/git-workflow

name: git-workflow
description: Trunk-based development with atomic commits, clean history, and meaningful commit messages. Every commit should be deployable.
category: ship
applies-to: [claude, gemini, cursor, copilot, any]
version: 1.0.0

Overview

Git is not just a backup system — it's a communication tool. Clean git history enables fast debugging (git bisect), clear attribution, and safe reverts. This skill enforces atomic commits, meaningful messages, and trunk-based development.

When to Use

• Before making any commit
• When reviewing a PR's git history
• When setting up a new project

Process

Step 1: Atomic Commits

1. Each commit should represent ONE logical change — not a day's worth of work. 2. A commit should be: independently deployable, independently revertable. 3. Never commit "WIP" or partial implementations.

**Verify:** You could revert this commit without affecting adjacent functionality.

Step 2: Commit Message Format

4. Follow Conventional Commits:

   type(scope): short summary (max 72 chars)
   
   Body: what changed and WHY (not how — the diff shows how).
   
   Closes: #issue-number

5. Types: `feat`, `fix`, `docs`, `style`, `refactor`, `test`, `chore` 6. The summary is imperative mood: "Add feature" not "Added feature"

**Verify:** Message passes: `feat|fix|docs|...(<scope>): <summary>` format.

Step 3: Trunk-Based Development

7. Work directly on `main` for small changes (<1 day of work). 8. For larger features: short-lived feature branches (max 2 days), frequent merges to main. 9. Never let a branch live more than 3 days without merging or rebasing. 10. Use feature flags for incomplete features, not long-lived branches.

**Verify:** No branch is more than 2 days old without a merge/rebase plan.

Step 4: Pre-Commit Gates

11. Before every commit: tests pass, linter passes, no secrets in diff. 12. Use pre-commit hooks to enforce automatically.

Common Rationalizations (and Rebuttals)

| Excuse | Rebuttal | |--------|----------| | "I'll clean up the commits later" | You won't. Clean as you go. | | "The commit message doesn't matter" | It matters in 6 months when you're bisecting a production bug. | | "Feature branches protect main" | Long-lived branches cause merge nightmares. Trunk-based is safer. |

Verification

• [ ] Commits are atomic and independently deployable
• [ ] Commit messages follow Conventional Commits format
• [ ] No long-lived branches (> 3 days)
• [ ] Pre-commit hooks in place

References

• [ci-cd-pipelines skill](../ci-cd-pipelines/SKILL.md)
• [Conventional Commits](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/)