conventional-commits

Git commit messages for automated changelog generation require a standardized format with a type, optional scope, and an imperative lowercase description under 72 characters. This machine-parseable structure enables CI tooling to reliably extract changes and generate release notes.

The conventional commits format structures git commit headers with a type, optional scope, and an imperative lowercase description. Common types include feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore, perf, and ci to categorize changes for code review and semantic-release tooling.

To indicate breaking changes in commit messages for CI release tooling, add a BREAKING CHANGE footer below the commit header. This standardized footer alerts automated release pipelines and changelog generators to major API modifications requiring version bumps.

Yes, semantic-release integrates with standardized lowercase commit messages by parsing the commit type and optional scope. This machine-parseable format allows the automated release tooling to determine version bumps and generate changelog entries without manual intervention.

Conventional commit formatting in code review requires strict adherence to the type, scope, and 72-character header limit. Developers must manually author imperative lowercase descriptions and correctly append footers for issue references or breaking changes, which can slow down rapid commits.

You need machine-parseable commit messages for your git workflow when integrating automated changelog generation, CI release tooling, or semantic-release. Standardized formatting allows teams to automatically extract release notes and enforce commit conventions during code review.