commit-helper

Overview of commit-helper skill

What commit-helper does

The commit-helper skill helps an agent turn working tree changes into a Conventional Commits-style Git commit message and commit workflow. It is best for developers who want faster, more consistent commits without manually remembering type, scope, subject, body, and footer rules each time.

Who should install commit-helper

This commit-helper skill is a strong fit if you:

• already use Git regularly
• want cleaner history for changelogs, release tooling, or team review
• prefer an agent to inspect diffs and draft the message before committing
• need light guidance on types and scopes, not a full release system

Real job-to-be-done

Most users do not need a lecture on commit standards; they need a reliable way to go from “I changed these files” to “give me a commit message I can trust.” commit-helper focuses on that practical step by pairing a standard format with examples, suggested scopes, and a validator script.

Why this skill is more useful than a generic prompt

A normal prompt can produce a decent message, but commit-helper for Git Workflows adds reusable structure:

• explicit activation around commit-related requests
• a defined Conventional Commits format
• built-in type guidance
• scope suggestions in references/scopes.md
• examples in references/examples.md
• a validation script in scripts/validate_commit.py

That combination reduces guesswork, especially when a diff could plausibly be feat, fix, refactor, or chore.

Important limits before you install

commit-helper is intentionally narrow. It helps with commit message generation and formatting; it does not replace project-specific contribution rules, PR templates, or release policies. It also cannot infer intent well from vague requests alone, so output quality depends heavily on the diff and the context you provide.

How to Use commit-helper skill

commit-helper install context

The repository does not expose a skill-local install command in SKILL.md, so the practical install path is through the skill collection repo:

npx skills add https://github.com/zhaono1/agent-playbook --skill commit-helper

If your environment uses a different skills loader, install from the same repository path: skills/commit-helper.

How users actually invoke commit-helper

In practice, commit-helper usage is simple: ask the agent to commit changes or draft a commit message. Typical triggers include:

• “commit my changes”
• “write a commit message for this diff”
• “format this as a conventional commit”
• “review git diff and suggest the best commit type and scope”

The skill is designed to activate on commit-related language, then inspect changes and prepare a message for approval.

What input commit-helper needs to work well

The minimum useful input is the actual Git diff or access to the repo state. Better results come from adding:

• what changed
• why it changed
• whether behavior changed for users
• whether this is a bug fix, feature, refactor, docs change, or infrastructure work
• any issue number or breaking change note

Without that context, the skill can still format a message, but the chosen type, scope, and body may be too generic.

Turn a rough request into a strong prompt

Weak:

• “commit this”

Stronger:

• “Review git diff and draft a Conventional Commit. This fixes a timeout in the user API by adding a 30-second query timeout and better error handling. Scope should reflect backend API work. Include a body explaining why the timeout mattered.”

Why this helps:

• it narrows the type toward fix
• it suggests a scope such as api
• it gives the body a real why, not just a file summary

Recommended commit-helper workflow

A practical commit-helper guide looks like this:

1. Stage the files you actually want in the commit.
2. Ask the agent to inspect git diff --cached if you want message quality tied to staged intent.
3. Let commit-helper draft the message.
4. Review type, scope, and subject length.
5. Validate the final subject if needed.
6. Approve the commit command.

This staged-first workflow matters because mixed diffs often lead to muddy messages.

Files to read first before relying on it

If you want to judge the skill quickly, read these in order:

1. skills/commit-helper/SKILL.md
2. skills/commit-helper/README.md
3. skills/commit-helper/references/conventional-commits.md
4. skills/commit-helper/references/examples.md
5. skills/commit-helper/references/scopes.md
6. skills/commit-helper/scripts/validate_commit.py

This path tells you the format, examples, available scopes, and the actual enforcement logic.

How commit-helper chooses type and scope

The skill’s value is not just formatting the first line; it helps map changes into a usable commit taxonomy:

• feat for net-new user-visible capability
• fix for bug correction
• refactor for internal code reshaping without behavior change
• docs, test, ci, build, chore, perf, style for narrower cases

For scope, the included references suggest conventional module names like auth, api, components, database, docker, and deps. If your repo has strong local module names, prefer those over generic scopes.

Use the validator before automating commits

The repository includes a concrete validator:

python scripts/validate_commit.py "feat(api): add user endpoint"

That script checks the subject format, allowed types, optional scope, subject length, trailing period, and a basic imperative-mood heuristic. This is useful if you want commit-helper install confidence before wiring the skill into a larger agent workflow.

Constraints that affect output quality

A few repository-backed constraints matter:

• the validator limits the subject to 50 characters after the type(scope): prefix
• supported types are fixed in the script
• revert appears in references but is not accepted by the validator pattern shown
• imperative wording is expected
• the skill cannot determine project-specific scopes unless you provide them

That means some valid Conventional Commit variants may still fail this skill’s local validation rules.

Best use cases and misfit cases

Best fits:

• single-purpose commits
• repos using Conventional Commits
• teams that want readable history with light automation
• agents with repo access and git diff

Misfits:

• huge mixed commits touching unrelated areas
• teams with custom commit schemas that diverge from Conventional Commits
• squash-only workflows where commit message detail is decided later in PR merge UI
• users wanting automatic semantic versioning logic from this skill alone

commit-helper skill FAQ

Is commit-helper good for beginners?

Yes. commit-helper is beginner-friendly because it provides a type list, scope examples, and sample messages. The main catch is that beginners still need to explain what changed and why; otherwise the agent can only guess.

Does commit-helper only format, or does it also decide the message?

It does both. The skill can inspect changes and draft the message structure, not just reformat text you already wrote. But its decision quality depends on the clarity of the diff and your prompt.

How is commit-helper different from asking an AI for a commit message?

The difference is consistency. A generic AI prompt may produce a plausible commit line, but commit-helper skill comes with a defined format, examples, scope guidance, and a validator script. That makes it easier to trust and standardize across repeated use.

Can I use commit-helper in any repository?

Usually yes, but it works best in repos where scopes map cleanly to modules or domains. In loosely structured repos, scope selection becomes subjective unless you define your own scope vocabulary.

When should I not use commit-helper?

Do not lean on commit-helper for Git Workflows when one commit bundles multiple unrelated changes. Split the work first. Otherwise even a well-formatted message will still describe a low-quality commit.

Does the skill support breaking changes and issue references?

The references cover bodies and footers in the Conventional Commits style, so you can include issue links or breaking change notes. Just be aware that the validator emphasis shown is strongest around the subject line.

Is commit-helper enough for team-wide enforcement?

Not by itself. It helps authors create better commits, and the validator can check messages locally, but team enforcement usually also needs Git hooks, CI checks, or repository contribution policy.

How to Improve commit-helper skill

Give commit-helper the why, not just the diff

The single biggest way to improve commit-helper results is to supply intent. A diff shows what changed; it often does not show why. Add one sentence on user impact or root cause, and the generated body becomes much more useful.

Ask for type alternatives when the change is ambiguous

If a change could be fix or refactor, ask the agent to compare options:

• “Draft the best commit, then explain why this is fix rather than refactor.”
  This forces clearer classification and reduces mislabeled history.

Provide your project's real scopes

The included scope list is only a starting point. To improve commit-helper usage, tell the agent your preferred scopes, such as:

• billing
• search
• notifications
• admin-ui

This prevents generic scopes like utils or services when your repo has better domain names.

Keep commits narrow before using commit-helper

The skill performs best on one logical change at a time. If the agent sees refactoring, dependency updates, and a bug fix in one diff, it may choose a safe but unhelpful label like chore or write an over-broad body.

Validate early if you automate

If you plan to chain commit-helper into scripts or agent actions, run scripts/validate_commit.py during testing. This exposes mismatches between the written references and the actual accepted pattern before you depend on it.

Watch for validator-spec mismatches

One practical improvement area is alignment. The references mention revert, but the validator pattern shown does not accept it. If you adopt this skill seriously, review references/conventional-commits.md against scripts/validate_commit.py and adjust your local expectations or script accordingly.

Improve the first output with revision prompts

If the first draft is close but not right, use targeted follow-ups instead of regenerating blindly:

• “Make the subject more specific.”
• “Use auth scope instead of api.”
• “Explain why the timeout fix matters.”
• “Shorten the subject to pass validation.”
• “Split this into two commit messages.”

These prompts improve the result faster than asking for a full rewrite.

Add repo-specific examples if you use it often

The biggest long-term upgrade to commit-helper guide quality is adding examples from your own codebase. If your team frequently commits changes in certain domains, extending the examples and scopes reference will make the skill much more accurate and much less generic.