diff --git a/.goreleaser.yaml b/.goreleaser.yaml
index 16af0b0e7924..ea916a107bf3 100644
--- a/.goreleaser.yaml
+++ b/.goreleaser.yaml
@@ -53,16 +53,16 @@ changelog:
     - go mod tidy
   groups:
     - title: Dependency updates
-      regexp: "^.*(feat|fix)\\(deps\\)*:+.*$"
+      regexp: '^[0-9a-h]+ (feat|fix)\(deps\):.+$'
       order: 300
     - title: 'New Features'
-      regexp: "^.*feat[(\\w)]*:+.*$"
+      regexp: '^[0-9a-h]+ feat(\([[:word:]]+\))??:.+$'
       order: 100
     - title: 'Bug fixes'
-      regexp: "^.*fix[(\\w)]*:+.*$"
+      regexp: '^[0-9a-h]+ fix(\([[:word:]]+\))??:.+$'
       order: 200
     - title: 'Documentation updates'
-      regexp: "^.*docs[(\\w)]*:+.*$"
+      regexp: ^[0-9a-h]+ doc(\([[:word:]]+\))??:.+$
       order: 400
     - title: Other work
       order: 9999
diff --git a/internal/pipe/changelog/changelog_test.go b/internal/pipe/changelog/changelog_test.go
index 55bc2deab4b8..2538e068b8f2 100644
--- a/internal/pipe/changelog/changelog_test.go
+++ b/internal/pipe/changelog/changelog_test.go
@@ -638,12 +638,12 @@ func TestGroup(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 				{
 					Title:  "Features",
-					Regexp: "^.*feat[(\\w)]*:+.*$",
+					Regexp: `^[0-9a-h]+ feat(\([[:word:]]+\))??!?:.+$`,
 					Order:  0,
 				},
 				{
 					Title:  "Bug Fixes",
-					Regexp: "^.*bug[(\\w)]*:+.*$",
+					Regexp: `^[0-9a-h]+ bug(\([[:word:]]+\))??!?:.+$`,
 					Order:  1,
 				},
 				{
@@ -680,13 +680,13 @@ func TestGroupBadRegex(t *testing.T) {
 			Groups: []config.ChangeLogGroup{
 				{
 					Title:  "Something",
-					Regexp: "^.*feat[(\\w", // unterminated regex
+					Regexp: "^.*feat[a-z", // unterminated regex
 				},
 			},
 		},
 	})
 	ctx.Git.CurrentTag = "v0.0.2"
-	require.EqualError(t, Pipe{}.Run(ctx), `failed to group into "Something": error parsing regexp: missing closing ]: `+"`"+`[(\w`+"`")
+	require.EqualError(t, Pipe{}.Run(ctx), "failed to group into \"Something\": error parsing regexp: missing closing ]: `[a-z`")
 }
 
 func TestChangelogFormat(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/www/docs/customization/changelog.md b/www/docs/customization/changelog.md
index 30f195612188..694e690d071c 100644
--- a/www/docs/customization/changelog.md
+++ b/www/docs/customization/changelog.md
@@ -51,14 +51,15 @@ changelog:
   # Order value defines the order of the groups.
   # Proving no regex means all commits will be grouped under the default group.
   # Groups are disabled when using github-native, as it already groups things by itself.
+  # Matches are performed against strings of the form: "<abbrev-commit> <title-commit>".
   #
   # Default is no groups.
   groups:
     - title: Features
-      regexp: "^.*feat[(\\w)]*:+.*$"
+      regexp: '^[0-9a-h]+ feat(\([[:word:]]+\))??!?:.+$'
       order: 0
     - title: 'Bug fixes'
-      regexp: "^.*fix[(\\w)]*:+.*$"
+      regexp: '^[0-9a-h]+ bug(\([[:word:]]+\))??!?:.+$'
       order: 1
     - title: Others
       order: 999