How do I install the Commit Message skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add skillkeel/commit-message in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Commit Message safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Capability flags: docs only. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Commit Message?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Commit Message free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Commit Message?

Skillkeel (@skillkeel) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Commit Message by skillkeel — Agent Skill

Name: Commit Message
Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Author: Skillkeel

File contents

commit-message

Write commit messages from evidence (the diff), not from recollection.

Procedure

Run git status --porcelain and git diff --cached --stat. If nothing is staged, ask whether to stage all tracked changes (git add -u) or specific paths. Never git add -A silently (untracked junk, secrets).
Read the staged diff: git diff --cached. If it exceeds ~400 lines, read --stat plus the hunks of the 5 largest files.
Classify the change: feat, fix, refactor, perf, docs, test, build, ci, chore. Pick ONE. If the diff mixes types, say so and offer to split into two commits.
Scope = the top-level directory or module most touched (auth, api, cli). Omit when the change is cross-cutting.
Subject: imperative, ≤ 50 chars, no trailing period. fix(auth): reject expired refresh tokens.
Body only when the why is not obvious from the diff: 1 to 3 lines, wrap at 72. Reference issues as Refs #123 / Closes #123 on their own line.

Show the message, then commit with a heredoc so newlines survive:

git commit -m "$(cat <<'MSG'
fix(auth): reject expired refresh tokens

Tokens past `exp` were accepted because the check used `<` instead of `<=`.
Closes #412
MSG
)"

Print git log -1 --stat as proof.

Rules

Never describe changes that are not in the staged diff.
Never include secrets, tokens, or internal URLs in the message.
Do not add "Co-Authored-By" or tool attribution unless the repo's CONTRIBUTING or the user asks for it.
If tests were not run, do not claim they pass in the message.

Eval

evals/commit-message/: fixture repo with a staged two-file bug fix; expected: fix(...) subject ≤ 50 chars, body mentions the off-by-one, no unrelated files described.

---name: commit-messagedescription: Use when the user asks to commit, write a commit message, or stage-and-commit changes. Produces a Conventional Commits message derived from the actual staged diff, never from memory of what was edited.---# commit-messageWrite commit messages from evidence (the diff), not from recollection.## Procedure1. Run `git status --porcelain` and `git diff --cached --stat`. If nothing is staged, ask whether to stage all tracked changes (`git add -u`) or specific paths. Never `git add -A` silently (untracked junk, secrets).2. Read the staged diff: `git diff --cached`. If it exceeds ~400 lines, read `--stat` plus the hunks of the 5 largest files.3. Classify the change: `feat`, `fix`, `refactor`, `perf`, `docs`, `test`, `build`, `ci`, `chore`. Pick ONE. If the diff mixes types, say so and offer to split into two commits.4. Scope = the top-level directory or module most touched (`auth`, `api`, `cli`). Omit when the change is cross-cutting.5. Subject: imperative, ≤ 50 chars, no trailing period. `fix(auth): reject expired refresh tokens`.6. Body only when the *why* is not obvious from the diff: 1 to 3 lines, wrap at 72. Reference issues as `Refs #123` / `Closes #123` on their own line.7. Show the message, then commit with a heredoc so newlines survive: ```bash git commit -m "$(cat <<'MSG' fix(auth): reject expired refresh tokens Tokens past `exp` were accepted because the check used `<` instead of `<=`. Closes #412 MSG )" ```8. Print `git log -1 --stat` as proof.## Rules- Never describe changes that are not in the staged diff.- Never include secrets, tokens, or internal URLs in the message.- Do not add "Co-Authored-By" or tool attribution unless the repo's CONTRIBUTING or the user asks for it.- If tests were not run, do not claim they pass in the message.## Eval`evals/commit-message/`: fixture repo with a staged two-file bug fix; expected: `fix(...)` subject ≤ 50 chars, body mentions the off-by-one, no unrelated files described.

Frequently asked questions

Commit Message