What are Conventional Commits?
Conventional Commits is a convention for writing structured commit messages. Each commit follows a format that enables tools like Semantic Release, generates changelogs, and determines the next semantic version of your project.
Basic format
type(scope): short description
Main types: feat (new feature), fix (bug fix), chore (maintenance), docs (documentation), refactor (refactoring), test (testing), and style (formatting).
Practical examples
feat(auth): add login with Google OAuth
fix(api): handle timeout errors on payment endpoint
docs(readme): update installation instructions
Key benefits
- Automatic semantic versioning: detects if the change is major, minor, or patch.
- Auto-generated changelogs: each commit type feeds a changelog section.
- Readability: Git history becomes understandable at a glance.
Implementation with commitlint
Use commitlint and husky to validate messages before each commit. This ensures the whole team follows the standard without exceptions.
Want to implement Conventional Commits in your project? At Vynta we help you set up the complete automation pipeline.