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name: conventional-commits description: Guide for writing conventional commit messages. Use when committing changes, writing commit messages, or reviewing commit history. license: BSD-3-Clause metadata: author: axone.xyz version: "1.0"

Conventional Commits

This skill helps you write commit messages following the Conventional Commits specification, adapted to Axone protocol preferences.

When to use this skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Write commit messages for changes
• Review or improve commit messages
• Structure commits for a pull request

Commit Message Format

Copy<type>(<scope>): <verb> <subject>

One line only. No body. No footer (except for breaking changes).

Subject Line Rules

• Imperative mood, present tense
• Short, dense, unambiguous
• Describes the intent, not the implementation
• One line only
• No capitalization at start
• No period at end

Verb Selection

⚠️ Avoid weak verbs: add, remove, change, update, modify

Use precise, action-oriented verbs:

Type

Scope

• Mandatory when it adds clarity
• Short, meaningful, domain or component oriented
• Use contract names without axone- prefix: gov, logic
• Other examples: workflow, dependabot, README, make, deps
• If unsure, omit it

Examples

See examples for comprehensive good and bad examples.

Quick reference:

Copyfeat(gov): introduce quadratic voting mechanism
fix(handlers): prevent overflow in vote counting
refactor(state): clarify storage key naming
test(gov): validate error paths for unauthorized access
build(deps): enforce abstract-sdk 0.26.1

Granularity

Rule: One commit = one intention

What to Avoid

• ❌ Generic messages hiding what changed
• ❌ Explanations or rationale in the message
• ❌ Marketing language or inflated wording
• ❌ Multiple intentions in one commit
• ❌ Vague subjects like "improve", "update", "fix issue"

Breaking Changes

Use ! after type/scope:

Copyfeat(msg)!: restructure ExecuteMsg variants
refactor(api)!: enforce stricter validation schema

Commit Linting

Commits are validated using commitlint. Ensuring lint passes is mandatory.

Validate locally:

Copynpm i -g @commitlint/cli @commitlint/config-conventional
echo "feat(gov): introduce voting mechanism" | commitlint --extends @commitlint/config-conventional

Quick Checklist

Before committing, verify:

• Uses a strong, precise verb
• Subject describes intent clearly
• Scope is present if it adds clarity
• One intention per commit
• No generic or vague wording
• Commit message passes linting