git-commit-writer

Git Commit Writer

Generate a disciplined commit message from the currently staged changes. Opinionated about style: imperative mood, concise title, body that explains why not what.

When to use

• User says "write a commit message", "/commit", "commit this"
• User has staged changes and asks to review them before committing
• User asks "what should this commit be called"

Do NOT use this skill to actually run git commit unless the user explicitly asks — just draft the message and show it.

Instructions

1. Run git status --short with the Bash tool. Confirm there are staged changes. If nothing is staged, stop and tell the user.
2. Run git diff --staged to read the full staged diff. If the diff is large (>500 lines), also run git diff --staged --stat to get a file-level overview first.
3. Run git log --oneline -10 to learn the repo's commit convention. Look for:
   • Conventional Commits prefixes (feat:, fix:, chore:) — if present, match the style.
   • Title case vs sentence case.
   • Whether bodies are used or not.
   • Any ticket / issue prefix (e.g. [PROJ-123]).
4. Draft a message following these rules:
   • Title: imperative mood ("Add X", not "Added X" or "Adds X"), max 70 characters, no trailing period.
   • Body (if needed): blank line after title, then 1-3 short paragraphs or bullets explaining why the change is necessary, what problem it solves, what trade-offs were made.
   • Never use the word "refactor" alone — always say what was refactored and why ("Extract retry loop into helper to share with job runner").
   • Never write "Update file.js" — describe the behavior change, not the file touched.
   • Never invent a ticket number. If the repo uses them but you can't infer one, leave it out.
5. Show the drafted message in a fenced code block. Ask the user if they want you to run git commit with it. Do not commit automatically.

Anti-patterns to reject

• "Various fixes" / "Updates" / "WIP" — reject and ask for specifics from the diff.
• "Refactor code" — must name the unit being refactored.
• Title >70 chars — shorten or move detail to body.
• Past tense or "-ing" forms — rewrite to imperative.

Example invocations

• /git-commit-writer
• "Write a commit message for what I have staged"
• "Review my staged diff and draft a commit"
• "/commit — but don't push"