# Git Iris > Use this skill when generating commit messages, pull request descriptions, release notes, changelogs, or code reviews in a repository where git-iris is available. Activates on requests like "commit this", "write a commit message", "draft a PR", "generate release notes", "write a changelog", or "review my changes" when git-iris is on PATH. - Skill: `tomevault-io/git-iris` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/git-iris` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/git-iris/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector CAUTION) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/git-iris --- # Git-Iris Delegate commit messages, PR descriptions, reviews, changelogs, and release notes to `git-iris`. Iris reads the diff herself, follows project style (gitmoji, presets, project-config), and produces structured output. Your job is to pass the _why_, then commit or post the result. ## When to use If the repo has `git-iris` on PATH and the user asks for any of: | Intent | Subcommand | | -------------------------------- | ------------------------ | | Write a commit message | `git-iris gen` | | Draft or update a PR description | `git-iris pr` | | Generate release notes | `git-iris release-notes` | | Generate a changelog | `git-iris changelog` | | Code review of staged changes | `git-iris review` | Check first: `command -v git-iris`. If it's missing, fall through to writing the message yourself. If the installed `git-iris` is stale for the current branch, use the branch binary instead: `cargo run --quiet -- -q gen -p -i ""` or `target/debug/git-iris -q gen -p -i ""`. The `-q` flag still belongs to `git-iris`, after Cargo's `--`. ## The core pattern ```bash git-iris -q gen -p -i "" ``` - `-q` suppresses iris's startup banner. **Always pass `-q` when capturing stdout** or the version banner will pollute the captured message. - `-p` prints to stdout without committing. Capture, inspect, then commit yourself with `git commit -F-`. - `-i` is the _why_. Iris already reads the diff, so don't paste it. Pass intent: what user request triggered this, what constraint shaped the choice, what tone applies. - Drop `-p` and add `-a` to auto-commit when the user is fine with iris's output as-is. `-q` is optional in auto-commit mode (the banner just goes to your terminal, not into the message). ## What goes in `-i` Good context (one paragraph, roughly 3-5 sentences): - The user request that triggered the change ("user asked to fix the doubled gitmoji bug") - Non-obvious constraints ("had to keep the public API unchanged for downstream callers") - Tone or scope hints ("internal refactor only, no behavior change") - Related ticket or issue if relevant Bad context (skip these): - The diff itself, iris reads it - File-by-file enumeration, iris reads them - Restating commit conventions, iris uses project presets - Boilerplate praise or filler ## Per-capability flags ### Commit messages (`gen`) | Flag | When | | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `-p` / `--print` | Print to stdout, you commit yourself | | `-a` / `--auto-commit` | Iris commits directly with the generated message | | `--amend` | Amend the previous commit. Requires `-p` or `-a`; standalone `--amend` is a no-op with a warning | | `--no-verify` | Skip iris's auto-commit hooks. **Only affects iris's own commit (`-a` mode).** When you commit yourself with `git commit -F-`, pass `--no-verify` to git too if the user asked for it | | `--critic` / `--no-critic` | Toggle the critic verification pass after generation. Commit messages default off; use `--critic` to opt in | ### PR descriptions (`pr`) | Flag | When | | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--update` | Push the description to the GitHub PR (requires `gh auth`) | | `--pr ` | Target a specific PR number for `--update`. Has no effect without `--update` | | `--from ` / `--to ` | Custom commit range | | `-c` / `--copy` | Copy raw markdown to clipboard | | `--critic` / `--no-critic` | Toggle the critic verification pass after generation. Default on | ### Changelog and release notes Both subcommands **require `--from`**. `--to` defaults to `HEAD` if omitted. | Flag | When | | -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `--from ` | **Required.** Starting reference (commit/tag/branch) | | `--to ` | Ending reference. Defaults to `HEAD` | | `--version-name ` | Explicit version label (works for both `changelog` and `release-notes`) | | `--file ` | Output file path (defaults to `CHANGELOG.md` / `RELEASE_NOTES.md`) | | `--critic` / `--no-critic` | Toggle the critic verification pass after generation. Default on | ### Code review (`review`) By default, reviews staged changes. Use the flags below for other scopes. | Flag | When | | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `-p` / `--print` | Print review to stdout instead of console-formatted display | | `--raw` | Raw markdown (good for piping or saving to file) | | `--include-unstaged` | Include unstaged working-tree changes alongside staged. Incompatible with `--from`/`--to` | | `--commit ` | Review a single commit. Mutually exclusive with `--from`/`--to` | | `--from ` / `--to ` | Review a commit range. `--from` requires `--to` | | `--github-review` | Post the review to the current GitHub PR (requires `gh auth`) | | `--github-inline-comments` | Add inline comments at flagged lines when posting | | `--github-review-event ` | GitHub review action: `comment` (default), `request-changes`, `approve` | | `--pr ` | Target a specific PR for `--github-review` | | `--critic` / `--no-critic` | Toggle the critic verification pass after generation. Default on | ## Attributions and trailers Iris doesn't manage `Co-Authored-By:` trailers. After capturing iris's output with `-p`, append trailers yourself when committing: ```bash msg=$(git-iris -q gen -p -i "") git commit -F- < EOF ``` For PR and release-notes markdown, attribution is optional and lives in the body if at all. Don't post-process iris's markdown unless the user asks for it. ## Print vs auto-commit | Situation | Use | | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | | User wants to review before commit | `-p`, show stdout, confirm, then commit | | User said "just commit it" or "ship it" | `-a` | | User is mid-flow and trusts the output | `-p` and commit silently with trailers | | You need to add Co-Authored-By trailers | `-p` (auto-commit can't append trailers) | ## Things to know - **Iris uses the repo's project-config.** Don't pass `--gitmoji` or `--preset` flags unless the user explicitly asks to override. - **Iris re-runs cleanly.** If the first output isn't right, refine `-i` and call again rather than editing iris's output by hand. - **Studio TUI exists.** If the user wants to iterate interactively, suggest `git-iris studio` instead of repeated CLI calls. - **`--debug` is colorful.** When something looks wrong, `git-iris gen --debug -i "..."` shows tool calls and reasoning in color. Don't combine `--debug` with `-q -p` capture; debug output goes to stderr but the visual noise distracts from triage. ## Anti-patterns - Don't write the commit message yourself when `git-iris` is on PATH and the user wanted iris to do it. - Don't paste the diff into `-i`. Iris reads the diff. - Don't chain `-i` with shell-escaped multi-paragraph prose. One paragraph, plain quotes. - Don't override project style flags unless the user asked. - Don't skip the user's review step on a non-trivial commit just because `-a` is faster. --- > Source: [hyperb1iss/git-iris](https://github.com/hyperb1iss/git-iris) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).