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Good Commit practices#
Original Author Lauri Laine
Last checked by Lauri Laine
Status In progress
Last Updated 30.1.2025

In this doc we will go over what makes a good commit message, and why you should make proper messages for commits onto git.

Why should you write good commit messages?#

In short, good commit messages help with organizing commits and changes to a repository, and searching for specific changes that may be causing a problem. This means that you and your team members don't have to spend extra time troubleshooting and searching for commits.
Eg. There is a commit from 6 months ago with a commit message of "bug fix". You'll likely have no recollection of what change you made, and even less if the commit was not made by you.

What makes a good commit message?#

While commit messages are best kept short, they also need to contain the information necessary to figure out what was changed.

How to structure a commit message: - Subject text (this can also be thought of as a title) - You can use imperative mood to create intent for your commit. Eg. Update guide about git commits. - This should just be a short title that directly informs of the change made.

  • Description
  • More information about the change made, if need be. You can explain more about the reason for the commit or the way it changes the repository.
  • A description can be added to a commit with an additional -m flag in the command: git commit -m "Subject" -m "Description"

Good to remember: - Keep it concise. Leave out unnecessary filler words and fluff. - Use consistent key words between commits. - Bug fix commits should include the word fix, test commits should include test etc.

Last, but not least: MAKE BRANCHES FOR CHANGES#

  • Don't just push all changes directly to main, especially large changes like features or experimental changes.
  • Let's say you add a new feature like a support chat:
    • Make a branch called something like feature-support-chat
    • When the feature is confirmed to be working as intended and ready to deploy, it can be merged into the main branch.

Sources:
Best practices for git commit message - Amanda Viescinski
How to Write Better Git Commit Messages – A Step-By-Step Guide - Natalie Pina