---
name: Dev Commit
slug: dev-commit
category: Automation
description: Dev Commit stages and commits only the files that belong to a requested change, avoiding unrelated user edits and generated artifacts. Use it when an agent needs to make an intentional, verified conventional commit or prepare a PR-ready checkpoint.
github: "https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/dev-commit"
language: TypeScript
stars: 1581
forks: 242
install: "npx degit https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/dev-commit ~/.claude/skills/dev-commit"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/dev-commit
source_path: skills/dev-commit/SKILL.md
collection_size: 25
category_size: 1523
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit"
added: 2026-08-19T07:26:18.219Z
last_synced: 2026-08-19T07:26:18.219Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/dev-commit"
---

# Dev Commit

Dev Commit stages and commits only the files that belong to a requested change, avoiding unrelated user edits and generated artifacts. Use it when an agent needs to make an intentional, verified conventional commit or prepare a PR-ready checkpoint.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/codeaholicguy/ai-devkit/tree/main/skills/dev-commit ~/.claude/skills/dev-commit
```

## README

# Dev Commit

Make one intentional, verified commit without sweeping in unrelated work.

## Commit Contract

1. Check repository state with `git status --short --branch`, `git diff --stat`, and `git diff`.
2. Identify the files that belong to the requested change. Treat pre-existing user edits, local config, generated artifacts, dependency caches, build outputs, and unrelated formatting churn as out of scope unless the user explicitly includes them.
3. Run appropriate validation before committing. Prefer the repo's targeted tests, lint, typecheck, build, or documented verification commands. Record skipped validation with the reason. In workspaces whose packages resolve against built artifacts, ensure install and build have run in that worktree (`npm ci`, `npm run build`) before full validation or commit hooks; a fresh worktree with stale artifacts fails hooks for environmental reasons.
4. Stage only intended paths. Prefer explicit pathspecs such as `git add path/to/file` over `git add .`.
5. Re-check with `git diff --cached --stat`, `git diff --cached`, and `git status --short`.
6. Write a concise conventional commit message: `<type>(optional-scope): <summary>`.
7. Commit, then report the commit SHA, final status, validation commands, and any unstaged/untracked files left behind.

## Guardrails

- Do not commit secrets, credentials, `.env` files, local machine config, caches, coverage, logs, screenshots, or generated files unless the change explicitly requires them.
- Do not stage another person's unrelated edits. If intended and unrelated changes are mixed in one file, use an interactive or patch-based staging flow and review the staged diff carefully.
- Do not amend, rebase, force-push, reset, or delete branches unless the user explicitly asks for that operation.
- If validation fails, stop before committing unless the user explicitly instructs you to commit with failing validation. Report the failing command and key output.
- If the repo has commit hooks, let them run. If a hook changes files, inspect and stage only intended hook outputs before retrying. If a hook fails, first rule out environmental causes (missing install, stale workspace build artifacts, concurrent test runs sharing resources) by re-running the failing package in isolation; do not treat an environmental failure as a code regression or "stop" condition until isolated runs still fail.

## Message Style

Use semantic or conventional commit types that match the change:

- `feat`: user-facing feature or capability
- `fix`: bug fix
- `docs`: documentation-only change
- `test`: test-only change
- `refactor`: behavior-preserving code restructuring
- `chore`: maintenance, build, tooling, metadata, or generated index updates

Keep the subject under about 72 characters when practical, imperative, and specific. Add a body only when it explains non-obvious validation, risk, migration, or follow-up context.