diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index a908648a44..cc41860190 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -9,5 +9,5 @@ Fixes #(issue)
 # Please indicate you've done the following:
 
 - [ ] [Accepted the DCO](https://velero.io/docs/v1.5/code-standards/#dco-sign-off). Commits without the DCO will delay acceptance.
-- [ ] [Created a changelog file](https://velero.io/docs/v1.5/code-standards/#adding-a-changelog) or added `/kind changelog-not-required` as a comment on this pull request.
+- [ ] [Created a changelog file (`make new-changelog`)](https://velero.io/docs/main/code-standards/#adding-a-changelog) or comment `/kind changelog-not-required` on this PR.
 - [ ] Updated the corresponding documentation in `site/content/docs/main`.
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 8950bbc1b2..401ee47d0c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -377,4 +377,22 @@ test-perf: local
 	$(MAKE) -e VERSION=$(VERSION) -C test/ run-perf
 
 go-generate:
-	go generate ./pkg/...
\ No newline at end of file
+	go generate ./pkg/...
+
+# requires an authenticated gh cli
+# gh: https://cli.github.com/
+# First create a PR
+# gh pr create --title 'Title name' --body 'PR body'
+# by default uses PR title as changelog body but can be overwritten like so
+# make new-changelog CHANGELOG_BODY="Changes you have made"
+new-changelog: GH_LOGIN ?= $(shell gh pr view --json author --jq .author.login 2> /dev/null)
+new-changelog: GH_PR_NUMBER ?= $(shell gh pr view --json number --jq .number 2> /dev/null)
+new-changelog: CHANGELOG_BODY ?= "$(shell gh pr view --json title --jq .title)"
+new-changelog:
+	@if [ "$(GH_LOGIN)" = "" ]; then \
+		echo "branch does not have PR or cli not logged in, try 'gh auth login' or 'gh pr create'"; \
+		exit 1; \
+	fi
+	@mkdir -p ./changelogs/unreleased/ && \
+	echo $(CHANGELOG_BODY) > ./changelogs/unreleased/$(GH_PR_NUMBER)-$(GH_LOGIN) && \
+	echo "\"$(CHANGELOG_BODY)\" added to ./changelogs/unreleased/$(GH_PR_NUMBER)-$(GH_LOGIN)"
diff --git a/site/content/docs/main/code-standards.md b/site/content/docs/main/code-standards.md
index 36984612f7..a8edd49ffe 100644
--- a/site/content/docs/main/code-standards.md
+++ b/site/content/docs/main/code-standards.md
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ changelog.
 
 Add that to the PR.
 
+A command to do this is `make new-changelog CHANGELOG_BODY="Changes you have made"`
+
 If a PR does not warrant a changelog, the CI check for a changelog can be skipped by applying a `changelog-not-required` label on the PR. If you are making a PR on a release branch, you should still make a new file in the `changelogs/unreleased` folder on the release branch for your change. 
 
 ## Copyright header