| name | conventional-commits |
| description | Write commit messages following the Conventional Commits specification for use with release-notes-gen. Use when composing git commit messages, understanding commit types, or setting up commit message conventions. Triggers include "conventional commits", "commit format", "commit message", "feat fix chore", "how to write commits". |
conventional-commits
Reference guide for the Conventional Commits specification used by release-notes-gen.
Format
type(scope): description
[optional body]
[optional footer]
Commit Types
| Type | When to Use | Bump |
|---|
feat | New user-facing feature | minor |
fix | Bug fix | patch |
perf | Performance improvement | patch |
refactor | Code restructure, no behavior change | none |
docs | Documentation only | none |
style | Formatting, whitespace | none |
test | Add or fix tests | none |
build | Build system, dependencies | none |
ci | CI/CD configuration | none |
chore | Maintenance, tooling | none |
Examples
Feature
feat(auth): add OAuth2 login support
Bug Fix
fix(ui): align button correctly on mobile Safari
Breaking Change (two forms)
Using ! after type:
feat!: remove support for Node 18
Using footer:
feat(api): change response format
BREAKING CHANGE: the `data` field is now an array instead of object.
Clients must update to handle the new format.
With Scope
fix(database): handle null value in user query
feat(cli): add --dry-run flag
docs(readme): add quickstart section
Without Scope
fix: prevent crash on empty input
chore: update dependencies
How rng Uses Commit Messages
Version bump calculation - rng scans all commits since the last tag and computes the highest applicable bump: breaking=major, feat=minor, fix/perf=patch.
Section grouping - Commits grouped by type into sections in the release notes. feat commits go under "Features", fix under "Bug Fixes", etc.
Hidden types - chore, docs, style, test, build, ci, refactor are hidden by default (not shown in release notes unless --include-all is used). Customize in .rng.json.
Non-conforming commits - Commits that do not follow the format are grouped as type other and hidden by default.
Tips
- Use scope for module/area:
fix(auth):, feat(api):, docs(readme):
- Keep description short (under 72 chars) and in imperative mood: "add" not "added"
- Use body for longer explanation when needed
- Use
BREAKING CHANGE: footer when the breaking change needs explanation beyond the description line
