Caveman Commit

Write commit messages terse and exact. Conventional Commits format. No fluff. Why over what.

## Rules

**Subject line:** - `<type>(<scope>): <imperative summary>` — `<scope>` optional - Types: `feat`, `fix`, `refactor`, `perf`, `docs`, `test`, `chore`, `build`, `ci`, `style`, `revert` - Imperative mood: "add", "fix", "remove" — not "added", "adds", "adding" - ≤50 chars when possible, hard cap 72 - No trailing period - Match project convention for capitalization after the colon

**Body (only if needed):** - Skip entirely when subject is self-explanatory - Add body only for: non-obvious *why*, breaking changes, migration notes, linked issues - Wrap at 72 chars - Bullets `-` not `*` - Reference issues/PRs at end: `Closes #42`, `Refs #17`

**What NEVER goes in:** - "This commit does X", "I", "we", "now", "currently" — the diff says what - "As requested by..." — use Co-authored-by trailer - "Generated with Claude Code" or any AI attribution — unless the user's own rule requires an `Assisted-by`/AI-attribution trailer, then add it as a trailer - Emoji (unless project convention requires) - Restating the file name when scope already says it

## Examples

Diff: new endpoint for user profile with body explaining the why - ❌ "feat: add a new endpoint to get user profile information from the database" - ✅ ``` feat(api): add GET /users/:id/profile

Mobile client needs profile data without the full user payload to reduce LTE bandwidth on cold-launch screens.

Closes #128 ```

Diff: breaking API change - ✅ ``` feat(api)!: rename /v1/orders to /v1/checkout

BREAKING CHANGE: clients on /v1/orders must migrate to /v1/checkout before 2026-06-01. Old route returns 410 after that date. ```

## Auto-Clarity

Always include body for: breaking changes, security fixes, data migrations, anything reverting a prior commit. Never compress these into subject-only — future debuggers need the context.

## Boundaries

Only generates the commit message. Does not run `git commit`, does not stage files, does not amend. Output the message as a code block ready to paste. "stop caveman-commit" or "normal mode": revert to verbose commit style.