| name | git-commit-helper |
| description | Generate conventional commit messages automatically. Use when user runs git commit, stages changes, or asks for commit message help. Analyzes git diff to create clear, descriptive conventional commit messages. Triggers on git commit, staged changes, commit message requests. |
| allowed-tools | Bash, Read |
Git Commit Helper Skill
Generate conventional commit messages from your git diff.
When I Activate
- ✅
git commit without message
- ✅ User asks "what should my commit message be?"
- ✅ Staged changes exist
- ✅ User mentions commit or conventional commits
- ✅ Before creating commits
What I Generate
Conventional Commit Format
<type>(<scope>): <subject>
<body>
<footer>
Types:
feat: New featurefix: Bug fixdocs: Documentation changesstyle: Code style (formatting, no logic change)refactor: Code refactoringperf: Performance improvementstest: Test additions or fixesbuild: Build system changesci: CI/CD changeschore: Maintenance tasks
Examples
Feature Addition
git add auth.service.ts login.component.tsx
feat(auth): add JWT-based user authentication
- Implement login/logout functionality
- Add token management service
- Include auth guards for protected routes
- Add unit tests for auth service
Closes
Bug Fix
git add UserList.tsx
fix(components): resolve memory leak in UserList
Fixed subscription not being cleaned up in useEffect,
causing memory leak when component unmounts.
Closes
Breaking Change
git add api/users.ts
feat(api): update user API response format
Changed response structure to include metadata
for better pagination and filtering support.
BREAKING CHANGE: User API now returns { data, metadata }
instead of direct array. Update client code accordingly.
Documentation Update
git add README.md docs/api.md
docs: update API documentation with authentication examples
- Add authentication flow diagrams
- Include cURL examples for protected endpoints
- Document error responses
Analysis Process
Step 1: Check Staged Changes
git diff --staged --name-only
git diff --staged
Step 2: Categorize Changes
- New files → feat
- Modified files → fix, refactor, or feat
- Deleted files → chore or refactor
- Test files → test
- Documentation → docs
Step 3: Analyze Content
- What was changed?
- Why was it changed?
- What's the impact?
- Are there breaking changes?
Step 4: Generate Message
Subject line:
- Max 50 characters
- Imperative mood ("add" not "added")
- No period at end
- Lowercase after type
Body:
- Explain WHAT and WHY, not HOW
- Wrap at 72 characters
- Bullet points for multiple changes
Footer:
- Breaking changes:
BREAKING CHANGE: description
- Issue references:
Closes #123, Fixes #456
Message Components
Type Selection
feat: New functionality
- New components, features, capabilities
fix: Bug fixes
- Resolving issues, fixing bugs
refactor: Code improvements
- No functional changes, better code structure
perf: Performance
- Speed improvements, optimization
docs: Documentation
- README, comments, guides
test: Testing
- Adding or fixing tests
style: Formatting
- Code style, linting, formatting
chore: Maintenance
- Dependencies, build config,
Scope Selection
Common scopes:
- Component name:
feat(UserCard): ...
- Module:
fix(auth): ...
- Package:
chore(api): ...
- Area:
docs(readme): ...
Subject Guidelines
✅ Good:
add user authenticationfix memory leak in componentupdate API documentation
❌ Bad:
added user authentication (past tense)fixes bug (too vague)Update API docs. (period at end)
Advanced Examples
Multiple Changes
feat(auth): implement complete authentication system
- Add JWT token generation and validation
- Implement password hashing with bcrypt
- Create login/logout API endpoints
- Add auth middleware for protected routes
- Include refresh token functionality
Closes
Refactoring
refactor(api): extract database logic into repository pattern
Moved database queries from controllers to repository classes
for better separation of concerns and testability.
No functional changes or API modifications.
Performance Improvement
perf(queries): optimize user data fetching
- Implement query batching to eliminate N+1 queries
- Add database indices on frequently queried columns
- Cache user profile data with 5-minute TTL
Performance improvement: 80ms → 12ms average response time
Git Integration
Pre-commit Hook
I work great with pre-commit hooks:
#!/bin/sh
if [ -z "$2" ]; then
echo "# Suggested commit message (edit as needed)" > "$1"
fi
Amending Commits
git commit -m "fix stuff"
git commit --amend
Sandboxing Compatibility
Works without sandboxing: ✅ Yes
Works with sandboxing: ✅ Yes
May need network access for:
- Fetching issue details from GitHub API
- Checking if issue numbers are valid
Sandbox config (optional):
{
"network": {
"allowedDomains": [
"api.github.com"
]
}
}
Customization
Custom Commit Types
Edit SKILL.md to add company-specific types:
deploy: Deployment
migrate: Database migrations
hotfix: Production hotfixes
Custom Scopes
Train the skill to recognize your project structure:
Common scopes: auth, api, ui, database, admin, mobile
Message Templates
Customize message format for your team:
feat(scope): subject
[JIRA-123] feat(scope): subject
Tips for Best Messages
- Be specific: "fix login button" not "fix bug"
- Use imperative mood: "add" not "added" or "adds"
- Include context: Why this change was needed
- Reference issues: Always include issue numbers
- Breaking changes: Always flag in footer
Common Patterns
Frontend Changes
feat(ui): add responsive navigation menu
fix(components): resolve prop validation warning
style(css): update button hover effects
Backend Changes
feat(api): add user pagination endpoint
fix(database): resolve connection pool exhaustion
perf(queries): add database indices for user lookups
Infrastructure Changes
ci: add automated deployment pipeline
build: update dependencies to latest versions
chore(docker): optimize container image size
Related Tools
- code-reviewer skill: Reviews code before commit
- @docs-writer sub-agent: Generates changelog from commits
- /review command: Pre-commit code review
Integration
With code-reviewer
git commit
With /review Command
/review --scope staged
git commit
Learn More
