---
description: Git commit message style — seven rules, no Conventional Commits
alwaysApply: true
---

# Git commit message style

This repository follows the [seven rules of a great Git commit message](https://cbea.ms/git-commit/) (see [`contrib/claude/commit.md`](../../contrib/claude/commit.md)). **Do not use Conventional Commits** (`type(scope): summary`); the contrib guide explicitly prescribes the seven-rules format, and Conventional-Commits-style messages in the history are drift, not precedent.

## The seven rules

1. Separate subject from body with a blank line
2. Limit the subject line to 50 characters
3. Capitalize the subject line
4. Do not end the subject line with a period
5. Use the imperative mood in the subject line
6. Wrap the body at 72 characters
7. Use the body to explain *what* and *why* vs. *how*

The subject must complete the sentence "If applied, this commit will …".

## Good vs bad

```text
# GOOD — capitalized imperative subject, no type prefix, body explains why
Promote glob source and trigger draft on adoption

The pattern-analysis worker dropped two signals on every run. ...

# GOOD — single-line is fine when the change is self-explanatory
Fix typo in third-party assessment prompt

# BAD — Conventional Commits prefix
fix(cookie-banner): disconnect observer in load() error path

# BAD — Conventional Commits prefix without scope
feat: add detection for browser-extension frames

# BAD — lowercased subject
promote glob source and trigger draft on adoption

# BAD — subject ends with a period
Promote glob source and trigger draft on adoption.

# BAD — past tense / non-imperative subject
Promoted glob source and triggered draft on adoption
```

## Why no Conventional Commits

- The project does not consume the `type(scope):` prefix for tooling (no changelog generator, no semantic-release, no commit-lint).
- Mixing the two styles in `git log` hurts readability for humans skimming history.
- The seven-rules style carries strictly more information when written well, because the subject is a real sentence rather than a typed token.

If a future need for machine-readable commit types arises, raise it in a separate change that updates [`contrib/claude/commit.md`](../../contrib/claude/commit.md) first, then this rule. Do not start drifting unilaterally.

## Related

- [`.cursor/rules/git-commit-signing.mdc`](git-commit-signing.mdc) — every commit must be signed with `-s -S`.
- [`contrib/claude/commit.md`](../../contrib/claude/commit.md) — full commit conventions.