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The commit command generates intelligent commit messages by analyzing your staged changes using AI.

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Usage

forge commit [OPTIONS] [TEXT]...

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Options

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--preview
boolean
default:"false"
Preview the commit message without committing.
forge commit --preview
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--max-diff
number
default:"100000"
Maximum git diff size in bytes (minimum: 5000). Limits the size of the git diff sent to the AI model. Large diffs are truncated to save tokens and reduce API costs.
forge commit --max-diff 50000
forge commit --max-diff 200000
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text
string[]
default:"none"
Additional text to customize the commit message. Provide additional context or instructions for the AI to use when generating the commit message. Multiple words can be provided without quotes.
forge commit fix typo in readme
forge commit refactor user authentication
forge commit update dependencies

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Examples

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Generate and Commit

Generate a commit message and commit changes: 
forge commit
Example output: 
Analyzing staged changes...

Generated commit message:
─────────────────────────────
Add user authentication middleware

Implements JWT-based authentication for API routes.
Adds middleware to verify tokens and protect endpoints.
─────────────────────────────

Commit these changes? [Y/n]: y
✓ Changes committed

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Preview Without Committing

Generate a commit message without committing: 
forge commit --preview
Example output: 
Analyzing staged changes...

Generated commit message:
─────────────────────────────
Fix authentication bug in login endpoint

Resolves issue where expired tokens were accepted.
Adds proper token validation and error handling.
─────────────────────────────

(Preview mode - no commit made)

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Provide Context

Add context to customize the message: 
forge commit fix typo in documentation
Example output: 
Analyzing staged changes...

Generated commit message:
─────────────────────────────
Fix typo in documentation

Corrects spelling error in API reference guide.
─────────────────────────────

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With Custom Text

forge commit refactor user service for better performance
Example output: 
Analyzing staged changes...

Generated commit message:
─────────────────────────────
Refactor user service for better performance

Optimizes database queries by adding proper indexes.
Reduces response time by 40% in user lookup operations.
─────────────────────────────

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Limit Diff Size

For large changes, limit the diff size: 
forge commit --max-diff 50000 --preview
Example output: 
Analyzing staged changes...
Note: Diff truncated to 50,000 bytes

Generated commit message:
─────────────────────────────
Update dependencies and configuration

Updates multiple package versions.
Refreshes configuration files.
─────────────────────────────

(Preview mode - no commit made)

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Piped Input

You can pipe a git diff directly: 
git diff | forge commit --preview
Example output: 
Analyzing provided diff...

Generated commit message:
─────────────────────────────
Add error handling to API client

Implements retry logic for network failures.
Adds proper error messages for user feedback.
─────────────────────────────

(Preview mode - no commit made)

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Workflow Examples

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Standard Workflow

  1. Make your changes
  2. Stage changes: 
    git add .
  3. Preview commit message: 
    forge commit --preview
  4. Commit if satisfied: 
    forge commit

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Quick Commit

git add . && forge commit

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Preview and Edit

# Preview the message
forge commit --preview

# If you want to edit it manually
git commit

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With Conventional Commits

forge commit feat: add user profile page
forge commit fix: resolve authentication bug
forge commit docs: update API documentation

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AI Analysis

The AI analyzes:
  • Files changed
  • Lines added/removed
  • Code context
  • Commit patterns in your repository
  • Your custom text (if provided)
The generated message includes:
  • Concise summary line
  • Detailed description (when appropriate)
  • Relevant context about the changes

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Best Practices

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Use Preview Mode

Always preview first for important commits: 
forge commit --preview

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Add Context for Clarity

Provide context for better messages: 
forge commit fix: handle edge case in date parsing

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Review Before Committing

Always review the generated message and reject if it’s not accurate.

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Limit Diff Size for Large Changes

For large changesets, use --max-diff: 
forge commit --max-diff 50000

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Integration with Git

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Stage All Changes

git add -A && forge commit

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Stage Specific Files

git add src/auth/*.ts && forge commit authentication changes

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Amend Last Commit

# Generate new message
forge commit --preview > .git/commit-msg.txt

# Amend with new message
git commit --amend -F .git/commit-msg.txt

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Configuration

No additional configuration needed. The command uses your active Forge model and provider.
  • git add - Stage changes before committing
  • git status - View changes before generating message
  • git diff --staged - Preview staged changes
  • forge suggest - Get shell command suggestions

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Notes

  • Requires staged changes (git add)
  • Works with any Git repository
  • Uses your configured Forge model
  • Respects your repository’s commit message style
  • --max-diff helps control API costs for large changes
  • Multiple words in custom text don’t need quotes
  • Preview mode is useful for reviewing before committing

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