Commit

Sentry Commit Messages

Follow these conventions when creating commits for Sentry projects.

When to Use

• The user asks to commit code, prepare a commit message, or save changes in git.
• You need Sentry-style commit formatting with conventional commit structure and issue references.
• The task requires enforcing branch safety before committing, especially avoiding direct commits on main or master.

Prerequisites

Before committing, always check the current branch:

git branch --show-current

If you're on main or master, you MUST create a feature branch first — unless the user explicitly asked to commit to main and the server permits direct pushes. A user request does not bypass protected-branch rules; when the remote rejects direct updates, use the repository's required pull-request path. Do not ask the user whether to create a branch; just proceed with branch creation. The create-branch skill will still propose a branch name for the user to confirm.

Use the create-branch skill to create the branch. After create-branch completes, verify the current branch has changed before proceeding:

git branch --show-current

If still on main or master (e.g., the user aborted branch creation), stop — do not commit.

Format

<type>(<scope>): <subject>

<body>

<footer>

The header is required. Scope is optional. All lines must stay under 100 characters.

Commit Types

Subject Line Rules

• Use imperative, present tense: "Add feature" not "Added feature"
• Capitalize the first letter
• No period at the end
• Maximum 70 characters

Body Guidelines

• Explain what and why, not how
• Use imperative mood and present tense
• Include motivation for the change
• Contrast with previous behavior when relevant

Footer: Issue References

Reference issues in the footer using these patterns:

Fixes GH-1234
Fixes #1234
Fixes SENTRY-1234
Refs LINEAR-ABC-123

• Fixes closes the issue when merged
• Refs links without closing

AI-Generated Changes

When changes were primarily generated by a coding agent (like Claude Code), include the Co-Authored-By attribution in the commit footer:

Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

This is the only indicator of AI involvement that should appear in commits. Do not add phrases like "Generated by AI", "Written with Claude", or similar markers in the subject, body, or anywhere else in the commit message.

Examples

Simple fix

fix(api): Handle null response in user endpoint

The user API could return null for deleted accounts, causing a crash
in the dashboard. Add null check before accessing user properties.

Fixes SENTRY-5678
Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

Feature with scope

feat(alerts): Add Slack thread replies for alert updates

When an alert is updated or resolved, post a reply to the original
Slack thread instead of creating a new message. This keeps related
notifications grouped together.

Refs GH-1234

Refactor

ref: Extract common validation logic to shared module

Move duplicate validation code from three endpoints into a shared
validator class. No behavior change.

Breaking change

feat(api)!: Remove deprecated v1 endpoints

Remove all v1 API endpoints that were deprecated in version 23.1.
Clients should migrate to v2 endpoints.

BREAKING CHANGE: v1 endpoints no longer available
Fixes SENTRY-9999

Revert Format

revert: feat(api): Add new endpoint

This reverts commit abc123def456.

Reason: Caused performance regression in production.

Principles

• Each commit should be a single, stable change
• Commits should be independently reviewable
• The repository should be in a working state after each commit

References

• Sentry Commit Messages

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Direct-to-main instructions remain subordinate to server-side branch protection and required checks.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.