---
name: Git Commit Validator
slug: git-commit-validator
category: Quality
description: Git Commit Validator enforces a complete commit workflow before `git commit`, including staging, conventional message generation, and validation. Use it whenever you are about to commit code or when a task naturally ends in a commit.
github: "https://github.com/TechDufus/oh-my-claude/tree/main/plugins/oh-my-claude/skills/git-commit-validator"
language: Python
stars: 176
forks: 9
install: "npx degit https://github.com/TechDufus/oh-my-claude/tree/main/plugins/oh-my-claude/skills/git-commit-validator ~/.claude/skills/git-commit-validator"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/git-commit-validator
source_path: plugins/oh-my-claude/skills/git-commit-validator/SKILL.md
collection_size: 12
category_size: 1817
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/TechDufus/oh-my-claude"
added: 2026-09-07T05:21:06.926Z
last_synced: 2026-09-07T05:21:06.926Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/git-commit-validator"
---

# Git Commit Validator

Git Commit Validator enforces a complete commit workflow before `git commit`, including staging, conventional message generation, and validation. Use it whenever you are about to commit code or when a task naturally ends in a commit.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/TechDufus/oh-my-claude/tree/main/plugins/oh-my-claude/skills/git-commit-validator ~/.claude/skills/git-commit-validator
```

## README

# Git Commit Validator

This skill MUST be invoked whenever you are about to create a git commit. It handles the complete workflow and enforces commit message standards.

## When This Skill Activates

**Auto-invoke this skill when the user implies code should be committed:**

| Category | Trigger Phrases |
|----------|-----------------|
| **Explicit commit** | "commit", "make a commit", "commit this" |
| **Ship intent** | "ship it", "send it" |
| **Finalization** | "wrap it up", "finalize this", "we're done", "that's it" |
| **After implementation** | When you complete work and there are uncommitted changes |

**Key insight:** If the user's intent results in `git commit` being run, this skill MUST be used first.

**Do NOT run `git commit` without this skill.**

## Complete Commit Workflow

### Step 1: Gather Context

```bash
git status                    # See what's changed
git diff HEAD                 # See all changes (staged + unstaged)
git log --oneline -5          # Recent commit style reference
```

### Step 1.5: Handle No Changes

If `git status --porcelain` returns empty AND nothing is staged:
- **Do not attempt to commit** - there's nothing to commit
- Inform the user: "No changes to commit"
- Exit the workflow

This prevents errors from running `git commit` with nothing staged.

### Step 2: Stage Changes

**Default behavior** - stage all changes:
```bash
git add -A
```

**If user specifies `--staged`** - skip staging, use only what's already staged.

**If user gives instructions** - follow them:
- "ignore the docs" → don't stage doc files
- "only the src folder" → stage selectively

### Step 3: Analyze and Generate Message

Based on the diff, determine:
1. **Type**: feat, fix, docs, refactor, test, chore, perf, ci, build, style, revert
2. **Scope** (optional): module or area affected
3. **Description**: concise, imperative mood, lowercase
4. **Body**: see decision matrix below

**Message Format:**
```
<type>[optional scope]: <description>

[body - required for non-trivial changes]

[optional footer - breaking changes, issue refs]
```

## Commit Body Decision Matrix

**The body is NOT optional for most real work.** Use this matrix:

| Change Type | Body Required? | Body Content |
|-------------|---------------|--------------|
| Typo fix, single-line change | No | Subject is sufficient |
| Config tweak, version bump | No | Subject is sufficient |
| Bug fix | **YES** | What caused it, how you fixed it |
| New feature | **YES** | What it does, why it's needed, key design choices |
| Refactor | **YES** | What changed structurally, why this approach |
| Multiple files changed | **YES** | What each area of change accomplishes |
| Breaking change | **YES** | What breaks, migration path |
| Performance improvement | **YES** | What was slow, what's faster, by how much |

### Body Quality Standards

**Good body content includes:**
- **Context**: Why this change is needed (the problem)
- **Approach**: How you solved it (key decisions)
- **Impact**: What this enables or fixes
- **Caveats**: Limitations, follow-up work, edge cases

**Use bullet points** when listing multiple changes:
```
- Add validation for email format
- Refactor user service to async
- Update tests for new behavior
```

**Wrap at 72 characters** - hard requirement for git tooling compatibility.

### Sizing Your Commit Message

| Diff Size | Expected Message |
|-----------|-----------------|
| 1-10 lines | Subject only (if truly trivial) |
| 10-50 lines | Subject + 1-2 sentence body |
| 50-200 lines | Subject + paragraph or bullets |
| 200+ lines | Subject + detailed body with sections |

**When in doubt, write more.** A detailed commit message is a gift to future developers (including yourself).

### Step 4: Validation (Automatic)

**Validation runs automatically** when you execute `git commit`. The `commit_quality_enforcer` hook intercepts the command and validates:

1. **Subject line <= 50 chars**
2. **Body lines <= 72 chars** (if body present)
3. **Format check** - Must match conventional commit format: `<type>[scope]: <description>`
4. **No AI attribution** - Rejects "generated with", "co-authored-by.*claude", "ai-generated"
5. **Body quality** - Requires appropriate detail based on diff size

If validation fails, the commit is blocked with a clear error message. Fix the issues and retry.

### Step 5: Commit

Use HEREDOC for proper formatting:
```bash
git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
type: description here
EOF
)"
```

## Validation Rules

### Subject Line (Required)
- **Max 50 characters**
- **Format**: `<type>[scope]: <description>`
- **Type**: lowercase (feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore, perf, ci, build, revert)
- **Description**: lowercase start, no period at end, imperative mood

### Body Lines (Required for non-trivial changes)
- Max 72 characters per line
- Blank line between subject and body
- Explain "why" not just "what"
- See decision matrix above for when body is required

### Forbidden Content
- NO AI attribution ("Generated with Claude", "Created by AI")
- NO AI co-authors ("Co-authored-by: Claude")
- NO branding phrases

## Type Reference

| Type | Use For |
|------|---------|
| `feat` | New feature or capability |
| `fix` | Bug fix |
| `docs` | Documentation only |
| `refactor` | Code restructuring (no behavior change) |
| `perf` | Performance improvement |
| `test` | Test additions/fixes |
| `chore` | Maintenance, deps |
| `ci` | CI/CD changes |
| `build` | Build system changes |
| `style` | Formatting (no logic change) |
| `revert` | Reverting previous commit |

## Examples

### Minimal (only for truly trivial changes)

```
docs: fix typo in readme
```

```
chore: bump lodash to 4.17.21
```

### Standard (most commits should look like this)

```
fix(api): resolve timeout on large file uploads

Requests over 10MB were hitting the default 30s timeout.
Increased timeout to 5 minutes for upload endpoints and added
progress tracking to prevent connection drops.
```

```
feat(auth): add password reset via email

Users can now request a password reset link sent to their
registered email. Link expires after 1 hour.

- Add /auth/forgot-password endpoint
- Add /auth/reset-password endpoint with token validation
- Integrate SendGrid for transactional emails
- Add rate limiting (3 requests per hour per email)
```

### Detailed (for large or complex changes)

```
refactor(database): migrate from callbacks to async/await

The callback-based database layer was causing pyramid-of-doom
issues and making error handling inconsistent across services.

Changes:
- Convert all db methods to return Promises
- Update 47 call sites across 12 service files
- Add connection pool management with proper cleanup
- Standardize error types (DbConnectionError, DbQueryError)

This unblocks the upcoming transaction support work.
```

```
feat(hooks): add pre-delegation context injection

Problem: Agents were receiving prompts without project context,
leading to inconsistent code style and missed conventions.

Solution: SessionStart hook now injects a delegation template
into Claude's context that gets included with every Agent() call.

Template includes:
- 7 sections covering task, context, expected output
- MUST DO / MUST NOT constraints
- Verification checklist

This standardizes agent output quality across all delegations.
```

## Why No AI Attribution?

Commit messages reflect intent and ownership of the change. AI attribution:
- Clutters git history
- Dilutes accountability
- Adds no useful information

The human owns the commit. The tool is irrelevant.

---

**Note:** This skill handles COMMIT only. Push must be requested separately.