Git Commit Best Practices

A good Git commit is essential for collaboration with other developers, tracking changes and documenting the changes made in a project. Here are the best practices for writing an effective commit message.

Structuring Commit Messages

Subject

• A short summary of the changes made (10 characters or less)
• Written in imperative mood, e.g. "Add new Markdown docs" instead of "Added new Markdown docs"

Body (Optional)

• A more detailed explanation of the change
• Explain why the change was necessary and how it solves the problem

Footer (Optional)

• Metadata such as issue references, breaking changes, etc
• Example: Closes #123, BREAKING CHANGE: Update API signature

A commit should address one logical change or purpose.

You should also avoid bundling unrelated changes in one commit.

tip

Make messages easy to understand for both current and future contributors and avoid vague phrases like "fix bugs" or "update files". Instead, "Fix null pointer exception in user authentication".

Consistent Formatting

Examples of subject prefixes for clarity:

• feat: for new features (e.g. feat: Add user login support)
• fix: for bug fixes (e.g. fix: Correct typo in README)
• docs: for documentation updates
• style: for formatting/code style (e.g. spaces, indentation)
• refactor: for code restructuring without functionality changes
• test: for adding/modifying tests

Include a ticket number or issue reference when applicable.

Example: fix: Resolve crash when loading profile (#45)

warning

Ensure the changes are tested thoroughly and works as intended before commiting!

Example of a Good Commit Message

feat: Add user authentication to the API

Add JWT-based user authentication to secure the API. 
This implementation includes:
- User login endpoint
- Middleware for token verification
- Token refresh functionality

Closes #234

By following these practices, you ensure that your commit history is meaningful and maintains high-quality documentation for the project.

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