steveclarke Commit Messages
Follow these conventions when creating commits.
Prerequisites
Before committing, ensure you're working on a feature branch, not the master branch.
# Check current branch
git branch --show-current
If you're on master, create a new branch first:
# Create and switch to a new branch
git checkout -b <type>/<brief-description>
Branch Naming
Branch names follow the pattern:
{type}/{brief-description}
For work tied to a feature epic, include the feature ID:
{type}/{feature-id}-{brief-description}
Examples:
feat/add-user-auth- Adding authenticationfeat/FT050-workflow-automation- Feature epic workfix/resolve-link-validation- Bug fixdocs/workflow-guide- Documentationchore/update-ruby-version- Dependencies
Commit Format
<type>: <summary>
<body>
<footer>
The summary is required. Body and footer are optional but helpful when context is needed.
Commit Types
| Type | Purpose |
|---|---|
feat |
New feature |
fix |
Bug fix |
docs |
Documentation only |
style |
Code formatting (no logic change) |
refactor |
Code restructuring (no behavior change) |
test |
Adding or modifying tests |
chore |
Build tools, dependencies, configs |
Summary Rules
- Under 50 characters - Get to the point
- Imperative mood - "Add feature" not "Added feature"
- Capitalize first word - "Add feature" not "add feature"
- No period at end - Save the character
Body Guidelines
Use the body to explain why, not how. The code shows how; the commit explains why.
- Use imperative mood and present tense
- Wrap lines at 72 characters
- Include motivation for the change
- Contrast with previous behavior when relevant
Examples
Simple change (no body needed)
docs: fix typo in workflow guide
Feature with context
feat: add link archival endpoint
Implement POST /api/v1/links/:id/archive endpoint to allow
marking links as archived without deletion. Includes validation
and database migration.
Bug fix
fix: resolve popup not opening on Firefox
The popup.html failed to load on Firefox due to CSP issues.
Updated manifest.json with proper permissions.
Dependency update
chore: update Docker base image to Ruby 3.4.2
Bump base image for security patches and performance improvements.
Refactor
refactor: extract link validation to service
Move duplicate validation code from three endpoints into a shared
validator class. No behavior change.
Test addition
test: add archival endpoint tests
Commit Frequency
Commit after completing logical chunks of work. Each commit should be a checkpoint—a coherent piece of work that makes sense on its own.
git commit -m "feat: add archival endpoint skeleton"
git commit -m "feat: add archival validation logic"
git commit -m "test: add archival endpoint tests"
git commit -m "docs: document archival API endpoint"
Small, focused commits are easier to review and easier to revert if needed.
Squash Merge Note
We use squash merges for all PRs. Your individual commits get combined into a single, clean commit when merged to master. This means:
- Don't stress over "fix typo" commits during development
- The final squash commit message gets polished at merge time
- Master history shows one commit per PR
Issue References
If your project uses issue tracking (GitHub Issues, Jira, Linear, etc.), reference issue IDs in PR titles or branch names, not commit messages. This enables automatic linking and status updates.
Branch: feat/GH-128-add-user-auth
PR title: feat: add user authentication #128
Principles
- Each commit should be a single, coherent change
- Commits should be independently understandable
- Focus on why the change was made, not what changed