Kit Copilot Create Commit Instructions

Create Commit Message Instructions

What This Skill Does

Generates a .github/commit-message-instructions.md file that customizes how GitHub Copilot generates commit messages in the VS Code Source Control panel. The generated file uses XML-like tags exclusively (no markdown headers, no bullet lists, no tables) because Copilot's commit message generation uses a lower-tier LLM that parses XML boundaries more reliably.

Step-by-step Procedure

Step 1: Gather Preferences

Determine the user's commit message preferences. If the user provides no specific preferences, default to Conventional Commits format.

If the user's request is clear enough, skip the questions and proceed directly.

Step 2: Determine Commit Style

Based on user input, select the appropriate commit message style:

Step 3: Build Instruction Content

Construct the instruction file content using XML-like tags exclusively — no markdown headers, no bullet lists, no tables. XML-like tags are the most reliable structure for lower-tier LLMs.

Follow this skeleton:

Step 4: Write the File

Write the generated instruction content to .github/commit-message-instructions.md in the workspace root. If the file already exists, overwrite it with the new content.

Step 5: Guide User on Settings Configuration

After the file is created, display this message to the user:

{
  "github.copilot.chat.commitMessageGeneration.instructions": [
    { "file": ".github/commit-message-instructions.md" }
  ]
}

Once this setting is in place, staging changes and clicking the sparkle icon in Source Control will generate commit messages following the instructions in the file.

Default Template (Conventional Commits)

If the user provides no specific preferences, generate this content for .github/commit-message-instructions.md:

<commit-message-guidelines>

<instruction>
Generate commit messages following the Conventional Commits specification (https://www.conventionalcommits.org/).
</instruction>

<format>
type(optional scope): description

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]
</format>

<types>
  <type name="feat">A new feature</type>
  <type name="fix">A bug fix</type>
  <type name="docs">Documentation only changes</type>
  <type name="style">Changes that do not affect the meaning of the code (formatting, missing semi-colons, etc.)</type>
  <type name="refactor">A code change that neither fixes a bug nor adds a feature</type>
  <type name="perf">A code change that improves performance</type>
  <type name="test">Adding missing tests or correcting existing tests</type>
  <type name="build">Changes that affect the build system or external dependencies</type>
  <type name="ci">Changes to CI configuration files and scripts</type>
  <type name="chore">Other changes that don't modify src or test files</type>
  <type name="revert">Reverts a previous commit</type>
</types>

<rules>
1. Use the imperative mood in the subject line ("add" not "added" or "adds")
2. Do not capitalize the first letter of the subject line
3. Do not end the subject line with a period
4. Limit the subject line to 50 characters when possible, max 72
5. Separate subject from body with a blank line (if body is present)
6. Use the body to explain what and why, not how
7. Wrap the body at 72 characters
</rules>

<breaking-changes>
Indicate breaking changes by:
- Adding "!" after the type/scope: feat!: remove deprecated API
- Adding a BREAKING CHANGE: footer in the body
</breaking-changes>

<examples>
  <example type="feat">
    feat(auth): add OAuth2 login support
    feat(cart): implement guest checkout flow
    feat: add dark mode toggle to settings
  </example>

  <example type="fix">
    fix(api): resolve null pointer exception in user service
    fix(ui): correct button alignment on mobile viewport
    fix: prevent duplicate form submissions
  </example>

  <example type="docs">
    docs(readme): update installation instructions
    docs(api): add endpoint usage examples
    docs: add contributing guidelines
  </example>

  <example type="style">
    style: format code with prettier
    style(components): fix indentation in Button component
    style: remove trailing whitespace
  </example>

  <example type="refactor">
    refactor(api): extract validation logic to middleware
    refactor: simplify conditional rendering in Dashboard
    refactor(db): rename user table columns for clarity
  </example>

  <example type="perf">
    perf(images): implement lazy loading for gallery
    perf(api): add database query caching
    perf: reduce bundle size by code splitting
  </example>

  <example type="test">
    test(auth): add unit tests for login validation
    test: increase coverage for utils module
    test(e2e): add checkout flow integration tests
  </example>

  <example type="build">
    build(deps): upgrade React to v19
    build: configure webpack for production optimization
    build(docker): update base image to node 22
  </example>

  <example type="ci">
    ci: add GitHub Actions workflow for testing
    ci(deploy): configure automatic staging deployments
    ci: add code coverage reporting to pipeline
  </example>

  <example type="chore">
    chore: update .gitignore patterns
    chore(deps): bump minor dependency versions
    chore: remove deprecated config files
  </example>

  <example type="revert">
    revert: revert "feat(auth): add OAuth2 login support"
    revert(api): undo breaking change to user endpoint
  </example>

  <example type="breaking-change">
    feat(api)!: change response format for user endpoints

    BREAKING CHANGE: User endpoint now returns data wrapped in "data" property

    refactor!: drop support for Node.js 16
  </example>
</examples>

</commit-message-guidelines>

Common Customizations

Source: ikcode-dev/copilot-kit — distributed by TomeVault.