Git Workflow

Safe, structured git operations with user checkpoints before irreversible actions.

Goal

Ensure git operations are safe, conventional, and reviewable.

• Commit done: user-approved commit exists with conventional message and hash returned
• Branch done: correctly named branch created and checked out, confirmed to user
• PR done: branch pushed, PR created via gh, PR URL returned to user

Dependencies

Tools: Bash (all git operations, gh CLI for PRs) CLI required: git (always available), gh (GitHub CLI — required for PR command only; warn user if not installed) No MCP or external API required

Context

• Read CLAUDE.md for project-specific branch naming conventions before creating a branch
• Check .github/pull_request_template.md before drafting a PR body; use it as the template if present
• Check .github/CODEOWNERS or CI config if relevant for reviewer assignment

Commands

Commit: /git-workflow commit [message]

1. Run git status and git diff --staged to understand changes
2. Check for sensitive files (.env, credentials, secrets) — WARN and exclude if found
3. Determine which files to stage (never git add -A or git add . — stage specific files)
4. If no message provided, draft one:
   • Prefix: feat/fix/refactor/docs/test/chore
   • Focus on WHY, not WHAT (the diff shows what)
   • Under 72 chars for subject line

CHECKPOINT: Present staged file list and draft commit message. Do NOT commit until user approves.

5. Create the commit

Branch: /git-workflow branch [name]

1. Run git status — warn if uncommitted changes exist; ask user to commit or stash before proceeding
2. Fetch latest from remote (git fetch)
3. Derive branch name: use provided name or propose one from context using convention feat/description, fix/description, refactor/description

CHECKPOINT: Show proposed branch name and source branch (e.g., main). Do NOT create the branch until user approves.

4. Create branch from main/master and switch to it
5. Output: "Created and switched to branch-name from main."

PR: /git-workflow pr

1. Run git status — warn if uncommitted changes
2. Run git log main..HEAD to understand all commits on this branch
3. Run git diff main...HEAD for the complete diff
4. Draft PR with:
   • Short title (under 70 chars)
   • Summary section with 1-3 bullet points
   • Test plan checklist

CHECKPOINT: Show PR title, summary, and test plan. Do NOT push or create PR until user confirms.

5. Push branch with -u flag if not pushed
6. Create PR via gh pr create
7. Return the PR URL

Output

• Commit: confirmation message with hash
• Branch: confirmation with branch name
• PR: the PR URL

Safety Rules

• NEVER force push to main/master
• NEVER commit .env, credentials, API keys, tokens
• NEVER amend published commits without explicit request
• NEVER skip pre-commit hooks (--no-verify)
• Always stage specific files, not everything
• Always verify branch before pushing