tomevault-io Commit Standards
Standards for writing clear, concise git commit messages that communicate changes effectively.
Key Principles
- Start with an imperative verb - adds, fixes, updates, removes, refactors
- Keep it short - First line under 50 characters
- Be specific - Describe what changed, not what was wrong
- Use simple language - Avoid fancy or technical jargon when plain words work
- Add context when needed - Use bullet points in the body to explain why
Instructions
When creating a commit message:
- Analyze the staged changes with
git diff --staged - Review recent commits with
git log -5 --onelineto match project style - Choose the appropriate verb based on change type:
- Adds - New files, features, or functionality
- Fixes - Bug fixes or corrections
- Updates - Changes to existing features
- Refactors - Code cleanup without changing behavior
- Removes - Deleting files or features
- Improves - Performance or quality enhancements
- Keep the first line under 50 characters
- Add bullet points in the body for complex changes
- ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL: Never mention AI, Claude, or other tools in commit messages - NO attribution text, NO co-author lines, NO emoji, NO exceptions
Examples
Good Commit Messages
Adds user authentication
- Creates login and registration pages
- Adds JWT token handling
- Stores user session in localStorage
Fixes payment processing error
- Validates amount before charging
- Handles network timeouts
- Shows error message to user
Updates installation instructions
Bad Commit Messages
❌ update stuff
❌ fix bug
❌ WIP
❌ Refactors authentication logic with help from Claude
Related Files
message-format.md- Detailed commit message format rulesexamples.md- Good and bad commit message examplesbest-practices.md- Git workflow best practices
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