What is a conventional commit?

A commit message format using type, optional scope, and a concise description, with optional body and footers, following the standard ( ): .

Which types should I use?

Choose from feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, perf, test, build, ci, chore, revert; select the one that best matches the change.

Are there any restrictions on the description?

Yes. Use imperative mood, don't capitalize the first letter, and do not end with a period; keep the description under 72 characters.

git-commit-helper

Scanned

npx machina-cli add skill qyinm/agent-skills-archive/git-commit-helper --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

2.3 KB

Overview

Provides expert guidance for creating conventional commit messages that follow industry best practices. Helps generate clear, consistent commit messages by analyzing staged changes.

Conventional Commit Format

<type>(<scope>): <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]

Commit Types

feat: A new feature for the user
fix: A bug fix
docs: Documentation only changes
style: Changes that don't affect code meaning (white-space, formatting, missing semi-colons, etc.)
refactor: Code change that neither fixes a bug nor adds a feature
perf: Code change that improves performance
test: Adding missing tests or correcting existing tests
build: Changes that affect the build system or external dependencies
ci: Changes to CI configuration files and scripts
chore: Other changes that don't modify src or test files
revert: Reverts a previous commit

Rules

Type is mandatory: Choose the most appropriate type from the list above
Scope is optional: Add in parentheses to specify what part of codebase (e.g., feat(auth):, fix(api):)
Description:
- Use imperative mood ("add" not "added" or "adds")
- Don't capitalize first letter
- No period at the end
- Keep under 72 characters
Body is optional: Provide context about what and why, not how
Footer is optional: Reference issues, note breaking changes

Examples

Simple commit

feat: add user authentication

With scope

fix(auth): prevent token expiration on refresh

With body

refactor(api): restructure endpoint handlers

Move handler logic into separate service layer to improve
testability and maintain single responsibility principle.

Breaking change

feat(api): change authentication response format

BREAKING CHANGE: API now returns user object instead of just token.
Update all API consumers to handle new response structure.

Multiple footers

fix(database): resolve connection pool exhaustion

Fixes #123
Closes #456

Source

git clone https://github.com/qyinm/agent-skills-archive/blob/main/git-commit-helper/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

Provides expert guidance for creating conventional commit messages that follow industry best practices. It helps generate clear, consistent messages by analyzing staged changes and applying the standard <type>(<scope>): <description> format.

How This Skill Works

The skill analyzes the current staged changes to determine a suitable type and optional scope. It then formats the message according to the Conventional Commits standard, and suggests an optional body and footer when needed.

When to Use It

When creating a new commit that follows conventional formats
When editing an existing commit message to improve clarity
When aligning your commits with conventional commits for tooling and changelogs
When preparing commits for PRs, releases, or changelogs
When noting breaking changes or issue references in footers

Quick Start

Step 1: Determine the commit type and optional scope
Step 2: Write an imperative description under 72 characters
Step 3: Add a concise body and optional footers if needed; commit using the conventional format

Best Practices

Always choose the most appropriate type from the allowed list
Add an optional scope to pinpoint the affected code area
Write the description in imperative mood, don't capitalize the first letter, and do not end with a period
Include a concise body explaining what and why, not how
Use footers to reference issues or signal breaking changes

Example Use Cases

feat: add user authentication
fix(auth): prevent token expiration on refresh
refactor(api): restructure endpoint handlers
feat(api): change authentication response format
fix(database): resolve connection pool exhaustion

Frequently Asked Questions

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