diff --git a/scripts/semantic-commits/get-binary-release-data.js b/scripts/semantic-commits/get-binary-release-data.js
index be265cd1ae8f..82651189e5c9 100644
--- a/scripts/semantic-commits/get-binary-release-data.js
+++ b/scripts/semantic-commits/get-binary-release-data.js
@@ -7,7 +7,11 @@ const { getCurrentReleaseData } = require('./get-current-release-data')
 const { getNextVersionForBinary } = require('../get-next-version')
 const { getLinkedIssues } = require('./get-linked-issues')
 
-const octokit = new Octokit({ auth: process.env.GITHUB_TOKEN })
+if (process.env.CIRCLECI && !process.env.GH_TOKEN) {
+  throw new Error('The GITHUB_TOKEN env is not set.')
+}
+
+const octokit = new Octokit({ auth: process.env.GH_TOKEN })
 
 /**
  * Get the list of file names that have been added, deleted or changed since the git
diff --git a/scripts/semantic-commits/parse-changelog.js b/scripts/semantic-commits/parse-changelog.js
index b05c661086b0..786b61c62f70 100644
--- a/scripts/semantic-commits/parse-changelog.js
+++ b/scripts/semantic-commits/parse-changelog.js
@@ -2,12 +2,7 @@
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
 const { userFacingChanges } = require('./change-categories')
-
-const isValidSection = (section) => {
-  return Object.values(userFacingChanges).some((set) => {
-    return set.section === section
-  })
-}
+const userFacingSections = Object.values(userFacingChanges).map(({ section }) => section)
 
 async function parseChangelog (pendingRelease = true) {
   const changelog = fs.readFileSync(path.join(__dirname, '..', '..', 'cli', 'CHANGELOG.md'), 'utf8')
@@ -38,35 +33,39 @@ async function parseChangelog (pendingRelease = true) {
 
     if (index === 1) {
       if (!/^## \d+\.\d+\.\d+/.test(line)) {
-        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index} to include "## x.x.x"`)
+        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index + 1} to include "## x.x.x"`)
       }
 
       sections['version'] = line
     } else if (index === 3) {
       nextKnownLineBreak = index + 1
       if (pendingRelease && !/_Released \d+\/\d+\/\d+ \(PENDING\)_/.test(line)) {
-        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index} to include "_Released xx/xx/xxxx (PENDING)_"`)
+        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index + 1} to include "_Released xx/xx/xxxx (PENDING)_"`)
       } else if (!pendingRelease && !/_Released \d+\/\d+\/\d+__/.test(line)) {
-        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index} to include "_Released xx/xx/xxxx_"`)
+        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index + 1} to include "_Released xx/xx/xxxx_"`)
       }
 
       sections['releaseDate'] = line
     } else if (index === nextKnownLineBreak) {
       if (line !== '') {
-        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index} to be a line break`)
+        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index + 1} to be a line break`)
       }
     } else {
-      const result = /\*\*([A-Z])\w+:\*\*/.exec(line)
+      const result = /\*\*.+?:\*\*/.exec(line)
+
+      if (currentSection === '' && !result) {
+        throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index + 1} to be a valid section header. Received ${line}. Expected one of ...\n  - ${userFacingSections.join('\n  - ')}`)
+      }
 
       if (result) {
         const section = result[0]
 
-        if (!isValidSection(section)) {
-          throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index} to be a valid section header. Received ${section}. Expected one of ...`)
+        if (!userFacingSections.includes(section)) {
+          throw new Error(`Expected line number ${index + 1} to be a valid section header. Received ${section}. Expected one of ...\n  - ${userFacingSections.join('\n  - ')}`)
         }
 
         if (result === currentSection || sections[section]) {
-          throw new Error(`Duplicate section header of "${section}" on line number ${index}. Condense change content under a single section header.`)
+          throw new Error(`Duplicate section header of "${section}" on line number ${index + 1}. Condense change content under a single section header.`)
         }
 
         if (currentSection !== '') {
diff --git a/scripts/semantic-commits/validate-binary-changelog.js b/scripts/semantic-commits/validate-binary-changelog.js
index 865d2b557346..a4fd625d3c0d 100644
--- a/scripts/semantic-commits/validate-binary-changelog.js
+++ b/scripts/semantic-commits/validate-binary-changelog.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const changelog = async () => {
 
     const hasVersionBump = checkedInBinaryVersion !== latestReleaseInfo.version
 
-    if (process.env.CIRCLE_BRANCH !== 'develop' && !/^release\/\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/.test(process.env.CIRCLE_BRANCH) && !hasVersionBump) {
+    if (process.env.CIRCLE_BRANCH !== 'develop' && process.env.CIRCLE_BRANCH !== 'emily/changelog2' && !/^release\/\d+\.\d+\.\d+$/.test(process.env.CIRCLE_BRANCH) && !hasVersionBump) {
       console.log('Only verify the entire changelog for develop, a release branch or any branch that bumped to the Cypress version in the package.json.')
 
       return