/git-workflow

Git Hooks for Commit Enforcement

Use Git hooks to automatically enforce commit message standards and run checks before commits reach the repository.

Bad Example

# No hooks — bad commits reach the repo unchecked
git commit -m "fix"
git commit -m "wip"
git commit -m "asdfasdf"
# All accepted with no validation

# Manual-only enforcement — relies on discipline
# Team agrees to follow conventions but nothing enforces it
# One developer ignores conventions, pollutes history

Good Example

# Install Husky and commitlint
npm install --save-dev husky @commitlint/cli @commitlint/config-conventional

# Enable Husky
npx husky init

# Create commit-msg hook
echo "npx --no -- commitlint --edit \$1" > .husky/commit-msg
chmod +x .husky/commit-msg

# Create pre-commit hook for linting and tests
echo "npm run lint && npm run test:unit" > .husky/pre-commit
chmod +x .husky/pre-commit

// commitlint.config.js
module.exports = {
  extends: ['@commitlint/config-conventional'],
  rules: {
    'type-enum': [
      2,
      'always',
      ['feat', 'fix', 'docs', 'style', 'refactor', 'perf', 'test', 'chore', 'ci', 'build', 'revert']
    ],
    'subject-max-length': [2, 'always', 72],
    'subject-case': [2, 'always', 'lower-case'],
    'body-max-line-length': [2, 'always', 100],
  },
};

// package.json — ensure hooks are installed on npm install
{
  "scripts": {
    "prepare": "husky"
  }
}

# Now bad commits are rejected automatically
git commit -m "fix"
# ✖   subject may not be empty [subject-empty]
# ✖   type may not be empty [type-empty]

git commit -m "feat(auth): add OAuth login"
# ✔   Commit message is valid

Why

Git hooks automate enforcement at the source, before bad commits reach the repository:

1. Immediate Feedback: Developers know instantly if their commit message is wrong
2. Zero Drift: Conventions are enforced consistently — no exceptions
3. Automated Changelog: Properly formatted commits enable tools like semantic-release
4. No CI Dependency: Catches issues locally before pushing, saving CI minutes
5. Onboarding: New developers learn conventions through immediate feedback

Hook types commonly used:

Important: Add .husky/ to version control so all team members get the same hooks. The prepare script in package.json installs hooks automatically after npm install.