Conventional Commit Summary

Conventional Commit Summary

Summarise the completed work as a single Conventional Commit message.

The output must be one line only. Do not include a body, bullet list, explanation, trailer, or extended description field.

Keep in mind how the Conventional Commit syntax maps to semver, if the project uses semver version numbering such as a package.json file for NodeJS projects.

• fix commits should translate to PATCH in semver numbering
• feat commits should translate to MINOR in semver numbering
• feat! or feat()! commits should translate to MAJOR in semver numbering

While you don't have to determine the new semver number, this framing can help with the developer's expectations and satisfaction with the computed commit message.

Format

Use this shape:

type(scope): concise summary

Use this shape when there is no useful scope:

type: concise summary

Use this shape for concise breaking changes:

type(scope)!: concise summary

Use this shape for concise breaking changes with no useful scope:

type!: concise summary

Keep the message brief enough to work as a git commit subject. Aim for roughly 50 to 72 characters when practical, but prefer clarity over forcing an exact length.

Breaking Changes

Use ! immediately before the colon when the change breaks an existing public contract, expected behaviour, API, command, schema, route, configuration format, package export, or documented workflow.

Do not add a BREAKING CHANGE: footer. This skill produces one-line commit subjects only.

Use the summary to name what changed, not just that something broke.

Good:

feat(auth)!: changed the password requirements
refactor(api)!: renamed user response fields
chore(config)!: replaced legacy environment variable names

Avoid:

feat(auth)!: breaking change
refactor!: changed stuff

Types

Choose the type that best describes the primary change:

• feat: adds a user-facing feature, capability, content item, or new behaviour
• fix: fixes a bug, broken behaviour, typo with functional impact, or incorrect output
• docs: updates documentation, instructions, guides, examples, or prose-only content
• style: changes formatting, whitespace, naming, or presentation without changing behaviour
• refactor: restructures code without intended behaviour changes
• test: adds or updates tests, fixtures, mocks, or test configuration
• chore: performs maintenance, setup, dependency, tooling, metadata, or repo housekeeping work
• build: changes build scripts, packaging, bundling, or release artefacts
• ci: changes continuous integration or deployment workflow configuration
• perf: improves performance
• revert: reverts a previous change

Scope

Use a short lowercase scope when it helps identify the area changed.

Good scopes are concrete repository areas, features, packages, routes, components, tools, or content groups:

• auth
• bananas
• blog
• skill
• styles
• tests
• deps
• ci

Omit the scope when it would be vague or forced.

Summary Rules

• Write one brief sentence fragment after the colon.
• Start the summary with a lowercase word unless the first word is a proper noun, acronym, file name, or product name.
• Use past tense or simple action phrasing when that best matches the user's style, such as added, fixed, updated, or removed.
• Name the concrete thing that changed.
• Add ! only when the change is genuinely breaking.
• Prefer specific nouns over generic words like stuff, changes, updates, or improvements.
• Do not end with a full stop.
• Do not mention that an AI agent did the work unless that is the actual content of the change.
• Do not include issue numbers, co-author trailers, test results, or extra context unless the user explicitly asks for them.

Examples

feat(bananas): added more banana varieties to the spawn system
feat(auth)!: changed the password requirements
fix(auth): fixed token refresh after expired sessions
docs(readme): updated setup steps for local development
docs(skill): added anti-slop guardrails to Alex writing style
style(nav): tightened spacing between menu links
refactor(api)!: renamed user response fields
refactor(api): moved request validation into shared middleware
test(cart): added coverage for empty checkout states
chore(config)!: replaced legacy environment variable names
chore(deps): updated frontend package versions
build(vite): added production asset compression
ci(actions): added lint checks for pull requests
perf(search): reduced duplicate index lookups
revert(auth): reverted session cookie expiry change

Picking The Best Message

If multiple changes were made, choose the dominant user-visible or repository-significant change.

Examples:

• Code change plus tests: use feat, fix, or refactor, not test.
• Documentation-only change: use docs.
• Formatting-only change: use style.
• Dependency or tooling-only change: use chore, build, or ci.
• Skill content change: usually use docs(skill) or feat(skill) depending on whether it only explains behaviour or adds a new reusable capability.
• Breaking API, schema, config, route, CLI, or documented workflow change: add ! before the colon.

When unsure, choose the clearest honest summary over trying to encode every detail.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: AlexStormwood
• Source: AlexStormwood/agentic-skills
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://www.skills.sh/alexstormwood/agentic-skills

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.