Git Commit Message Generator

Git Commit Message Generator

Automatically generates high-quality conventional commit messages by analyzing your staged Git changes. No more staring at a blank commit message wondering what to write - this skill reads your git diff, understands the context, and creates a properly formatted commit message following the Conventional Commits specification.

What This Skill Does

This skill analyzes your staged changes and generates commit messages that follow the Conventional Commits format:

(): 
[optional body]
[optional footer(s)]

It intelligently detects:

Why Use This Skill

Saves Time

Improves Quality

Enables Automation

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill whenever you're about to commit code:

When NOT to Use This Skill

How It Works

Step-by-Step Process

1. Reads staged changes: Executes git diff --staged to see what you're about to commit 2. Analyzes file patterns: Identifies which files changed (components, tests, docs, config) 3. Detects change type: Determines if it's a feature, fix, refactor, etc. 4. Identifies scope: Extracts the affected module/component name 5. Checks for breaking changes: Looks for API changes, removed exports, major refactors 6. Generates message: Creates a properly formatted conventional commit message 7. Validates format: Ensures it follows best practices (length, mood, structure)

Detection Logic

Type Detection:

Scope Detection:

Breaking Change Detection:

Usage Examples

Example 1: Feature Addition

You run:

# Stage your changes
git add src/components/UserProfile.tsx
Ask Claude:
"Generate a commit message for my staged changes"

Claude analyzes:

+ export function UserProfile({ userId }: Props) {
+   const user = useUser(userId);
+   return 
{user.name}
;
+ }

Generated message:

feat(user-profile): add user profile component
Implements new UserProfile component that displays user information
based on userId prop. Integrates with useUser hook for data fetching.

Example 2: Bug Fix

You run:

git add src/api/auth.ts
Ask Claude:
"Create a commit message"

Claude analyzes:

- if (token == null) {
+ if (token === null || token === undefined) {
    throw new Error('Invalid token');
  }

Generated message:

fix(auth): use strict equality check for token validation
Fixes bug where token with value 0 or empty string would incorrectly
pass validation. Now uses strict equality to properly check for null
or undefined values.

Example 3: Breaking Change

You run:

git add src/api/users.ts
Ask Claude:
"Generate commit message"

Claude analyzes:

- export async function getUser(id: string): Promise {
+ export async function getUser(id: string, options?: GetUserOptions): Promise {

Generated message:

feat(api)!: add options parameter to getUser function
Extends getUser API to accept optional configuration object for
including related data. Return type changed to UserResponse for
better type safety.
BREAKING CHANGE: getUser now returns UserResponse instead of User.
Update all callers to access user data via response.data property.

Example 4: Documentation Update

You run:

git add README.md docs/api.md
Ask Claude:
"Generate commit"

Generated message:

docs: update API documentation and README
Add authentication examples to API docs
Update installation instructions in README
Fix typos in configuration section

Example 5: Dependency Update

You run:

git add package.json package-lock.json
Ask Claude:
"Make commit message"

Claude analyzes:

- "react": "^17.0.2"
+ "react": "^18.2.0"

Generated message:

build(deps): upgrade react to v18.2.0
Updates React from v17 to v18 for improved concurrent rendering
features and automatic batching. No breaking changes in our usage.

Configuration

Optional: Customize Commit Style

While this skill uses Conventional Commits by default, you can customize the style in your conversation:

"Generate a commit message following Angular style"
"Create a commit using Gitmoji format with emojis"
"Write a detailed commit message with bullet points in the body"

Optional: Set Default Scope

If you're working in a monorepo or specific module:

"Generate commit messages with scope 'frontend' for this session"
"All my commits should have scope 'api'"

Optional: Link to Issue Tracker

If your branch name includes issue numbers:

# Branch: feature/USER-123-add-profile
Generated message will include:
#
feat(user-profile): add user profile component
#
Closes USER-123

Best Practices

For Best Results

1. Stage related changes together: Don't mix features and fixes in one commit 2. Review the generated message: Claude generates smart defaults, but you can refine 3. Add context if needed: Mention "this fixes a race condition" for better descriptions 4. Use meaningful branch names: Branch names help Claude understand context 5. Keep commits atomic: One logical change per commit works best

Tips for Teams

Conventional Commit Format Reference

Structure

[optional scope][optional !]: 
[optional body]
[optional footer(s)]

Types

Breaking Changes

Add ! after type/scope OR include BREAKING CHANGE: in footer:

feat(api)!: remove deprecated endpoints
BREAKING CHANGE: The /v1/users endpoint has been removed.
Use /v2/users instead.

Troubleshooting

Issue: "No staged changes found"

Cause: You haven't run git add yet.

Solution:

# Stage your changes first
git add .
Or stage specific files
git add src/components/Button.tsx
Then ask for commit message

Issue: Generated message is too generic

Cause: Changes are ambiguous or too broad.

Solution: Provide more context:

"Generate a commit message - this change fixes a memory leak in the cache"
"Create a commit - this adds JWT authentication support"

Issue: Wrong change type detected

Cause: File patterns don't clearly indicate intent.

Solution: Specify the type:

"Generate a 'fix' commit message"
"Create a 'refactor' commit for these changes"

Issue: Scope is incorrect

Cause: File path doesn't match your project structure.

Solution: Specify the scope:

"Generate commit with scope 'auth'"
"Create commit message for the API module"

Issue: Want to include co-authors

Solution: Ask Claude to add co-author footer:

"Generate commit and add co-author: Jane Doe "

Result:

feat(user): add profile page
Co-authored-by: Jane Doe 

Integration with Tools

Commitlint

Validate generated messages:

npm install -g @commitlint/cli @commitlint/config-conventional
.commitlintrc.json
{
  "extends": ["@commitlint/config-conventional"]
}

Husky

Enforce validation on commit:

npm install -g husky
.husky/commit-msg
#!/bin/sh
. "$(dirname "$0")/_/husky.sh"
npx --no -- commitlint --edit "$1"

Semantic Release

Automate versioning and changelog:

npm install -g semantic-release
Automatically generates:
- Version numbers from commit types
- CHANGELOG.md from commit messages
- Git tags
- GitHub releases

Conventional Changelog

Generate changelog manually:

npm install -g conventional-changelog-cli
conventional-changelog -p angular -i CHANGELOG.md -s

Examples of Good vs Bad Commits

❌ Bad (Before this skill)

update stuff
fix bug
wip
changes
asdf
updated component

✅ Good (With this skill)

feat(auth): implement JWT token refresh mechanism
Adds automatic token refresh before expiration to prevent
session interruptions. Includes retry logic and error handling.
fix(api): prevent race condition in user data fetch
Adds mutex lock to ensure sequential processing of concurrent
user data requests. Fixes issue where stale data could overwrite
fresh data.
docs(readme): add installation instructions for Windows
Includes PowerShell-specific commands and troubleshooting
section for common Windows installation issues.

Advanced Usage

Multi-file Commits

When you stage multiple files:

git add src/components/Button.tsx src/components/Input.tsx src/styles/forms.css

Claude will: 1. Identify the common scope (e.g., forms or components) 2. List major changes in the body 3. Keep the subject line focused on the primary change

Monorepo Support

For monorepos, specify the workspace:

"Generate commit for the @myapp/frontend package"
"Create commit scoped to the api workspace"

Result:

feat(frontend): add dark mode toggle
or
feat(api): add rate limiting middleware

Branch Name Context

Claude uses your branch name for additional context:

Why Conventional Commits Matter

For Your Team

For Automation

For You

Related Resources

Real-World Examples

Linux Kernel Style (Adapted)

fix(mm): prevent use-after-free in page cache
The page cache could reference freed memory under heavy load.
Add proper reference counting to prevent the issue.
Fixes: abc1234 ("mm: optimize page cache")
Reported-by: security@kernel.org

React Repository Style

feat(hooks): add useTransition hook
Adds new concurrent rendering hook for deferring state updates.
Includes TypeScript types and comprehensive test coverage.
Related: #18796

Your Projects

This skill adapts to your project's style while maintaining conventional commits structure.

Pro Tip: After using this skill for a week, you'll start writing better commit messages naturally - it's a great learning tool!

License: MIT-0 (Public Domain)

Optional: Customize Commit Style

While this skill uses Conventional Commits by default, you can customize the style in your conversation:

"Generate a commit message following Angular style"
"Create a commit using Gitmoji format with emojis"
"Write a detailed commit message with bullet points in the body"

Optional: Set Default Scope

If you're working in a monorepo or specific module:

"Generate commit messages with scope 'frontend' for this session"
"All my commits should have scope 'api'"

Optional: Link to Issue Tracker

If your branch name includes issue numbers:

# Branch: feature/USER-123-add-profile
Generated message will include:
#
feat(user-profile): add user profile component
#
Closes USER-123

For Best Results

1. Stage related changes together: Don't mix features and fixes in one commit 2. Review the generated message: Claude generates smart defaults, but you can refine 3. Add context if needed: Mention "this fixes a race condition" for better descriptions 4. Use meaningful branch names: Branch names help Claude understand context 5. Keep commits atomic: One logical change per commit works best

Tips for Teams