What is the required commit format?

The skill uses conventional commits with an emoji prefix. The subject is lowercase and ends without a period, followed by a body that explains why. AI-assisted commits include a Co-Authored-By line.

Can I include multiple changes in one commit?

No. Each commit should have a single type (feat, fix, docs, etc.). If changes span multiple intents, split into separate commits.

How do I ensure the Co-Authored-By line is included?

Include Co-Authored-By whenever the commit was AI-assisted, per the skill's rules; the examples show the exact placement.

committing-code

npx machina-cli add skill oryanmoshe/agent-skills/committing-code --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

3.7 KB

Committing Code

Overview

Every commit message uses conventional commits with gitmoji. The format is consistent, scannable, and conveys intent at a glance.

Format

<emoji> <type>: <short description>

<body — what changed and why>

Co-Authored-By: Claude <agent> <noreply@anthropic.com>

The short description is imperative mood, lowercase, no period. The body uses bullet points for multiple changes.

Gitmoji Reference

Emoji	Type	When to use
🎉	`feat`	Initial commit / first commit in a repo
✨	`feat`	New feature or capability
🐛	`fix`	Bug fix
♻️	`refactor`	Code restructuring without behavior change
📝	`docs`	Documentation only
🔧	`chore`	Config, tooling, non-code changes
✅	`test`	Adding or updating tests
🚀	`perf`	Performance improvement
🔥	`chore`	Removing code or files
🏗️	`refactor`	Architectural change
💄	`style`	UI/cosmetic change
🔒	`security`	Security fix
⬆️	`chore`	Dependency upgrade
🚚	`refactor`	Moving or renaming files

Examples

Good:

✨ feat: add user authentication with JWT

- Add login/logout endpoints in auth.controller.ts
- Add JWT middleware for protected routes
- Add refresh token rotation
- Add auth integration tests

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

🐛 fix: prevent race condition in websocket reconnect

The reconnect logic was firing multiple times when the connection
dropped during a message send, causing duplicate subscriptions.
Added a mutex guard around the reconnect path.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

♻️ refactor: rename getUserById to fetchUser across codebase

Aligns with the fetch* naming convention for async data access.
Updated all call sites, tests, and type definitions.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Bad:

updated stuff          # No type, no emoji, vague
feat: Add Feature      # No emoji, capitalized
✨ feat: add feature.  # Trailing period
🐛✨ fix/feat: stuff   # Multiple types

Rules

One type per commit. If changes span multiple types, split into multiple commits.
Body explains WHY, not just WHAT. The diff shows what changed — the message explains the reasoning.
Use bullet points in the body when listing multiple changes.
Always include Co-Authored-By when the commit was AI-assisted.

Use HEREDOC for multi-line messages to preserve formatting:

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
✨ feat: add new feature

Body text here.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
EOF
)"

Commit Frequency

Commit early and often:

After each logical unit of work (one feature, one fix, one refactor)
After adding a new file or skill
After updating documentation alongside code changes
Never batch unrelated changes into a single commit

Pre-Commit Checklist

Before committing, verify:

README.md is updated if the change affects user-facing documentation (new features, skills, APIs, installation steps)
AGENTS.md is updated if the change affects project structure, conventions, or available skills
Documentation changes are part of the same commit as the code they describe — not a separate "docs" commit after the fact

Source

git clone https://github.com/oryanmoshe/agent-skills/blob/main/skills/committing-code/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

Every commit message uses conventional commits with gitmoji for clarity and consistency. Messages follow the emoji-type subject format, with a body listing changes and rationale, and always include Co-Authored-By when AI-assisted.

How This Skill Works

Technically, the skill maps code changes to a conventional commit skeleton by selecting an emoji and type (feat, fix, docs, etc.), then prompts for a concise subject in imperative mood. The body uses bullet points to explain what changed and why, and a Co-Authored-By line is appended when AI-assisted; multi-line messages are preserved with a HEREDOC.

When to Use It

When committing after completing a logical unit of work (feature, bug fix, or refactor).
When adding a new feature or capability that should be discoverable by type (feat).
When fixing a bug and documenting the reasoning in the body (fix).
When updating documentation or configuration related to code (docs).
When preparing an initial commit or a release-related change (initial, chore upgrades, etc.).

Quick Start

Step 1: Decide the emoji and type that best match the change (e.g., ✨ feat for a new feature).
Step 2: Write a concise subject in lowercase with no period, e.g., '✨ feat: add user login flow'.
Step 3: Use a HEREDOC-based git commit to include a multi-line body and Co-Authored-By line, e.g., git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF' ... EOF)".

Best Practices

Use only one type per commit; if changes span multiple intents, split into separate commits.
Write the body to explain WHY the change was made, not just WHAT.
Bullet point multiple changes in the body for readability.
Always include Co-Authored-By when the commit was AI-assisted.
Use HEREDOC formatting to preserve newlines and spacing in the commit message.

Example Use Cases

✨ feat: add user authentication with JWT - Add login/logout endpoints in auth.controller.ts - Add JWT middleware for protected routes - Add refresh token rotation - Add auth integration tests Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
🐛 fix: prevent race condition in websocket reconnect - Debounce reconnect attempts - Add mutex guard around reconnect path - Update related tests Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
♻️ refactor: rename getUserById to fetchUser across codebase - Align naming with fetch* conventions - Update call sites, tests, and types Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
📝 docs: add contributing guide - Document commit conventions and gitmoji - Explain Co-Authored-By policy Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
✅ test: update unit tests for auth flow - Add coverage for token refresh - Update mocks - Improve test reliability Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Frequently Asked Questions

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