From 8ef9ae51ba2d20a2c6b97b287e6ec610a53cce3d Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Aaruni Kaushik <aaruni@edufor.me>
Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2026 20:42:28 +0100
Subject: [PATCH] Print a useful complaint instead of garbage when release
 notes section was not found in release notes: use body

---
 release-notes.py | 6 +++++-
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/release-notes.py b/release-notes.py
index d51899c..5136f4d 100644
--- a/release-notes.py
+++ b/release-notes.py
@@ -176,7 +176,11 @@ def body_to_release_notes(pr):
         ## not found
         ## complain and return fallback
         print(f"Release notes section not found in PR number {pr['number']}!!")
-        return body
+        return (
+            f"PR number {pr['number']} appears not to have a release notes section! Please check"
+             "that the body containes a second level heading (starting with `##`) named `Release "
+             "notes`, and have the entries as lists."
+        )
     index2 = body.find('\n', index1) + 1 # the first line after the release notes line
     bodylines = body[index2:].splitlines()
     mdstring = ""