Enforce conventional commit message standards and provide helpful feedback to maintain clean git history and enable automated changelog generation.

• 📏 Enforce Standards: Ensure all commits follow conventional commits format
• 📖 Educational: Provides helpful examples when validation fails
• 🤖 Automation-Ready: Clean commit history enables automated changelogs
• 🎯 Customizable: Define your own commit message patterns
• 💬 PR Feedback: Posts helpful comments directly on pull requests

• Validates all commits in a pull request
• Supports conventional commits format by default
• Customizable regex patterns
• Helpful error messages with examples
• Configurable failure behavior
• Posts validation results as PR comments

Create .github/workflows/lint-commits.yml:

name: Lint Commit Messages

on:
  pull_request:
    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]

jobs:
  lint:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      pull-requests: write
      contents: read
    
    steps:
      - name: Lint commit messages
        uses: rkneela0912/commit-message-linter@v1
        with:
          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

By default, validates against conventional commits:

type(scope): description

Valid types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, perf, test, chore, build, ci, revert

Examples:

• ✅ feat: add user authentication
• ✅ fix(api): resolve timeout issue
• ✅ docs: update README
• ❌ added new feature (no type)
• ❌ fix:missing space

Define your own commit message format:

- uses: rkneela0912/commit-message-linter@v1
  with:
    github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
    pattern: '^(FEAT|FIX|DOCS): .{10,100}$'

Provide helpful guidance when validation fails:

- uses: rkneela0912/commit-message-linter@v1
  with:
    github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
    error_message: |
      ❌ Invalid commit message!
      
      Please use: TYPE: Description (10-100 chars)
      
      Valid types: FEAT, FIX, DOCS
      
      Example: FEAT: Add user dashboard

Don't fail the workflow, just warn:

- uses: rkneela0912/commit-message-linter@v1
  with:
    github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
    fail_on_error: 'false'

name: Lint Commits
on:
  pull_request:
    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]

jobs:
  lint:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      pull-requests: write
      contents: read
    steps:
      - uses: rkneela0912/commit-message-linter@v1
        with:
          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

- uses: rkneela0912/commit-message-linter@v1
  with:
    github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
    pattern: '^(feat|fix|docs|style|refactor|test|chore)(\(.+\))?: .{1,100}$'

- name: Lint commits
  id: lint
  uses: rkneela0912/commit-message-linter@v1
  with:
    github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

- name: Comment on failure
  if: steps.lint.outputs.valid == 'false'
  uses: actions/github-script@v7
  with:
    script: |
      github.rest.issues.createComment({
        issue_number: context.issue.number,
        owner: context.repo.owner,
        repo: context.repo.repo,
        body: '⚠️ Found ${{ steps.lint.outputs.invalid_count }} invalid commit message(s). Please review the commit history.'
      })

The default pattern follows Conventional Commits:

<type>[optional scope]: <description>

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]

Types:

• feat: New feature
• fix: Bug fix
• docs: Documentation changes
• style: Code style changes (formatting, etc.)
• refactor: Code refactoring
• perf: Performance improvements
• test: Adding or updating tests
• chore: Maintenance tasks
• build: Build system changes
• ci: CI configuration changes
• revert: Revert previous commit

1. Triggered when a PR is opened or updated
2. Fetches all commits in the PR
3. Validates each commit message against the pattern
4. Posts a comment on the PR if validation fails
5. Fails the workflow (optional) if invalid commits found

• Keep commit messages concise but descriptive
• Use present tense ("add" not "added")
• Start with lowercase after the colon
• Include scope when relevant
• Use imperative mood

• Use vague messages like "fix bug" or "update code"
• Include issue numbers in the subject (put in body)
• Exceed 100 characters in the subject line
• Use past tense

This action requires:

permissions:
  pull-requests: write  # To post comments
  contents: read        # To read commits

Contributions welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request.

MIT License

⭐ Star this repo if you find it helpful!

For issues or questions, open an issue.

• Clean History: Consistent commit messages
• Better Changelogs: Automated generation
• Team Alignment: Shared conventions
• Easy Navigation: Find changes quickly

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to:

• 🐛 Report bugs
• 💡 Suggest features
• 🔧 Submit pull requests

See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.