# Semantic Commits > Guides agents to write conventional commit messages with correct types, scopes, and formatting. Activates when committing code or writing commit messages. - Skill: `solpbc/semantic-commits` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add solpbc/semantic-commits` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/solpbc/semantic-commits/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: solpbc (https://skillmd.com/u/solpbc) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/solpbc/semantic-commits --- ## 1. Format ``` (): ``` - **subject**: imperative mood, lowercase, no period, under 72 characters - **scope**: optional, names the area changed (e.g. `cli`, `auth`, `explorer`) - **body**: optional, explains *why* not *what*, wrapped at 72 characters ## 2. Types | Type | When to use | |------|------------| | `feat` | A new feature or capability | | `fix` | A bug fix | | `test` | Adding or updating tests only | | `docs` | Documentation changes only | | `refactor` | Code restructuring with no behavior change | | `chore` | Maintenance — deps, CI, tooling, config | | `perf` | Performance improvement with no behavior change | | `style` | Formatting, whitespace, linting — no logic change | ## 3. Scope Use the most specific component name that applies: - CLI commands: `cli`, `ship`, `skim`, `scan`, `follow` - Libraries: `auth`, `pds`, `lexicon`, `brand` - Infrastructure: `ci`, `deps`, `build` - Documentation: `docs`, `readme`, `skill` Omit scope if the change spans multiple areas. ## 4. Examples ``` feat(scan): add tag filtering for skill discovery fix(auth): handle expired OAuth sessions gracefully test(ship): add validation tests for --kind flag docs(skill): document vit scan flags and output format refactor(pds): extract DID resolution into shared helper chore(deps): update bun to 1.3.10 perf(skim): batch PDS queries for followed accounts style(cli): normalize whitespace in help output ``` ## 5. Breaking Changes Add `!` after type/scope and a `BREAKING CHANGE:` footer: ``` feat(auth)!: require OAuth for all PDS operations BREAKING CHANGE: Basic auth is no longer supported. Users must run `vit login ` to authenticate via OAuth. ``` ## 6. Multi-line Bodies When the *why* matters, use the body: ``` fix(skim): deduplicate caps from multi-PDS resolution The handle-to-DID resolution could return records from both the primary and mirror PDS, causing duplicate caps in skim output. Filter by URI uniqueness before display. ```