| name | committing |
| description | Creates quality git commits with conventional commit format. Use when asked to commit changes or create a commit message. |
Committing Skill
Create meaningful, conventional commits that tell the story of your changes.
Workflow
1. Analyze Staged Changes
git diff --staged --stat
git diff --staged
Understand the changes:
- What files changed?
- What's the nature of the change?
- Is this one logical change or multiple?
2. Determine Commit Type
| Type | When to Use |
|---|
feat | New feature for users |
fix | Bug fix for users |
docs | Documentation only |
style | Formatting, no code change |
refactor | Code change, no feature/fix |
perf | Performance improvement |
test | Adding/updating tests |
build | Build system, dependencies |
ci | CI configuration |
chore | Maintenance, tooling |
3. Extract Scope (Optional)
Scope identifies the area of the codebase:
feat(auth): add password reset flow
fix(api): handle null response
refactor(cart): extract price calculation
Common scopes:
- Component/module name:
auth, cart, user
- Layer:
api, ui, db
- Feature area:
checkout, search, settings
4. Write the Message
Format:
<type>(<scope>): <description>
[optional body]
[optional footer]
Description rules:
- Imperative mood: "add" not "added" or "adds"
- Lowercase first letter
- No period at end
- Max 50 characters for subject line
- Explain what and why, not how
5. Verify and Commit
git diff --staged
git commit -m "type(scope): description"
git commit -m "type(scope): description
More detailed explanation if needed.
Explain why this change was made."
Quick Reference
Good Commit Messages
feat(auth): add two-factor authentication
fix(api): prevent null pointer on empty response
refactor(user): extract validation to separate module
docs(readme): add installation instructions
test(cart): add edge cases for discount calculation
chore(deps): upgrade react to 18.2
Bad Commit Messages
# Too vague
fixed stuff
updates
WIP
# Not imperative
added new feature
fixing bug
# Too long/detailed in subject
feat: add new user authentication system with support for OAuth, SAML, and password-based auth
Commit Scope Detection
Based on changed files:
| File Path | Suggested Scope |
|---|
src/auth/* | auth |
src/components/Button/* | button or ui |
src/api/* | api |
tests/* | usually none |
package.json | deps |
*.md | docs |
Breaking Changes
For breaking changes, add ! after type/scope:
feat(api)!: change response format
BREAKING CHANGE: Response now returns { data, meta } instead of raw data.
Multiple Changes
Split into multiple commits when:
- Changes are logically separate
- Different types (fix AND feat)
- Could be reverted independently
Keep together when:
- Changes are related to same feature
- One change requires the other
- Tests for the feature being added
git add -p
git add src/feature.ts
git commit -m "feat: add feature"
git add tests/feature.test.ts
git commit -m "test: add tests for feature"
See Also
