Generating Commit Messages

Generating Commit Messages

⚠️ CRITICAL REQUIREMENT ⚠️

THIS SKILL MUST BE USED FOR EVERY SINGLE COMMIT

The CLAUDE.md file explicitly states: "Before committing changes, ALWAYS use the @.claude/skills/generating-commit-messages skill to generate commit messages"

Mandatory Process

BEFORE ANY git commit COMMAND:

1. ALWAYS run git diff --staged first to see changes
2. ALWAYS analyze the staged changes thoroughly
3. ALWAYS generate a commit message following the format below
4. NEVER commit without following this process

Required Commit Message Format

1. Summary line (under 50 characters)

   • Use present tense imperative mood
   • Be specific and descriptive

2. Detailed description

   • Explain WHAT was changed
   • Explain WHY it was changed
   • List affected components/files
   • Include any important context

Best Practices

• Use clear, descriptive commit messages
• Use present tense ("Add feature" not "Added feature")
• Include the "why" not just the "what"
• Start summary with action verb (Add, Update, Fix, Remove, etc.)
• Be specific about what components/files are affected

FORBIDDEN Elements

• NEVER include "Generated with Claude Code"
• NEVER include "Co-Authored-By: Claude noreply@anthropic.com"
• NEVER use generic messages like "Update files" or "Fix issues"

Example Good Commit Message

Refactor authentication system for better security

Replace deprecated JWT library with more secure alternative

Add input validation for user credentials

Update authentication middleware to handle edge cases

Fix memory leak in session management

This change improves security posture and resolves crashes reported in production when handling malformed requests.

Reminder

If you find yourself about to run git commit without having followed this skill, STOP immediately and use this skill first.

Version History

• v1.1.0 (2025-11-18): Enhanced with mandatory usage requirements and better formatting
• v1.0.0 (2025-11-14): Initial release