git-commit-specification_skill

Overview

This skill enforces a concise Git commit and branch specification for teams. It defines commit message formats (feat/fix/refactor/etc.), branch naming conventions, Issue linking, PR preparation steps, and rebase guidance. The goal is consistent history, clearer reviews, and easier release notes.

How this skill works

The skill inspects commit messages, branch names, and PR readiness against the agreed format. It checks for a type prefix (e.g., feat:, fix:, refactor:), optional scope, and an Issue number reference. It also guides contributors to use rebase for a tidy history and to run local tests before creating a PR.

When to use it

• When creating or updating a branch for a feature, bugfix, or hotfix
• When writing commit messages for code changes
• When preparing a pull request for review and merging
• When rebasing to clean up multiple commits before merge
• When linking work to an Issue tracker for traceability

Best practices

• Start commit messages with a type: feat, fix, refactor, perf, test, docs, chore, or del (del requires approval)
• Include an optional scope in parentheses for component-level context, e.g., feat(process): description
• Append the Issue number at the end, e.g., feat: add pipeline template support #1234
• Use branch prefixes: feature/, bugfix/, or hotfix/ followed by a short kebab-case description
• Use interactive rebase (git rebase -i) to squash or tidy commits, then fetch and rebase against upstream before pushing
• Run local tests and strip sensitive data before creating a PR

Example use cases

• Creating a feature branch: feature/pipeline-template-support and committing as feat: add pipeline template support #1234
• Fixing a bug in a bugfix branch and using fix: restore missing build logs #5678
• Refactoring code with refactor: optimize query performance and grouping related changes before PR
• Preparing a clean PR by squashing interim commits via git rebase -i and rebasing onto develop
• Updating docs or tests with docs: update API docs or test: add unit tests without linking an Issue if unnecessary