Conventional Commit Workflow

When To Use

• Generating conventional commit messages from staged changes
• Ensuring commit messages follow project conventions

When NOT To Use

• Full PR preparation - use sanctum:pr-prep instead
• Amending existing commits - use git directly

Usage

Use this skill to draft a commit message for staged changes. Execute Skill(sanctum:git-workspace-review) first to capture the repository path, status, and diffs. If no changes are staged, stage the relevant files before continuing.

Required Steps

1. Validate Code Quality: Run make format && make lint. Fix any reported errors before proceeding. Do not bypass pre-commit hooks with --no-verify or -n.
2. Classify the Change: Choose a type from feat, fix, docs, refactor, test, chore, style, perf, or ci. Select an optional but preferred scope (e.g., core, cli). Identify breaking changes for the BREAKING CHANGE: footer.
3. Draft the Message:
   • Subject: <type>(<scope>): <imperative summary> (≤50 characters).
   • Body: Wrap at 72 characters. Explain the "what" and "why" behind the change. Use paragraphs for technical rationale.
   • Footer: Include breaking change details or issue references.
4. Validate Against Slop: Before finalizing, scan the message for AI-generated content markers:
   • Tier 1 (BLOCK): delve, leverage, seamless, comprehensive, robust, multifaceted, utilize, facilitate, streamline, pivotal, nuanced, intricate
   • Tier 2 (WARN): moreover, furthermore, significantly, fundamentally, notably, revolutionize, elevate, unlock
   • Phrases (BLOCK): "it's worth noting", "at its core", "in essence", "a testament to"
   • If any Tier 1 words or blocked phrases found, replace with plain alternatives before proceeding
5. Write the Output: Use a relative path (e.g., ./commit_msg.txt) to save the message. Overwrite the file with the final message only, without commentary.
6. Preview: Display the file contents using cat or sed for confirmation.

Guardrails

Do not use git commit --no-verify or the -n flag. Pre-commit hooks are mandatory; fix issues rather than bypassing them.

Slop-Free Commit Messages (MANDATORY)

Commit messages must pass slop detection before being accepted. Apply scribe:slop-detector vocabulary rules:

Never use these words (replace with alternatives):

Slop Word	Use Instead
leverage	use
utilize	use
seamless	smooth, easy
comprehensive	complete, full
robust	solid, reliable
facilitate	enable, help
streamline	simplify
optimize	improve
delve	explore, examine
multifaceted	varied, complex
pivotal	key, important
intricate	detailed

Avoid these phrases (delete or rewrite):

• "It's worth noting that..." → just state it
• "At its core..." → delete, start with the point
• "In essence..." → delete
• "A testament to..." → "shows" or "proves"

Use plain language: Present-tense imperative for subject lines, technical rationale in body. Write for humans, not to impress. A commit that says "fix auth bug" beats "seamlessly leverage comprehensive authentication optimization."

Technical Integration

Combine this skill with Skill(imbue:catchup) or /git-catchup if additional context is needed. If the type or scope is unclear, re-examine the diffs or consult the project plan before finalizing the draft.

Troubleshooting

Address specific errors reported by pre-commit hooks. Run make format to resolve styling issues and make lint for logic or style violations. Fix all detected issues before re-attempting the commit. If a merge conflict occurs, use git merge --abort to return to a clean state. A rejected commit indicates a failed quality gate; analyze the output and apply fixes before retrying.

Supporting Modules

• Output templates - conventional commit, PR description, and documentation update formats

See Also

• Skill(scribe:slop-detector) - Full AI slop detection patterns
• Skill(scribe:doc-generator) - Slop-free documentation writing
• /slop-scan - Direct slop scanning command