Git Branching & Commit Standards

A clear Git workflow keeps collaboration predictable and avoids confusion. Branch names and commit messages must be consistent, descriptive, and easy to understand.

Branching rules

Branch names are lowercase only. No capital letters.
Allowed prefixes:
- feature/... → new features
- bugfix/... → non-critical fixes
- hotfix/... → urgent production fixes
- cr/... → code review iterations or cleanups
- epic/... → large features spanning multiple tasks
Use hyphens - to separate words.
Branch names must be descriptive and scoped. Avoid generic or vague names.

Good examples

feature/auth-login-page
bugfix/menu-item-dialog-close
hotfix/payment-timeout
cr/refactor-header-component
epic/user-management-module

Bad examples

fix
testbranch
work
update123
temp

Branch lifecycle

Branches must be removed after merging and deploying into main to keep the repository clean.

Commit message rules

Commit messages must be descriptive and explain the change (not just "update" or "fix").
Use imperative mood: "add", "fix", "update" (not "added", "fixed", "updates").
Keep subject ≤72 characters. Use the body for extra context if needed.

Micro commits

Favor micro commits: small, focused commits that change only one thing.
Micro commits make code reviews faster, debugging easier, and history cleaner.
Avoid committing large unrelated changes in a single commit.