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Your First Commit with /commit

Learn how to create professional git commits using the git-workflow plugin's /commit command.

Duration: 5 minutes
Level: Beginner
Plugin: git-workflow

What You'll Learn

  • How to use the /commit command
  • Understanding pre-commit checks
  • Emoji conventional commit format
  • Best practices for commit messages

Prerequisites

  • Git repository initialized
  • git-workflow plugin installed
  • Changes staged or unstaged in your repository

Step 1: Make Some Changes

First, make some changes to your code:

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# Example: Edit a file
echo "console.log('Hello, World!');" > hello.js

# Check status
git status

Step 2: Use /commit Command

In Claude Code, simply type:

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/commit

Claude will:

  1. Analyze your changes - Review staged and unstaged files
  2. Run pre-commit checks - Execute relevant tests and linters
  3. Suggest commit message - Generate emoji conventional commit
  4. Stage and commit - Complete the commit process

Step 3: Review Pre-Commit Checks

The /commit command automatically runs checks based on your project type:

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✓ ESLint validation
✓ Prettier formatting
✓ TypeScript compilation (if applicable)
✓ Jest/Vitest tests
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✓ Ruff/Black formatting
✓ pytest tests
✓ mypy type checking
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✓ Maven/Gradle build
✓ Checkstyle validation
✓ JUnit tests
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✓ LaTeX compilation
✓ Markdown linting

Step 4: Understand Commit Message Format

The /commit command uses Emoji Conventional Commits:

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✨ feat: Add user authentication
│   │     │
│   │     └─ Description (imperative mood)
│   └─────── Type (feat, fix, docs, etc.)
└─────────── Emoji (visual indicator)

Common Commit Types

Emoji Type Usage
✨ feat New features
🐛 fix Bug fixes
📚 docs Documentation changes
💎 style Code formatting
♻️ refactor Code restructuring
⚡ perf Performance improvements
🧪 test Testing
🔧 chore Build/tools/config

Step 5: Review and Confirm

Claude will show you:

  1. Files changed - What will be committed
  2. Pre-commit results - All checks passed/failed
  3. Suggested commit message - Emoji conventional format
  4. Confirmation prompt - Approve or modify

Example output:

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📝 Commit Summary
─────────────────
Files changed: 3
  M hello.js
  M package.json
  A tests/hello.test.js

Pre-commit checks: ✅ All passed

Suggested commit message:
✨ feat: Add hello world example with tests

Proceed with commit? (yes/no)

Step 6: Complete the Commit

Type yes to confirm, and Claude will:

  1. Stage all changes (if not already staged)
  2. Create the commit with the message
  3. Show commit hash and summary
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✅ Commit successful!

Commit: abc1234
Message: ✨ feat: Add hello world example with tests
Files: 3 changed, 42 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

Advanced Options

Skip Pre-Commit Checks

If you need to commit quickly without checks:

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/commit --no-verify

Use Sparingly

Skipping checks can lead to broken builds. Only use when necessary.

Skip Tests Only

Run linters but skip time-consuming tests:

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/commit --skip-tests

Use Professional Workflow Skill

For ~70% faster commits with the professional-commit-workflow skill:

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/commit --with-skills

Best Practices

✅ Do

  • Write clear descriptions - Explain what and why
  • Use imperative mood - "Add feature" not "Added feature"
  • Keep commits focused - One logical change per commit
  • Run pre-commit checks - Catch issues early
  • Review changes - Verify what you're committing

❌ Don't

  • Commit broken code - Always ensure tests pass
  • Mix unrelated changes - Keep commits focused
  • Skip pre-commit checks - Unless absolutely necessary
  • Use vague messages - "Fix stuff" is not helpful
  • Commit sensitive data - Check for secrets/credentials

Troubleshooting

Pre-Commit Checks Fail

Problem: Tests or linters fail during pre-commit.

Solution:

  1. Review the error messages
  2. Fix the issues in your code
  3. Run /commit again

Wrong Commit Type Suggested

Problem: Claude suggests wrong commit type.

Solution:

  1. When prompted, modify the commit message
  2. Choose the correct type from the list
  3. Provide a better description

Changes Not Detected

Problem: /commit doesn't see your changes.

Solution:

  1. Verify changes exist: git status
  2. Ensure you're in the repository root
  3. Check if files are ignored in .gitignore

What's Next?

Now that you've mastered basic commits, try:

  1. Create Your First PR - Learn pull request workflow
  2. PRD-Based Workflow - Plan before coding
  3. Plugin Catalog - Explore other plugins