Git Commit Message Formatter

Format all commit messages using this specification.

> Note: This skill uses simplified types (fea, fix, ref, ai, oth) rather than full Conventional Commits (feat, fix, refactor, chore, docs, etc.) for brevity in AI-generated messages.

Format

<type>(optional scope): <description>

All lowercase except proper nouns. No period at the end.

Types

| Type | Use when | |------|----------| | fea | Adding a new feature | | fix | Fixing a bug | | ref | Refactoring or restructuring code | | ai | AI-related changes (prompts, models, agents) | | test | Adding or correcting tests | | oth | Documentation, config, or anything else |

Rules

• Description must be in imperative mood ("add feature", not "added feature")
• No period at the end
• Keep the first line under 72 characters
• Add scope only when it clarifies which component changed
• For breaking changes, append a footer: BREAKING CHANGE: <description>

Examples

Standard Commits

fea: add user authentication flow
fix(api): handle null response from downstream service
ref: extract validation logic into shared helper
ai: update system prompt for code review skill
oth: update README with setup instructions

Breaking Change Example

fea(api)!: remove legacy authentication endpoint

BREAKING CHANGE: /api/v1/auth endpoint removed. Use /api/v2/auth instead.

Full Workflow Example

User: "Commit my changes"

Agent:

1. Runs git diff --cached — sees staged changes
2. Identifies dominant change: new feature in auth module
3. Generates: fea(auth): add JWT token refresh flow
4. Asks: "Commit with message: fea(auth): add JWT token refresh flow?"
5. Runs: git commit -m "fea(auth): add JWT token refresh flow"

Process

1. Ensure we're in a git repository (git status)
2. Run git diff --cached to see staged changes
3. Determine the dominant type from the table above
4. Identify the scope if multiple components exist
5. Write a concise description
6. Ask the user to confirm or run git commit -m "<message>"

Edge Cases

No Staged Changes

If git diff --cached is empty, check git diff for unstaged changes. Ask the user if they want to:

1. Stage all changes: git add -A
2. Stage specific files: git add <files>
3. View changes first: git diff

Empty Repository

If git status shows "not a git repo", initialize with git init or alert the user.

Commit Failure

If git commit fails (e.g., pre-commit hook rejection), surface the error and ask if the user wants to:

1. Fix the issue and retry
2. Bypass the hook: git commit --no-verify