git-commit

Q: How do I install git-commit?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/onsager-ai/dev-skills --skill git-commit in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/git-commit/ (personal) or .claude/skills/git-commit/ (project).

by onsager-aiCode Quality & Workflow

Best practices for creating clean, atomic git commits with good messages. Use when: (1) staging and committing changes, (2) writing commit messages, (3) deciding what to group in a single commit, (4) handling pre-commit hook failures, (5) choosing between amend and new commit. Triggers on "commit", "stage", "git add", "write a commit message", or "commit my changes".

Installs: 64
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Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/onsager-ai/dev-skills --skill git-commit

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads git-commit automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Git Commit

Write clean, atomic commits that communicate intent clearly.

When to Use This Skill

Activate when any of the following are true:

User asks to "commit", "make a commit", "stage changes", or "write a commit message"
User says "commit my changes" or "commit this"
A logical unit of work is complete and ready to land
User asks about git add, git commit, or git amend

Decision Tree

What does the user need?

Stage + commit changes?
  → Check what changed: git status + git diff --staged
  → Group related changes (atomic commit rule below)
  → Write message in conventional format
  → If hook fails: fix root cause, re-stage, new commit

Amend the last commit?
  → ONLY if NOT yet pushed to remote
  → OK for: missing file, minor message fix, small oversight
  → New commit instead: substantial change, already pushed

Write a commit message only?
  → Follow conventional format below
  → Lead with "why", not "what"

Hook failure?
  → Read the full hook output
  → Fix the root cause — never use --no-verify

Conventional Commits Format

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

<body>      ← optional; explain *why*, not *what*
<footer>    ← optional; breaking changes, refs

Types

Type	When
`feat`	New feature or capability
`fix`	Bug fix
`refactor`	Code restructure, no behavior change
`docs`	Documentation only
`test`	Adding or fixing tests
`chore`	Build, tooling, dependency updates
`perf`	Performance improvement
`ci`	CI/CD workflow changes

Rules

Subject: ≤ 72 chars, imperative mood ("add" not "added"), no trailing period
Body: wrap at 72 chars; explain motivation, not mechanics
Breaking change: BREAKING CHANGE: footer, or ! after type (feat!:)

Atomic Commits

One commit = one logical change. A reviewer should understand it without other commits.

Group together: all files for a single feature or fix; tests with the code they cover.

Keep separate: refactors from behavior changes; unrelated fixes; half-done work.

Never commit "WIP" or "misc fixes" — squash or split before finalizing.

Staging Checklist

Before git add, verify:

No secrets, API keys, or credentials
No debug code or temporary hacks (console.log, TODO: remove)
Changes are related (one logical unit)
.gitignore respected — no build artifacts or generated files unless intentional

Examples

Feature

feat(auth): add OAuth2 login flow

Replaces username/password form. Supports Google and GitHub as providers.
Token refresh is handled automatically by the auth middleware.

Bug fix

fix(publish): handle missing platform binary gracefully

Previously threw unhandled error when the platform package was absent.
Now logs a clear message and exits with code 1.

Breaking change

feat!: change publish config to support multiple binaries

BREAKING CHANGE: `binary` field renamed to `binaries` array.
Migrate: `binary: 'my-cli'` → `binaries: [{ name: 'my-cli', ... }]`

Chore

chore(deps): upgrade pnpm to 10.6.2

Pre-commit Hook Failures

Read the full hook output — it tells you exactly what failed
Fix the underlying issue (lint, type error, formatting)
Re-stage the fixed files
Create a new commit — do not amend the failed attempt
Never use --no-verify unless the user explicitly asks

Setup & Activation

npx skills add -g onsager-ai/dev-skills --skill git-commit -a claude-code -y

Auto-activates when: user says "commit", "stage", "git add", or "commit message".

FAQ

What does the git-commit skill do?

How do I install git-commit?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/onsager-ai/dev-skills --skill git-commit in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/git-commit/ (personal) or .claude/skills/git-commit/ (project).

Which AI agents can use git-commit?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is git-commit safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains git-commit?

It is published by onsager-ai in onsager-ai/dev-skills. It has 64 recorded installs.

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