Quick Start Guide

November 10, 2025 · View on GitHub

🚀 Get AI-Powered Commits in 30 Seconds

1. Set your API key

export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

Get your key at: https://platform.openai.com/api-keys

2. Install hooks (one command!)

npx git-rewrite-commits --install-hooks

3. Start committing with AI

git add .
git commit
# ✨ AI message appears automatically in your editor!

What Gets Installed?

📝 prepare-commit-msg

  • When: Every time you run git commit
  • What: Generates AI message based on your staged changes
  • Result: Editor opens with perfect commit message ready to use

✅ post-commit

  • When: After you commit
  • What: Reviews and improves your commit message
  • Result: Automatically fixes poor messages

🚀 pre-push

  • When: Before git push
  • What: Reviews unpushed commits
  • Result: Offers to fix messages before pushing

Configuration (Optional)

Set your team's format

git config hooks.commitTemplate "[JIRA-XXX] feat: message"

Set language

git config hooks.commitLanguage "es"  # Spanish
git config hooks.commitLanguage "fr"  # French
git config hooks.commitLanguage "ja"  # Japanese

Uninstall Hooks

To remove hooks:

rm .git/hooks/prepare-commit-msg
rm .git/hooks/post-commit
rm .git/hooks/pre-push

Examples

What You Type

git add src/auth.ts
git commit

What You Get (automatically!)

feat(auth): implement JWT token validation middleware

# ✨ AI-generated commit message above
# Feel free to edit as needed before saving
# 
# Files being committed:
# M       src/auth.ts

Troubleshooting

API Key Not Set?

export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc to make permanent

Hooks Not Working?

# Check if installed
ls -la .git/hooks/

# Reinstall
npx git-rewrite-commits --install-hooks

Want Different Template?

# Per repository
git config hooks.commitTemplate "🚀 feat: message"

# Global (all repositories)
git config --global hooks.commitTemplate "feat(scope): message"

Why Use This?

  • ✅ Zero effort - AI writes your commit messages
  • ✅ Consistent format - Always follows conventions
  • ✅ Team-friendly - Everyone gets same quality
  • ✅ Time-saving - No more thinking about messages
  • ✅ Educational - Learn good commit practices

Next Steps

  1. Try the tool on a test repository first
  2. Configure your preferred template
  3. Share with your team!

Need help? Create an issue at: https://github.com/yourusername/git-rewrite-commits