ce-commit

name	ce-commit
description	Create a git commit with a clear, value-communicating message. Use when the user says "commit", "commit this", "save my changes", "create a commit", or wants to commit staged or unstaged work. Produces well-structured commit messages that follow repo conventions when they exist, and defaults to conventional commit format otherwise.

Git Commit

Create a single, well-crafted git commit from the current working tree changes.

Context

On platforms other than Claude Code, skip to the "Context fallback" section below and run the command there to gather context.

In Claude Code, the five labeled sections below (Git status, Working tree diff, Current branch, Recent commits, Remote default branch) contain pre-populated data. Use them directly throughout this skill -- do not re-run these commands.

Git status: !git status

Working tree diff: !git diff HEAD

Current branch: !git branch --show-current

Recent commits: !git log --oneline -10

Remote default branch: !git rev-parse --abbrev-ref origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo '__DEFAULT_BRANCH_UNRESOLVED__'

Context fallback

In Claude Code, skip this section — the data above is already available.

Run this single command to gather all context:

printf '=== STATUS ===\n'; git status; printf '\n=== DIFF ===\n'; git diff HEAD; printf '\n=== BRANCH ===\n'; git branch --show-current; printf '\n=== LOG ===\n'; git log --oneline -10; printf '\n=== DEFAULT_BRANCH ===\n'; git rev-parse --abbrev-ref origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo '__DEFAULT_BRANCH_UNRESOLVED__'

---

Workflow

Step 1: Gather context

Use the context above (git status, working tree diff, current branch, recent commits, remote default branch). All data needed for this step is already available -- do not re-run those commands.

The remote default branch value returns something like origin/main. Strip the origin/ prefix to get the branch name. If it returned __DEFAULT_BRANCH_UNRESOLVED__ or a bare HEAD, try:

gh repo view --json defaultBranchRef --jq '.defaultBranchRef.name'

If both fail, fall back to main.

If the git status from the context above shows a clean working tree (no staged, modified, or untracked files), report that there is nothing to commit and stop.

If the current branch from the context above is empty, the repository is in detached HEAD state. Explain that a branch is required before committing if the user wants this work attached to a branch. Ask whether to create a feature branch now. Use the platform's blocking question tool: AskUserQuestion in Claude Code (call ToolSearch with select:AskUserQuestion first if its schema isn't loaded), request_user_input in Codex, ask_user in Gemini, ask_user in Pi (requires the pi-ask-user extension). Fall back to presenting options in chat only when no blocking tool exists in the harness or the call errors (e.g., Codex edit modes) — not because a schema load is required. Never silently skip the question.

• If the user chooses to create a branch, derive the name from the change content, create it with git checkout -b <branch-name>, then run git branch --show-current again and use that result as the current branch name for the rest of the workflow.
• If the user declines, continue with the detached HEAD commit.

Step 2: Determine commit message convention

Follow this priority order:

1. Repo conventions already in context -- If project instructions (AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, or similar) are already loaded and specify commit message conventions, follow those. Do not re-read these files; they are loaded at session start.
2. Recent commit history -- If no explicit convention is documented, examine the 10 most recent commits from Step 1. If a clear pattern emerges (e.g., conventional commits, ticket prefixes, emoji prefixes), match that pattern.
3. Default: conventional commits -- If neither source provides a pattern, use conventional commit format: type(scope): description where type is one of feat, fix, docs, refactor, test, chore, perf, ci, style, build.

When using conventional commits, choose the type that most precisely describes the change (the type list above). Where fix: and feat: both seem to fit, default to fix:: a change that remedies broken or missing behavior is fix: even when implemented by adding code. Reserve feat: for capabilities the user could not previously accomplish. Other types remain primary when they fit better. The user may override for a specific change.

Step 3: Consider logical commits

Before staging everything together, scan the changed files for naturally distinct concerns. If modified files clearly group into separate logical changes (e.g., a refactor in one directory and a new feature in another, or test files for a different change than source files), create separate commits for each group.

Keep this lightweight:

• Group at the file level only -- do not use git add -p or try to split hunks within a file.
• If the separation is obvious (different features, unrelated fixes), split. If it's ambiguous, one commit is fine.
• Two or three logical commits is the sweet spot. Do not over-slice into many tiny commits.

Step 4: Stage and commit

If the current branch from the context above is main, master, or the resolved default branch from Step 1, automatically create a feature branch before committing. Derive the branch name from the change content, create it with git checkout -b <branch-name>, run git branch --show-current to confirm, and use the new branch as the current branch for the rest of the workflow. Do not ask whether to branch — committing on the default branch is not an option here.

Write the commit message:

• Subject line: Concise, imperative mood, focused on why not what. Follow the convention determined in Step 2.
• Body (when needed): Add a body separated by a blank line for non-trivial changes. Explain motivation, trade-offs, or anything a future reader would need. Omit the body for obvious single-purpose changes.

For each commit group, stage and commit in a single call. Prefer staging specific files by name over git add -A or git add . to avoid accidentally including sensitive files (.env, credentials) or unrelated changes. Use a heredoc to preserve formatting:

git add file1 file2 file3 && git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
type(scope): subject line here

Optional body explaining why this change was made,
not just what changed.
EOF
)"

Step 5: Confirm

Run git status after the commit to verify success. Report the commit hash(es) and subject line(s).