- Separate the subject from the body: Your subject line should be clear and concise, but if you need to provide more detail, separate the subject from the body with a blank line.
- Limit the subject line to 50 characters: A short subject line ensures that it is easy to read and doesn’t get cut off in most interfaces.
- Capitalize the subject line: Start your subject line with a capital letter to maintain consistency and readability.
- Avoid periods at the end of the subject line: Since the subject is a brief summary, there’s no need to use a period.
- Use the imperative mood in the subject line: This makes it easier to read and conveys a sense of action. For example, write "Add feature" instead of "Added feature" or "Adding feature."
- Wrap the body text at 72 characters: This ensures that your message remains readable across different interfaces and tools.
- Explain what and why in the body: The body of your commit message should focus on what was changed and why the change was made, rather than how it was done.
Good commit messages are essential for a healthy codebase. They provide context, aid in collaboration, and make the history of a project much easier to follow. When you’re revisiting code after months (or even years), well-structured commit messages can help you understand what was changed and why.
To write an effective commit message, follow these practices, as recommended by Chris Beams:
