<type>(<scope>): <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer]

Types

feat: New feature
fix: Bug fix
docs: Documentation changes
style: Code style changes (formatting, missing semicolons)
refactor: Code refactoring
test: Adding or updating tests
chore: Maintenance tasks

Examples

Feature commit:

feat(auth): add JWT authentication

Implement JWT-based authentication system with:
- Login endpoint with token generation
- Token validation middleware
- Refresh token support

Bug fix:

fix(api): handle null values in user profile

Prevent crashes when user profile fields are null.
Add null checks before accessing nested properties.

Refactor:

refactor(database): simplify query builder

Extract common query patterns into reusable functions.
Reduce code duplication in database layer.

Analyzing changes

Review what's being committed:

# Show files changed
git status

# Show detailed changes
git diff --staged

# Show statistics
git diff --staged --stat

# Show changes for specific file
git diff --staged path/to/file

Commit message guidelines

DO:

Use imperative mood ("add feature" not "added feature")
Keep first line under 50 characters
Capitalize first letter
No period at end of summary
Explain WHY not just WHAT in body

DON'T:

Use vague messages like "update" or "fix stuff"
Include technical implementation details in summary
Write paragraphs in summary line
Use past tense

Multi-file commits

When committing multiple related changes:

refactor(core): restructure authentication module

- Move auth logic from controllers to service layer
- Extract validation into separate validators
- Update tests to use new structure
- Add integration tests for auth flow

Breaking change: Auth service now requires config object

Scope examples

Frontend:

feat(ui): add loading spinner to dashboard
fix(form): validate email format

Backend:

feat(api): add user profile endpoint
fix(db): resolve connection pool leak

Infrastructure:

chore(ci): update Node version to 20
feat(docker): add multi-stage build

Breaking changes

Indicate breaking changes clearly:

feat(api)!: restructure API response format

BREAKING CHANGE: All API responses now follow JSON:API spec

Previous format:
{ "data": {...}, "status": "ok" }

New format:
{ "data": {...}, "meta": {...} }

Migration guide: Update client code to handle new response structure

Template workflow

Review changes: git diff --staged
Identify type: Is it feat, fix, refactor, etc.?
Determine scope: What part of the codebase?
Write summary: Brief, imperative description
Add body: Explain why and what impact
Note breaking changes: If applicable

Interactive commit helper

Use git add -p for selective staging:

# Stage changes interactively
git add -p

# Review what's staged
git diff --staged

# Commit with message
git commit -m "type(scope): description"

Amending commits

Fix the last commit message:

# Amend commit message only
git commit --amend

# Amend and add more changes
git add forgotten-file.js
git commit --amend --no-edit

Best practices

Atomic commits - One logical change per commit
Test before commit - Ensure code works
Reference issues - Include issue numbers if applicable
Keep it focused - Don't mix unrelated changes
Write for humans - Future you will read this

Commit message checklist

Type is appropriate (feat/fix/docs/etc.)
Scope is specific and clear
Summary is under 50 characters
Summary uses imperative mood
Body explains WHY not just WHAT
Breaking changes are clearly marked
Related issue numbers are included

Git Commit Helper

Git Commit Helper

Quick start

Commit message format