diff --git a/doc/changes/unreleased.md b/doc/changes/unreleased.md
index e40582771..c65f06fc6 100644
--- a/doc/changes/unreleased.md
+++ b/doc/changes/unreleased.md
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@
 ## Features
 
 * #649: Restricted noxconfig usage throughout exasol.toolbox to only exasol.toolbox.nox.*
+* #647: Added summary to changelog template
diff --git a/exasol/toolbox/util/release/changelog.py b/exasol/toolbox/util/release/changelog.py
index e2df8aa6f..5393e0de5 100644
--- a/exasol/toolbox/util/release/changelog.py
+++ b/exasol/toolbox/util/release/changelog.py
@@ -11,7 +11,16 @@
 from exasol.toolbox.util.dependencies.track_changes import DependencyChanges
 from exasol.toolbox.util.version import Version
 
-UNRELEASED_INITIAL_CONTENT = "# Unreleased\n"
+UNRELEASED_INITIAL_CONTENT = (
+    cleandoc(
+        """
+    # Unreleased
+
+    ## Summary
+    """
+    )
+    + "\n"
+)
 
 
 class Changelogs:
diff --git a/project-template/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/doc/changes/unreleased.md b/project-template/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/doc/changes/unreleased.md
index a1ecf841e..fb4737052 100644
--- a/project-template/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/doc/changes/unreleased.md
+++ b/project-template/{{cookiecutter.repo_name}}/doc/changes/unreleased.md
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 # Unreleased
 
+## Summary
diff --git a/test/unit/util/release/changelog_test.py b/test/unit/util/release/changelog_test.py
index 4c2df00a4..8a207d695 100644
--- a/test/unit/util/release/changelog_test.py
+++ b/test/unit/util/release/changelog_test.py
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@
 
 
 class SampleContent:
-    changelog = cleandoc(
+    changelog = "\n" + cleandoc(
         """
+        Summary of changes.
+
         ## Added
         * Added Awesome feature
 
@@ -127,9 +129,9 @@ def test_create_versioned_changelog(changelogs, mock_dependencies):
 
     @staticmethod
     def test_extract_unreleased_notes(changelogs, unreleased_md):
-        result = changelogs._extract_unreleased_notes()
-
-        assert result == SampleContent.changelog + "\n"
+        actual = changelogs._extract_unreleased_notes()
+        expected = "## Summary\n" + SampleContent.changelog + "\n"
+        assert actual == expected
 
     @staticmethod
     def test_describe_dependency_changes(changelogs, mock_dependencies):
@@ -182,6 +184,10 @@ def test_update_changelogs_for_release(
             == cleandoc(
                 f"""# 1.0.0 - {datetime.today().strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}
 
+            ## Summary
+
+            Summary of changes.
+
             ## Added
             * Added Awesome feature
 
@@ -218,17 +224,22 @@ def test_update_changelogs_for_release_with_no_dependencies(
         assert (
             saved_text
             == cleandoc(
-                f"""# 1.0.0 - {datetime.today().strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}
+                f"""
+                # 1.0.0 - {datetime.today().strftime('%Y-%m-%d')}
 
-            ## Added
-            * Added Awesome feature
+                ## Summary
 
-            ## Changed
-            * Some behaviour
+                Summary of changes.
 
-            ## Fixed
-            * Fixed nasty bug
-            """
+                ## Added
+                * Added Awesome feature
+
+                ## Changed
+                * Some behaviour
+
+                ## Fixed
+                * Fixed nasty bug
+                """
             )
             + "\n"
         )