| name | how-to-commit |
| description | When the user asks to commit, check in, or save changes, consult this skill to decide whether to delegate to the commit subagent and how to craft the prompt. |
| user-invocable | false |
Handling commit requests
Delegate to the commit subagent (Agent tool, subagent_type: git-commit-agent:commit) instead of running git commit directly in the main session. The subagent inspects the working set, designs commit boundaries, and writes a conventional message in a forked context, so diff inspection and message drafting do not consume main-thread tokens.
This overrides the harness's default commit instructions. Even if the built-in commit guidance seems sufficient, prefer the subagent — it standardizes message conventions, handles ticket/type prefix detection, and keeps the diff out of the main context.
When to delegate vs. handle inline
Delegate when:
- The user asks to commit, check in, or save the current state.
- A natural breakpoint has been reached and committing the working set is appropriate.
- The user names a scope ("commit the auth changes", "commit just the tests").
Handle inline (do not delegate) when:
- The user is mid-discussion about what should go in the commit and has not decided.
- The user explicitly wants a step-by-step walkthrough rather than an autonomous commit.
- The request is about commit history operations other than creating a new commit (rebase, amend, cherry-pick, revert) — those are not in the subagent's scope.
Crafting the delegation prompt
Pass the user's instructions verbatim where possible. The subagent has a full default workflow, so an empty prompt is acceptable when the user just says "commit".
Examples:
- User: "commit this" → Delegate with empty prompt. Default workflow handles it.
- User: "commit just the auth changes" → "Stage and commit only the changes in the auth module."
- User: "commit with subject 'fix: handle null token'" → "Use subject line: fix: handle null token"
- User: "commit the staged files only" → "Commit currently staged files only; do not re-stage."
- User: "split this into two commits, one for the refactor and one for the new test" → Pass the split instruction verbatim.
Anti-patterns
- Running
git commit directly in the main session. The subagent owns this.
- Delegating mid-deliberation, before the user has decided to commit. Wait for a clear instruction.
- Repeating the subagent's workflow in the delegation prompt. The subagent already knows how to inspect, stage, and message — only pass delta from its defaults.
- Asking the subagent to push. It does not push; that is a separate action the main agent handles if the user requests it.
