Git Commit Skill

Overview

Create well-structured git commits with conventional commit messages that clearly describe the changes.

Instructions

When committing changes, follow these steps:

1. •

   Check the current state - Run these commands in parallel:

   • •git status to see staged and unstaged changes
   • •git diff --cached to see what's staged
   • •git diff to see unstaged changes
   • •git log --oneline -5 to see recent commit style
2. •

   Stage changes if needed - If there are unstaged changes the user wants to commit, stage them with git add

3. •

   Analyze the changes - Review what's being committed:

   • •What files are affected?
   • •What's the nature of the change (fix, feature, refactor, docs, etc.)?
   • •What's the primary purpose?
4. •

   Update CHANGELOG.md - Add a description of the changes under the ## [Unreleased] section:

   • •Read the top of CHANGELOG.md to see the current format
   • •If there's no ## [Unreleased] section, create one at the top (after the header)
   • •Add entries under the appropriate category header:
     • •### Added - New features or capabilities
     • •### Changed - Changes to existing functionality
     • •### Fixed - Bug fixes
     • •### Removed - Removed features or code
     • •### Security - Security-related changes
   • •Each entry should be a bullet point with a clear description
   • •Use sub-bullets for additional context when helpful
   • •Example format:
     markdown

     ## [Unreleased]
     
     ### Added
     
     - New phone agent limitation directives
       - Agent now clarifies it cannot make calls including 911
       - Redirects persistent requests to main clinic
     

   • •Stage the CHANGELOG.md changes with git add CHANGELOG.md
5. •

   Generate a commit message following this format:

   code

   <type>: <short description>
   
   <optional body explaining what and why>
   
   Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
   

   Types:

   • •feat: New feature
   • •fix: Bug fix
   • •refactor: Code restructuring without behavior change
   • •docs: Documentation changes
   • •style: Formatting, whitespace
   • •test: Adding or updating tests
   • •chore: Maintenance tasks, dependencies
6. •

   Create the commit using a HEREDOC for proper formatting:

   bash

   git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
   type: short description
   
   Optional longer description.
   
   Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
   EOF
   )"
   

7. •

   Verify success - Run git status to confirm the commit was created

Guidelines

• •Keep the first line under 72 characters
• •Use imperative mood ("add feature" not "added feature")
• •Focus on WHY the change was made, not just WHAT changed
• •Don't include file lists in the message - git tracks that
• •Match the style of recent commits in the repo when possible

Safety

• •Never use --force or destructive commands
• •Never skip hooks with --no-verify unless explicitly asked
• •Never amend commits that have been pushed
• •If there are no changes to commit, inform the user