diff --git a/.bumpy/clean-rich-deer.md b/.bumpy/clean-rich-deer.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..547d30a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.bumpy/clean-rich-deer.md
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+'@varlock/bumpy': patch
+---
diff --git a/packages/bumpy/src/core/changelog-github.ts b/packages/bumpy/src/core/changelog-github.ts
index 637b3ef..3341de4 100644
--- a/packages/bumpy/src/core/changelog-github.ts
+++ b/packages/bumpy/src/core/changelog-github.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { tryRunArgs } from '../utils/shell.ts';
 import type { ChangelogContext, ChangelogFormatter } from './changelog.ts';
+import { getBumpTypeForPackage, sortBumpFilesByType } from './changelog.ts';
 
 /** Authors filtered from "Thanks" attribution by default (e.g. bots) */
 /** Authors filtered from "Thanks" attribution by default (e.g. AI/automation bots) */
@@ -51,48 +52,53 @@ export function createGithubFormatter(options: GithubChangelogOptions = {}): Cha
 
     const lines: string[] = [];
     lines.push(`## ${release.newVersion}`);
-    lines.push('');
-    lines.push(`_${date}_`);
+    lines.push(`<sub>${date}</sub>`);
     lines.push('');
 
     const relevantBumpFiles = bumpFiles.filter((bf) => release.bumpFiles.includes(bf.id));
-
-    if (relevantBumpFiles.length > 0) {
-      for (const bf of relevantBumpFiles) {
-        if (!bf.summary) continue;
-
-        // Extract metadata overrides from summary (pr, commit, author lines)
-        const { cleanSummary, overrides } = extractSummaryMeta(bf.summary);
-
-        // Look up git/PR info, with overrides taking precedence
-        const gitInfo = resolveBumpFileInfo(bf.id, repoSlug, serverUrl, overrides);
-
-        const summaryLines = cleanSummary.split('\n');
-        const firstLine = linkifyIssueRefs(summaryLines[0]!, serverUrl, repoSlug);
-
-        // Build the prefix: PR link, commit link, thanks
-        const prefix = formatPrefix(
-          gitInfo,
-          serverUrl,
-          repoSlug,
-          includeCommitLink,
-          thankContributors,
-          internalAuthorsSet,
-        );
-
-        lines.push(`-${prefix ? ` ${prefix} -` : ''} ${firstLine}`);
-
-        // Include continuation lines
-        for (let i = 1; i < summaryLines.length; i++) {
-          if (summaryLines[i]!.trim()) {
-            lines.push(`  ${linkifyIssueRefs(summaryLines[i]!, serverUrl, repoSlug)}`);
-          }
+    const sorted = sortBumpFilesByType(relevantBumpFiles, release.name);
+
+    for (const bf of sorted) {
+      if (!bf.summary) continue;
+
+      const type = getBumpTypeForPackage(bf, release.name);
+      const tag = type !== release.type ? ` *(${type})*` : '';
+
+      // Extract metadata overrides from summary (pr, commit, author lines)
+      const { cleanSummary, overrides } = extractSummaryMeta(bf.summary);
+
+      // Look up git/PR info, with overrides taking precedence
+      const gitInfo = resolveBumpFileInfo(bf.id, repoSlug, serverUrl, overrides);
+
+      const summaryLines = cleanSummary.split('\n');
+      const firstLine = linkifyIssueRefs(summaryLines[0]!, serverUrl, repoSlug);
+
+      // Build the prefix: PR link, commit link, thanks
+      const { links, thanks } = formatPrefix(
+        gitInfo,
+        serverUrl,
+        repoSlug,
+        includeCommitLink,
+        thankContributors,
+        internalAuthorsSet,
+      );
+
+      // Assemble: links, tag, thanks, then summary
+      const parts = [links, tag, thanks].filter(Boolean);
+      const hasMeta = parts.length > 0;
+      lines.push(`- ${parts.join(' ')}${hasMeta ? ' - ' : ''}${firstLine}`);
+
+      // Include continuation lines
+      for (let i = 1; i < summaryLines.length; i++) {
+        if (summaryLines[i]!.trim()) {
+          lines.push(`  ${linkifyIssueRefs(summaryLines[i]!, serverUrl, repoSlug)}`);
         }
       }
     }
 
-    if (release.isDependencyBump && relevantBumpFiles.length === 0) {
-      lines.push('- Updated dependencies');
+    if (release.isDependencyBump) {
+      const depTag = release.type !== 'patch' ? ` *(patch)* -` : '';
+      lines.push(`-${depTag} Updated dependencies`);
     }
 
     if (release.isCascadeBump && !release.isDependencyBump && relevantBumpFiles.length === 0) {
@@ -263,8 +269,8 @@ function findBumpFileCommitInfo(bumpFileId: string, repo?: string): BumpFileGitI
 // ---- Formatting helpers ----
 
 /**
- * Build the prefix portion of a changelog line: PR link, commit link, thanks.
- * Matches the format used by @changesets/changelog-github.
+ * Build the prefix portions of a changelog line, split into links and thanks
+ * so the bump type tag can be inserted between them.
  */
 function formatPrefix(
   info: BumpFileGitInfo,
@@ -273,23 +279,24 @@ function formatPrefix(
   includeCommitLink: boolean,
   thankContributors: boolean,
   internalAuthors: Set<string>,
-): string {
-  const parts: string[] = [];
+): { links: string; thanks: string } {
+  const linkParts: string[] = [];
 
   if (info.prNumber && info.prUrl) {
-    parts.push(`[#${info.prNumber}](${info.prUrl})`);
+    linkParts.push(`[#${info.prNumber}](${info.prUrl})`);
   }
 
   if (includeCommitLink && info.commitHash && repo) {
     const short = info.commitHash.slice(0, 7);
-    parts.push(`[\`${short}\`](${serverUrl}/${repo}/commit/${info.commitHash})`);
+    linkParts.push(`[\`${short}\`](${serverUrl}/${repo}/commit/${info.commitHash})`);
   }
 
+  let thanks = '';
   if (thankContributors && info.author && !internalAuthors.has(info.author.toLowerCase())) {
-    parts.push(`Thanks [@${info.author}](${serverUrl}/${info.author})!`);
+    thanks = `Thanks [@${info.author}](${serverUrl}/${info.author})!`;
   }
 
-  return parts.join(' ');
+  return { links: linkParts.join(' '), thanks };
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/packages/bumpy/src/core/changelog.ts b/packages/bumpy/src/core/changelog.ts
index 706a190..9b5afb7 100644
--- a/packages/bumpy/src/core/changelog.ts
+++ b/packages/bumpy/src/core/changelog.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import { resolve, relative } from 'node:path';
 import { realpathSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { log } from '../utils/logger.ts';
-import type { BumpFile, PlannedRelease, BumpyConfig } from '../types.ts';
+import type { BumpFile, BumpType, PlannedRelease, BumpyConfig } from '../types.ts';
+import { BUMP_LEVELS } from '../types.ts';
 
 // ---- Formatter interface ----
 
@@ -19,35 +20,52 @@ export interface ChangelogContext {
  */
 export type ChangelogFormatter = (ctx: ChangelogContext) => string | Promise<string>;
 
+// ---- Bump type helpers ----
+
+/** Get the bump type a bump file applies to a specific package */
+export function getBumpTypeForPackage(bf: BumpFile, packageName: string): BumpType {
+  const rel = bf.releases.find((r) => r.name === packageName);
+  return rel?.type === 'none' ? 'patch' : (rel?.type ?? 'patch');
+}
+
+/** Sort bump files by bump type for a specific package (major → minor → patch) */
+export function sortBumpFilesByType(bumpFiles: BumpFile[], packageName: string): BumpFile[] {
+  return [...bumpFiles].sort((a, b) => {
+    const aLevel = BUMP_LEVELS[getBumpTypeForPackage(a, packageName)];
+    const bLevel = BUMP_LEVELS[getBumpTypeForPackage(b, packageName)];
+    return bLevel - aLevel;
+  });
+}
+
 // ---- Built-in formatters ----
 
-/** Default formatter — version heading, date, bullet points */
+/** Default formatter — version heading with date, bullet points sorted by bump type */
 export const defaultFormatter: ChangelogFormatter = (ctx) => {
   const { release, bumpFiles, date } = ctx;
   const lines: string[] = [];
   lines.push(`## ${release.newVersion}`);
-  lines.push('');
-  lines.push(`_${date}_`);
+  lines.push(`<sub>${date}</sub>`);
   lines.push('');
 
   const relevantBumpFiles = bumpFiles.filter((bf) => release.bumpFiles.includes(bf.id));
-
-  if (relevantBumpFiles.length > 0) {
-    for (const bf of relevantBumpFiles) {
-      if (bf.summary) {
-        const summaryLines = bf.summary.split('\n');
-        lines.push(`- ${summaryLines[0]}`);
-        for (let i = 1; i < summaryLines.length; i++) {
-          if (summaryLines[i]!.trim()) {
-            lines.push(`  ${summaryLines[i]}`);
-          }
-        }
+  const sorted = sortBumpFilesByType(relevantBumpFiles, release.name);
+
+  for (const bf of sorted) {
+    if (!bf.summary) continue;
+    const type = getBumpTypeForPackage(bf, release.name);
+    const tag = type !== release.type ? `*(${type})* ` : '';
+    const summaryLines = bf.summary.split('\n');
+    lines.push(`- ${tag}${summaryLines[0]}`);
+    for (let i = 1; i < summaryLines.length; i++) {
+      if (summaryLines[i]!.trim()) {
+        lines.push(`  ${summaryLines[i]}`);
       }
     }
   }
 
-  if (release.isDependencyBump && relevantBumpFiles.length === 0) {
-    lines.push('- Updated dependencies');
+  if (release.isDependencyBump) {
+    const tag = release.type !== 'patch' ? `*(patch)* ` : '';
+    lines.push(`- ${tag}Updated dependencies`);
   }
 
   if (release.isCascadeBump && !release.isDependencyBump && relevantBumpFiles.length === 0) {
@@ -153,7 +171,7 @@ export function prependToChangelog(existingContent: string, newEntry: string): s
     // Find the first ## after the # header
     const afterTitle = existingContent.indexOf('\n##');
     if (afterTitle !== -1) {
-      return existingContent.slice(0, afterTitle + 1) + '\n' + newEntry + existingContent.slice(afterTitle + 1);
+      return existingContent.slice(0, afterTitle + 1) + '\n' + newEntry + '\n' + existingContent.slice(afterTitle + 1);
     }
     // No existing entries, append after the title
     return existingContent.trimEnd() + '\n\n' + newEntry;
diff --git a/packages/bumpy/test/core/changelog-github.test.ts b/packages/bumpy/test/core/changelog-github.test.ts
index a29b8a7..21e8642 100644
--- a/packages/bumpy/test/core/changelog-github.test.ts
+++ b/packages/bumpy/test/core/changelog-github.test.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ describe('createGithubFormatter', () => {
     const result = await formatter({ release, bumpFiles, date: '2026-04-14' });
 
     expect(result).toContain('## 1.1.0');
-    expect(result).toContain('_2026-04-14_');
+    expect(result).toContain('<sub>2026-04-14</sub>');
     expect(result).toContain('Added feature X');
   });
 
diff --git a/packages/bumpy/test/core/changelog.test.ts b/packages/bumpy/test/core/changelog.test.ts
index 25123ad..7bfc51a 100644
--- a/packages/bumpy/test/core/changelog.test.ts
+++ b/packages/bumpy/test/core/changelog.test.ts
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ describe('defaultFormatter', () => {
     const result = await defaultFormatter({ release, bumpFiles, date: '2026-04-14' });
 
     expect(result).toContain('## 1.1.0');
-    expect(result).toContain('_2026-04-14_');
+    expect(result).toContain('<sub>2026-04-14</sub>');
     expect(result).toContain('- Added new feature');
-    expect(result).toContain('- Fixed a bug');
+    expect(result).toContain('- *(patch)* Fixed a bug');
+    // Minor (matching release type, no tag) should come before patch
+    expect(result.indexOf('Added new feature')).toBeLessThan(result.indexOf('Fixed a bug'));
   });
 
   test('formats dependency bump with no bump files', async () => {
@@ -115,7 +117,7 @@ describe('generateChangelogEntry', () => {
 
     const result = await generateChangelogEntry(release, [], undefined, '2020-01-01');
 
-    expect(result).toContain('_2020-01-01_');
+    expect(result).toContain('<sub>2020-01-01</sub>');
   });
 });