Commit Squashing Skill

Helps squash multiple git commits into a single, well-structured commit to maintain a clean git history.

When to Use This Skill

•Cleaning up a feature branch before merging to main
•Combining multiple WIP/fix commits into one logical commit
•Preparing a pull request with clean commit history
•User explicitly asks to "squash", "combine", or "consolidate" commits

Prerequisites

•Git installed and available in PATH
•Working directory is a git repository
•Commits to squash are on the current branch

Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Analyze Current Commit History

First, review the commits that will be squashed:

powershell

# Show last N commits with summary
git log --oneline -n 10

# Show with more detail
git log --pretty=format:"%h %s%n%b" -n 10

Step 2: Determine Squash Strategy

Choose the appropriate method based on the situation:

Scenario	Method
Squash last N commits	Interactive rebase: `git rebase -i HEAD~N`
Squash into specific commit	Interactive rebase to that commit
Squash all commits on branch	Soft reset + recommit
Squash before merge (PR)	Merge with `--squash` flag

Step 3: Execute the Squash

Method A: Interactive Rebase (Most Flexible)

powershell

# Replace N with number of commits to squash
git rebase -i HEAD~N

In the editor that opens:

•Keep pick for the first (oldest) commit
•Change pick to squash (or s) for commits to combine
•Save and close
•Edit the combined commit message when prompted

Method B: Soft Reset (Quick for All Branch Commits)

powershell

# Find the commit to reset to (usually branch point)
git merge-base main HEAD

# Soft reset preserving changes
git reset --soft <commit-hash>

# Create new squashed commit
git commit -m "feat: your squashed commit message"

Method C: Merge Squash (For PRs)

powershell

# From the target branch (e.g., main)
git merge --squash feature-branch
git commit -m "feat: merged feature with squashed commits"

Step 4: Craft a Good Commit Message

Follow conventional commits format:

code

<type>(<scope>): <subject>

<body>

<footer>

Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore

Example:

code

feat(auth): implement OAuth2 login flow

- Add OAuth2 provider configuration
- Create login/callback endpoints  
- Implement token refresh logic
- Add user session management

Closes #123

Step 5: Force Push (If Needed)

If commits were already pushed, force push is required:

powershell

# Force push with lease (safer)
git push --force-with-lease

# Or standard force push
git push --force

⚠️ Warning: Only force push on branches where you're the sole contributor, or coordinate with your team.

Examples

Example 1: Squash Last 3 Commits

Situation: You made 3 commits for one feature:

•abc123 wip: started login form
•def456 fix: typo in validation
•ghi789 done: login form complete

Commands:

powershell

git rebase -i HEAD~3
# Change to: pick abc123, squash def456, squash ghi789
# Save and write new message

Result: Single commit with clean message.

Example 2: Squash Feature Branch Before PR

Situation: Feature branch has 10 messy commits, need to squash before merging to main.

Commands:

powershell

# Find where branch diverged
git merge-base main feature-branch
# Returns: 1a2b3c4

# Soft reset
git reset --soft 1a2b3c4

# Create clean commit
git commit -m "feat(dashboard): add analytics dashboard

- Implement chart components
- Add data fetching hooks
- Create dashboard layout
- Add unit tests"

# Force push
git push --force-with-lease

Example 3: Undo a Bad Squash

Situation: Squash went wrong, need to recover.

Commands:

powershell

# Find the commit before rebase in reflog
git reflog

# Reset to that state
git reset --hard HEAD@{n}

Best Practices

•Always backup first: Create a temporary branch before squashing
•Use --force-with-lease: Safer than --force, prevents overwriting others' work
•Write meaningful messages: The squashed commit message should describe the full change
•Squash before PR review: Don't squash during review (loses review context)
•Don't squash shared history: Never rewrite commits others have based work on

Common Issues

Issue 1: Rebase Conflicts

Problem: Conflicts appear during interactive rebase Solution:

powershell

# Resolve conflicts in files, then:
git add .
git rebase --continue
# Or abort and try different approach:
git rebase --abort

Issue 2: Lost Commits After Squash

Problem: Can't find original commits Solution: Use git reflog to find and recover them

Issue 3: Push Rejected After Squash

Problem: Remote rejects push because history diverged Solution: Use git push --force-with-lease (only on your own branches!)

Quick Reference

Action	Command
View commits	`git log --oneline -n 10`
Interactive rebase	`git rebase -i HEAD~N`
Soft reset	`git reset --soft <commit>`
Find branch point	`git merge-base main HEAD`
Force push safely	`git push --force-with-lease`
Undo rebase	`git reset --hard HEAD@{1}`
Check reflog	`git reflog`