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Writing good commit messages in Git - Commands & Configuration

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Introduction
Good commit messages help you and others understand what changes were made and why. They make it easier to track history and fix problems later.
When you finish a small task or fix a bug and want to save your work with a clear explanation
When you want to share your changes with teammates so they understand your work
When you prepare code for a review and want to explain your changes clearly
When you want to keep a clean project history that is easy to read and search
When you need to find why a change was made during debugging or audits
Commands
This command creates a commit with a short, clear message explaining the fix made to the login error.
Terminal
git commit -m "Fix login error by correcting password check"
Expected OutputExpected
[master abc1234] Fix login error by correcting password check 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
→
-m - Allows you to write the commit message directly in the command line
This command opens the default text editor so you can write a detailed commit message with a subject and body.
Terminal
git commit
Expected OutputExpected
Please enter the commit message for your changes. Lines starting with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
This command shows the most recent commit message and details to verify your commit was saved correctly.
Terminal
git log -1
Expected OutputExpected
commit abc1234def5678ghijklmno1234567890abcdef12 (HEAD -> master) Author: Your Name <you@example.com> Date: Wed Apr 24 12:00:00 2024 +0000 Fix login error by correcting password check
→
-1 - Shows only the latest commit
Key Concept

If you remember nothing else from this pattern, remember: write clear, concise commit messages that explain what changed and why.

Common Mistakes
Writing vague commit messages like 'fix' or 'update'
These messages do not explain what was fixed or updated, making it hard to understand the change later.
Write specific messages like 'Fix login error by correcting password check' that describe the change clearly.
Writing very long commit messages without a clear subject line
Long messages without a summary make it hard to quickly scan commit history.
Start with a short subject line (50 characters or less), then add a blank line and a detailed explanation if needed.
Not committing related changes together
Mixing unrelated changes in one commit makes it harder to understand and revert specific changes.
Group related changes into separate commits with clear messages for each.
Summary
Use 'git commit -m "message"' to write short, clear commit messages quickly.
Use 'git commit' without -m to write detailed messages in your editor.
Use 'git log -1' to check your latest commit message and details.

Practice

(1/5)
1. What is the main purpose of a good commit message in Git?
easy
A. To list all files changed in the commit
B. To explain what changes were made and why
C. To include the entire code change in the message
D. To write a long story about the project history

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand the role of commit messages

    Commit messages should clearly explain what was changed and why, helping others understand the purpose.

  2. Step 2: Identify the best option

    To explain what changes were made and why correctly states the purpose, while others focus on irrelevant or incorrect details.

  3. Final Answer:

    To explain what changes were made and why -> Option B

  4. Quick Check:

    Good commit message = explain what and why [OK]
Hint: Focus on explaining changes and reasons, not details [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Listing files instead of explaining changes
  • Writing too much unrelated history
  • Including code in the message
2. Which of the following is the correct format for a good Git commit message?
easy
A. A message with only emojis
B. A long paragraph without a summary line
C. Only a list of changed files
D. A short summary line followed by a blank line and detailed explanation

Solution

  1. Step 1: Recall Git commit message format

    A good commit message starts with a short summary line, then a blank line, then optional details.

  2. Step 2: Match options to format

    A short summary line followed by a blank line and detailed explanation matches this format exactly; others do not follow best practices.

  3. Final Answer:

    A short summary line followed by a blank line and detailed explanation -> Option D

  4. Quick Check:

    Summary line + blank line + details = correct format [OK]
Hint: Use a short summary line, then details after a blank line [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Skipping the blank line between summary and details
  • Writing only a long paragraph
  • Using emojis without explanation
3. Given this commit message:
Fix login bug
What is missing to make it a good commit message?
medium
A. A detailed explanation of why the bug was fixed
B. A list of all files changed
C. A longer summary line
D. The author's email

Solution

  1. Step 1: Analyze the commit message content

    The message only has a short summary but lacks explanation of why the bug was fixed.

  2. Step 2: Identify what improves clarity

    Adding a detailed explanation helps others understand the reason behind the fix.

  3. Final Answer:

    A detailed explanation of why the bug was fixed -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Good message = what + why, missing why here [OK]
Hint: Add why the change was made, not just what [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Only writing a short summary
  • Listing files instead of explanation
  • Adding unrelated info like author email
4. You wrote this commit message:
fix login bug
What is the main problem with this message?
medium
A. It includes a blank line after the summary
B. It is too long and detailed
C. It uses lowercase and lacks a capitalized summary
D. It uses past tense instead of present tense

Solution

  1. Step 1: Check capitalization in commit messages

    Good commit messages start with a capitalized summary line.

  2. Step 2: Evaluate the given message

    The message starts with lowercase 'fix', which is not recommended.

  3. Final Answer:

    It uses lowercase and lacks a capitalized summary -> Option C

  4. Quick Check:

    Summary line should start capitalized [OK]
Hint: Always capitalize the first letter of the summary line [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Starting summary with lowercase letter
  • Making summary too long
  • Ignoring tense conventions
5. You want to write a commit message for adding a new feature that improves search speed by caching results. Which commit message is best?
hard
A. Add caching to improve search speed Implemented a cache layer to store recent search results, reducing response time.
B. Improved search speed by adding cache Cache added.
C. Added cache This commit adds cache.
D. Fix search speed Cache implemented.

Solution

  1. Step 1: Evaluate clarity and detail in options

    Add caching to improve search speed Implemented a cache layer to store recent search results, reducing response time. has a clear summary and detailed explanation of what and why.

  2. Step 2: Compare other options

    The other options are vague, use incorrect tense or verbs (such as 'Fix' for a new feature), or lack detailed explanation.

  3. Final Answer:

    Add caching to improve search speed Implemented a cache layer to store recent search results, reducing response time. -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Clear summary + detailed why = best commit message [OK]
Hint: Use clear summary and explain why change matters [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Using vague summaries
  • Wrong verbs like 'Fix' for new features
  • Too short or unclear explanations