Git Commit Message

Rules

When inspecting changes for commit messages or change summaries:

• Only git diff HEAD defines what changed (all local changes vs last commit)
• Never run git diff --staged, git diff --cached, or git diff HEAD --cached
• Never infer changes from git status "Changes to be committed"
• Never warn about or analyze index vs working-tree mismatches from the staged list
• If git diff HEAD is empty, there is nothing to commit — stop

Quick Start

When the user needs a commit message:

1. Inspect changes: git status, git diff HEAD (all local changes vs last commit)
2. Read recent style: git log --oneline -15
3. Draft a single-line Conventional Commits message matching repo conventions
4. Return the message only — do not commit unless explicitly asked

Run status, diff, and log in parallel when possible.

Message Format

Single line only — no body:

<type>[<scope>]: <subject>

Never add a blank line or body paragraph after the subject.

Type Selection

Scope Guidelines

• Use existing scopes from recent commits when present
• Prefer short, stable names: auth, db, config, deps
• Drop scope rather than guess incorrectly

Workflow

Task Progress:
- [ ] Run git status + `git diff HEAD`
- [ ] Read recent git log for style alignment
- [ ] Identify primary change type and scope
- [ ] Draft single-line subject (imperative, self-contained)
- [ ] Check for secrets or files that should not be committed
- [ ] Present message to user

Split vs Single Commit

• One logical change → one commit
• Unrelated changes (feat + fix in different areas) → suggest splitting
• Large refactor + feature → suggest separate commits

Safety

• Never include secrets (.env, credentials, tokens) in the commit
• Warn if changed files look sensitive
• Do not run git commit unless the user explicitly requests it

Output

Present exactly one line in a copy-paste block:

feat[auth]: add jwt token refresh endpoint

fix[ui]: prevent double submit on checkout form

CLI

Copy-paste commands: cli/git-commit-message.md

Additional Resources

• More examples: examples.md