Prepare Git Commit

Prepare Git Commit

Overview

Stages files for one logical change and writes a commit message to .git/COMMIT_EDITMSG. The user runs git commit locally so hooks (e.g. commit-msg) execute.

When to Use

Use when

• The user asks to prepare a commit
• The user asks to stage files or write a commit message
• The user asks to commit changes without pushing

Do not use when

• The user explicitly asks to run git commit or git push
• The user wants amend, squash, or rebase unless explicitly requested
• Only documentation or review is needed (no staging or message)

Inputs

• Current branch state (git status, git diff)
• Files already staged or changed on the branch
• Recent commit message style (git log)
• User scope when they name specific paths or changes

Outputs

• .git/COMMIT_EDITMSG with the formatted commit message
• List of staged files
• Reminder to run commit locally:

git commit
# or
git commit -F .git/COMMIT_EDITMSG

Constraints

• Never run git commit or git push
• Never amend, squash, or rebase unless explicitly requested
• Never stage secrets (.env, credentials, tokens)
• Never add Co-authored-by:, Made-with: Cursor, or any AI/editor attribution
• Commit message language: en-US

Steps

1. Inspect

Run in parallel when possible:

• git status
• git diff (staged + unstaged)
• git log -n 5 (message style)

2. Stage

• If files are already staged appropriately, leave as-is
• Otherwise, pick branch changes related to the same logical work (prefer recent edits)
• Stage only files for the same logical change
• Do not stage unrelated or generated files unless explicitly required
• Run git add for selected paths only

3. Write commit message

• Write to .git/COMMIT_EDITMSG
• Format: short title line + bullet list (intent/why, not noisy implementation detail)
• Prefix — prefer prefix from branch name (e.g. feat/, fix/, chore/); otherwise use feat:, fix:, bugfix:, chore:, refactor:

4. Hand off

Report staged files, the full commit message (copy-ready), and instruct the user to run git commit locally.

Rationalization Traps

| Rationalization | Reality | | --- | --- | | Running git commit is faster | Hooks must run on the user's machine | | Files are already staged, skip inspect | Staging may include unrelated or secret files | | Attribution lines are harmless | Co-authored-by: and editor attribution are prohibited | | One big stage is fine | Unrelated changes block clean review and revert |

Red Flags

• git commit or git push was executed
• .env, credentials, or generated artifacts were staged
• .git/COMMIT_EDITMSG was not written
• git diff --cached was not reviewed before staging

Verification

• [ ] git diff --cached reviewed for scope and secrets
• [ ] Only related files are staged (git diff --cached --name-only)
• [ ] .git/COMMIT_EDITMSG exists with title, prefix, and bullet list
• [ ] No prohibited attribution in the message
• [ ] User received staged file list, full message, and local commit command

Source & license

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

• Author: wanderlima
• Source: wanderlima/agent-skills
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://github.com/wanderlima/agent-skills

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