Summary
- First line: 50 characters max
- Body lines: 72 characters max
- Use present tense, imperative mood
- Separate subject, body, and footer with blank lines
Basic Structure
<type>(<scope>): <subject>
<body>
<footer>Step 1: Choose the Type
feat: A new feature
fix: A bug fix
docs: Documentation only changes
style: Changes that don't affect code meaning (whitespace, formatting)
refactor: Code changes that neither fix bugs nor add features
perf: Performance improvements
test: Adding missing tests or correcting existing tests
chore: Changes to build process or auxiliary tools
Step 2: Add Optional Scope
The scope specifies what part of the codebase is affected:
feat(auth): add login validation
fix(database): resolve connection timeout
docs(readme): update installation instructions
Step 3: Write the Subject Line
Use imperative mood ("add" not "added" or "adds")
Keep it under 50 characters
Don't capitalize the first letter
No period at the end
Step 4: Add Body (Optional)
Separate from subject with blank line
Explain what and why, not how
Wrap at 72 characters
Use imperative mood
Step 5: Add Footer (Optional)
Reference issues: "Closes #123"
Breaking changes: "BREAKING CHANGE: API endpoint changed"
Examples
bashfeat: add user authentication system
fix(parser): handle edge case with empty input
docs: update API documentation for v2.0
BREAKING CHANGE: remove deprecated login endpoint
Quick Rules
