# X_RELEASE_UNRELEASED_MISSING

## Means

`CHANGELOG.md` has no `## [Unreleased]` heading, so a release has nothing to promote

## Typical cause

the heading was renamed or deleted. Refused before any manifest is written, and under `--dry-run` too — guessing where the release notes live is how a release ships the wrong section, and finding out after 47 files have moved is the expensive order to find it out in

## Fix

add `## [Unreleased]` under the preamble of `CHANGELOG.md`, above the newest version, then `bun run scripts/release.ts --bump patch --dry-run --json`

[CLI and verify](/error-codes#cli-and-verify)