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name: commit description: Commit message formatting and guidelines

Commit

Use this skill whenever the user asks you to create a git commit for the current work.

Instructions

1. Review the current git state before committing:
   • git status
   • git diff
   • git log -5 --oneline
2. Only stage files relevant to the requested change. Do not include unrelated untracked files, generated files, or likely-local artifacts.
3. Read and follow .github/CONTRIBUTING.md#commit-messages. It is the source of truth for Ghost's commit conventions.
4. For publishable packages, check whether a release intent is required. A package README.md is published and requires a release; repository-only Markdown such as AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, changelogs, and package-local docs/ does not.
5. Run git status --short after committing and confirm the result.

Important

• Do not push to remote unless the user explicitly asks
• Keep commits focused and avoid bundling unrelated changes
• If there are no relevant changes, do not create an empty commit
• If hooks fail, fix the issue and create a new commit. Never bypass hooks.