Commit Messages

Committing Changes

Make small, atomic commits with clear messages.

Workflow

1. Understand the Changes

If you don't already understand the changes, review them first:

git diff HEAD
git status --short

2. Stage and Commit

Make small, atomic commits—each commit should address one logical change. If your work spans multiple concerns (e.g., a refactor and a bug fix), break it into separate commits.

# Stage entire files
git add <files>

# Or stage specific hunks for finer control
git hunks list                            # List all hunks with IDs
git hunks add 'file:@-old,len+new,len'    # Stage specific hunks by ID

git commit -m "title" -m "body paragraph"

3. Commit Message Format

Title (first line):

• Limit to 60 characters maximum
• Use lowercase except for symbols or acronyms
• Use imperative mood ("add feature" not "adds feature")
• Use a short prefix for readability in git log --oneline (avoid "fix:" or "feature:" prefixes)

Body:

• Explain what the change does and why
• Use proper grammar and punctuation
• Use imperative mood throughout

Trailers:

• If fixing a ticket, add appropriate trailers
• If fixing a regression, add a "Fixes:" trailer with the commit id and title