Git Commit Messages
Write commit messages following the Conventional Commits specification.
Format
<type>(<scope>): <description>
[optional body]
[optional footer(s)]
Types
| Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
feat |
New feature |
fix |
Bug fix |
docs |
Documentation only |
style |
Code style (formatting, no logic change) |
refactor |
Code change that neither fixes a bug nor adds a feature |
perf |
Performance improvement |
test |
Adding or correcting tests |
build |
Build system or external dependencies |
ci |
CI configuration |
chore |
Maintenance tasks |
revert |
Reverts a previous commit |
Rules
- Use imperative mood in description ("add feature" not "added feature")
- Do not end description with a period
- Keep description under 72 characters
- Separate subject from body with a blank line
- Use the body to explain intent, nuances, gotchas, or background behind the change — not a paraphrase of the diff
- Always ask me for the Jira ticket number before committing. If there is one,
include it as the last line in the commit body (e.g.,
XY-123). If there isn't one, ask whether to create one.
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.
Scope
Optional. Use to specify area of change (e.g., api, ui, auth, db).
Branch Naming
When creating a new branch, name it <type>/<jira-ticket> with the ticket
lowercased, using the same types as commit messages (e.g., feat/xy-123,
fix/xy-456). If there is no Jira ticket, fall back to
<type>/<kebab-description> (e.g., feat/add-user-auth).
Exception: when the environment has already assigned a branch (e.g.,
claude/... branches in Claude cloud sandbox sessions), keep it — never
rename it or create a differently named branch to match this convention.
Identity, Signing and Attribution
Git identity and commit signing are configured by the environment (gitconfig on developer machines, a SessionStart hook in cloud sandboxes) — leave both to it:
- The message describes the change only: no
Co-Authored-By, no "Generated with" lines, no session links or model names. - Let git resolve the author from config — commit without
--authoror-c user.name=.../-c user.email=.... - Let git resolve signing from config — commit without
-S,--gpg-signor--no-gpg-sign, and leave signing-related config as it is.