Git Commit Validator

Git Commit Validator

This skill MUST be invoked whenever you are about to create a git commit. It handles the complete workflow and enforces commit message standards.

When This Skill Activates

Auto-invoke this skill when the user implies code should be committed:

Key insight: If the user's intent results in git commit being run, this skill MUST be used first.

Do NOT run git commit without this skill.

Complete Commit Workflow

Step 1: Gather Context

git status                    # See what's changed
git diff HEAD                 # See all changes (staged + unstaged)
git log --oneline -5          # Recent commit style reference

Step 1.5: Handle No Changes

If git status --porcelain returns empty AND nothing is staged:

• Do not attempt to commit - there's nothing to commit
• Inform the user: "No changes to commit"
• Exit the workflow

This prevents errors from running git commit with nothing staged.

Step 2: Stage Changes

Default behavior - stage all changes:

git add -A

If user specifies --staged - skip staging, use only what's already staged.

If user gives instructions - follow them:

• "ignore the docs" → don't stage doc files
• "only the src folder" → stage selectively

Step 3: Analyze and Generate Message

Based on the diff, determine:

1. Type: feat, fix, docs, refactor, test, chore, perf, ci, build, style, revert
2. Scope (optional): module or area affected
3. Description: concise, imperative mood, lowercase
4. Body: see decision matrix below

Message Format:

<type>[optional scope]: <description>

[body - required for non-trivial changes]

[optional footer - breaking changes, issue refs]

Commit Body Decision Matrix

The body is NOT optional for most real work. Use this matrix:

Body Quality Standards

Good body content includes:

• Context: Why this change is needed (the problem)
• Approach: How you solved it (key decisions)
• Impact: What this enables or fixes
• Caveats: Limitations, follow-up work, edge cases

Use bullet points when listing multiple changes:

- Add validation for email format
- Refactor user service to async
- Update tests for new behavior

Wrap at 72 characters - hard requirement for git tooling compatibility.

Sizing Your Commit Message

When in doubt, write more. A detailed commit message is a gift to future developers (including yourself).

Step 4: Validation (Automatic)

Validation runs automatically when you execute git commit. The commit_quality_enforcer hook intercepts the command and validates:

1. Subject line <= 50 chars
2. Body lines <= 72 chars (if body present)
3. Format check - Must match conventional commit format: <type>[scope]: <description>
4. No AI attribution - Rejects "generated with", "co-authored-by.*claude", "ai-generated"
5. Body quality - Requires appropriate detail based on diff size

If validation fails, the commit is blocked with a clear error message. Fix the issues and retry.

Step 5: Commit

Use HEREDOC for proper formatting:

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
type: description here
EOF
)"

Validation Rules

Subject Line (Required)

• Max 50 characters
• Format: <type>[scope]: <description>
• Type: lowercase (feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore, perf, ci, build, revert)
• Description: lowercase start, no period at end, imperative mood

Body Lines (Required for non-trivial changes)

• Max 72 characters per line
• Blank line between subject and body
• Explain "why" not just "what"
• See decision matrix above for when body is required

Forbidden Content

• NO AI attribution ("Generated with Claude", "Created by AI")
• NO AI co-authors ("Co-authored-by: Claude")
• NO branding phrases

Type Reference

Examples

Minimal (only for truly trivial changes)

docs: fix typo in readme

chore: bump lodash to 4.17.21

Standard (most commits should look like this)

fix(api): resolve timeout on large file uploads

Requests over 10MB were hitting the default 30s timeout.
Increased timeout to 5 minutes for upload endpoints and added
progress tracking to prevent connection drops.

feat(auth): add password reset via email

Users can now request a password reset link sent to their
registered email. Link expires after 1 hour.

- Add /auth/forgot-password endpoint
- Add /auth/reset-password endpoint with token validation
- Integrate SendGrid for transactional emails
- Add rate limiting (3 requests per hour per email)

Detailed (for large or complex changes)

refactor(database): migrate from callbacks to async/await

The callback-based database layer was causing pyramid-of-doom
issues and making error handling inconsistent across services.

Changes:
- Convert all db methods to return Promises
- Update 47 call sites across 12 service files
- Add connection pool management with proper cleanup
- Standardize error types (DbConnectionError, DbQueryError)

This unblocks the upcoming transaction support work.

feat(hooks): add pre-delegation context injection

Problem: Agents were receiving prompts without project context,
leading to inconsistent code style and missed conventions.

Solution: SessionStart hook now injects a delegation template
into Claude's context that gets included with every Agent() call.

Template includes:
- 7 sections covering task, context, expected output
- MUST DO / MUST NOT constraints
- Verification checklist

This standardizes agent output quality across all delegations.

Why No AI Attribution?

Commit messages reflect intent and ownership of the change. AI attribution:

• Clutters git history
• Dilutes accountability
• Adds no useful information

The human owns the commit. The tool is irrelevant.

Note: This skill handles COMMIT only. Push must be requested separately.