Have you ever been confused by a Git commit message, whether it’s from a past teammate or on a recent pull request, struggling to understand what work was actually done?

The secret to a clean, understandable, and manageable Git history lies in well-crafted commit messages, especially when you add a prefixe to your commit message.

Why Prefixes?

Prefixes bring instant clarity and structure to your commit messages. They act as quick labels, telling anyone (including your future self!) what the commit is about at a glance. No more guessing if fixed bug refers to a critical crash or a typo!

Common Prefixes

feat – Adding a new feature

fix – Fixing a bug

chore – Routine tasks (e.g., build, config)

refactor – Code restructuring without changing behavior

docs – Documentation updates

test – Adding or updating tests

style – Code style changes (indentation, formatting)

Example

fix: Correct N+1 query in products index page

docs: Add comments to complex ActiveRecord query scopes

test: Add feature specs for user registration flow

Level Up Your Workflow! 🚀

Adopting prefixes might feel new, but it leads to a cleaner Git history, easier debugging, and faster code reviews. Start small, pick a few, and watch your commits transform!