conventional-commits

Conventional Commits is a specification for formatting commit messages with a structured pattern: type (feat, fix, etc.), optional scope, optional breaking change indicator, description, and optional footers. This standardized format creates a consistent commit history that tools can parse automatically for versioning and changelog generation.

Conventional Commits structure messages as type(scope): description with optional body and footers like BREAKING CHANGE. It enables semantic versioning automation, readable git history, and standardized code review workflows by making commit intent machine-readable and human-clear.

Add an exclamation mark before the colon (feat!: description) or include a BREAKING CHANGE footer in the message body. Both methods signal that your change breaks backward compatibility, triggering major version bumps in semantic versioning systems.

Yes. Conventional Commits work with any git-based workflow. The format integrates with commit hooks, CI/CD pipelines, and code review processes to automate changelog generation, enforce message standards, and track semantic versions across your repository.

The specification defines standard types: feat (features), fix (bug fixes), and other types like docs, style, refactor, perf, and test. Custom types are allowed; the key is consistency so automation tools can identify change categories and determine version increments.

Scopes narrow the change context—fix(auth): or feat(api)—making it clear which component was modified. This enables filtered commit history, targeted changelog entries, and better traceability for teams managing multiple services or modules.