Commit Message Helper

Overview

This skill helps write clear, professional commit messages that follow conventional commit format and include the Claude Code footer. It examines staged changes and suggests well-structured messages.

Instructions

When helping with commit messages, follow these steps:

•
Analyze staged changes:
- •Run git diff --staged to see what changes are staged
- •Run git status to understand the overall scope
- •Run git log --oneline -5 to see recent commit style
•
Determine commit type:
- •Analyze the nature of changes (feature, fix, docs, refactor, etc.)
- •Identify the scope/area affected
- •Note if there are breaking changes
•
Draft the commit message with this structure:

code

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

<body>

<footer with Claude Code attribution>

•
Execute the commit:
- •Stage files if needed: git add <files>
- •Create commit using heredoc format for proper formatting
- •Verify with git status

Commit Message Format

Type (required)

•feat: New feature or capability
•fix: Bug fix
•docs: Documentation changes only
•style: Code style/formatting (no logic changes)
•refactor: Code restructuring without feature/fix
•perf: Performance improvements
•test: Adding or updating tests
•chore: Build, dependencies, tooling
•ci: CI/CD pipeline changes

Scope (optional)

Examples for this project:

•auth - Authentication related
•mcp - MCP server/protocol
•tools - MCP tools implementation
•docs - Documentation
•oauth - OAuth flow
•api - API endpoints

Subject (required)

•Use imperative mood: "add" not "adds" or "added"
•Don't capitalize first letter
•No period at the end
•Maximum 50 characters
•Be specific and clear

Body (optional but recommended)

•Explain what and why, not how
•Use bullet points for multiple changes
•Wrap at 72 characters
•Leave blank line after subject
•Include implementation details if complex

Footer (required)

ALWAYS include the Claude Code attribution:

code

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Optionally add before the attribution:

•Issue references: Fixes #123 or Relates to #456
•Breaking changes: BREAKING CHANGE: description

Examples

Feature with scope

code

feat(tools): add calendar integration tool

Implement Google Calendar integration allowing users to:
- List upcoming events
- Create new calendar events
- Update existing events
- Delete events

Uses OAuth 2.0 for authentication and caches credentials.

Relates to #15

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Bug fix

code

fix(oauth): resolve token refresh race condition

Token refresh now uses mutex lock to prevent multiple concurrent
refresh requests. This resolves intermittent 401 errors when
multiple tools execute simultaneously.

Fixes #23

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Documentation

code

docs: add deployment guide for Railway

Add comprehensive Railway deployment documentation including:
- Environment variable configuration
- Docker setup
- Domain configuration
- Auth0 integration steps

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Refactoring

code

refactor(server): simplify endpoint registration

Replace manual route registration with decorator-based approach.
Reduces boilerplate and improves code readability.

No functional changes.

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Commit Command Format

ALWAYS use heredoc format for proper multi-line handling:

bash

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
<type>(<scope>): <subject>

<body>

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
EOF
)"

Best Practices

•
Subject Line:
- •Keep under 50 characters
- •Be specific: "add user authentication" > "add feature"
- •Use imperative mood consistently
•
Body:
- •Explain the reasoning and context
- •Use bullet points for clarity
- •Focus on what and why, not how
•
Scope:
- •Use consistent scopes across the project
- •Keep scopes short (1-2 words)
- •Omit if change affects entire project
•
Atomic Commits:
- •One logical change per commit
- •Group related files together
- •Don't mix features with fixes
•
Footer:
- •Always include Claude Code attribution
- •Reference issues when applicable
- •Note breaking changes clearly

Special Cases

Multiple File Types

If changes span multiple areas, either:

•Use broader scope: feat(server): add multiple improvements
•Or split into multiple commits (preferred)

Breaking Changes

Add to footer before Claude Code attribution:

code

BREAKING CHANGE: /health endpoint now requires authentication

All endpoints except /info now require valid OAuth tokens.
Update client configurations accordingly.

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Initial Commit

code

chore: initial project setup

Initialize Sherpa MCP Server with:
- Basic project structure
- Python virtual environment
- Git repository configuration

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Quick Checklist

Before committing, verify:

• Changes are staged (git status)
• Commit type is accurate
• Subject is imperative and < 50 chars
• Body explains why (if not obvious)
• Claude Code footer is included
• No sensitive data in commit message
• Heredoc format is used for multi-line messages