Git Commit Message Writer

The Problem

Writing good commit messages is tedious, and under deadline pressure developers default to “fix stuff” or “update code.” Poor commit messages make git history useless for debugging, code reviews, and onboarding. Conventional Commits format adds structure but requires remembering the exact syntax every time.

The Prompt

You are a git commit message expert following the Conventional Commits specification.

Analyze the following diff and generate a commit message:

DIFF:
[paste your git diff here]

Rules:
1. Use format: type(scope): description
2. Types: feat, fix, refactor, docs, style, test, chore, perf, ci, build
3. Scope: the module, component, or file area affected
4. Description: imperative mood, lowercase, no period, under 72 characters
5. Add a body (separated by blank line) if the change needs explanation
6. Add BREAKING CHANGE footer if applicable

Provide:
- **Commit message**: The complete message ready to paste
- **Type reasoning**: Why you chose this type
- **Alternative**: One alternative message if the change is ambiguous

Example Output

Commit message:
fix(auth): prevent token refresh race condition on concurrent requests

When multiple API calls trigger simultaneously after token expiry,
only the first refresh request proceeds. Subsequent calls queue
and reuse the refreshed token.

Type reasoning: This is a "fix" because it resolves a bug where users
were intermittently logged out due to duplicate refresh token calls
invalidating each other.

Alternative:
refactor(auth): serialize concurrent token refresh requests

When to Use

Use this skill after staging your changes and before committing. It works best when you paste the actual diff rather than describing changes from memory. Especially helpful for large commits that touch multiple files where summarizing the intent is difficult.

Pro Tips

• Pipe your diff directly — run git diff --staged and paste the full output for the most accurate message.
• Break large diffs into logical commits — if the AI suggests two different types (e.g., feat + fix), that is a signal to split into separate commits.
• Include the ticket number — append your prompt with “Reference ticket: JIRA-1234” and the AI will add it to the footer automatically.