELEASE == "true" -%}
-This pre-release contains the changes from `{{ env.REF1 }}` to `{{ env.REF2 }}`.
+This pre-release contains the changes from `{{ env.REF1 | replace(from="refs/tags/", to="") }}` to `{{ env.REF2 | replace(from="refs/tags/", to="") }}`.
{%- else -%}
This release contains the changes from `{{ env.REF1 }}` to `{{ env.REF2 }}`.
{% endif -%}
@@ -15,15 +15,21 @@ This release contains the changes from `{{ env.REF1 }}` to `{{ env.REF2 }}`.
{%- set DOT = "[P]" -%}
{%- set SUB = "[S]" -%}
+{# -- Manual free notes section -- #}
+{% include "_free_notes.md.tera" -%}
+{# --------------------------------- #}
+
+{# -- Important automatic section -- #}
{% include "global_priority.md.tera" -%}
{% include "host_functions.md.tera" -%}
-{% include "compiler.md.tera" -%}
-
{% include "migrations-db.md.tera" -%}
{% include "migrations-runtime.md.tera" -%}
+{# --------------------------------- #}
+
+{% include "compiler.md.tera" -%}
{% include "runtimes.md.tera" -%}