commitlint
Checks that git commit messages follow the conventional commit format.
- Stars
- 18.8k
- Forks
- 974
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- Dev tool
What it is
commitlint is a command-line tool that checks whether git commit messages follow a set pattern, such as starting with a type like feat, fix, or docs. It can run on each commit (commonly through husky) or during CI builds, and it is configured through files like .commitlintrc or a commitlint field in package.json. The output is used to keep history readable and to support tools that generate changelogs.
- Reject a commit whose message does not start with an allowed type such as feat or fix
- Share one rule set across projects by publishing or installing a shared config like @commitlint/config-conventional
- Check commit messages during CI builds using the documented CI setup guide
- Lint a string or a range of commits programmatically through the API packages
Great for
- Teams that already use or want to adopt the conventional commit format
- Projects that generate changelogs from commit history with conventional-changelog
- Node.js projects that want commit checks run automatically on each commit or in CI
- Developers who want shared commit rules across several repositories through shareable configs
Not ideal for
- Projects with no commit message convention, since the tool only makes sense once a format is agreed on
- Users who need a graphical interface, because the README describes only a CLI and a programmatic API
- Environments without Node.js, since the README lists Node.js LTS >= 22.12.0 as a requirement
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js 22.12.0 or newer (LTS) · git 2.13.2 or newer
Install the CLI as a dev dependency
npm install --save-dev @commitlint/cli - 2
Run it
- Install @commitlint/cli with npm as a dev dependency
- Create a configuration file such as commitlint.config.js or add a commitlint field to package.json
- Set up a git hook with husky to run commitlint on each commit (see the Local setup guide)
- Make a commit with a non-conforming message to see the check reject it
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Start from a shared configuration such as @commitlint/config-conventional and adjust rules as needed
- Use the rules reference in the docs to customize allowed types, scopes, and lengths
- Add the CI setup guide to check commit messages during builds
- Use the API packages (lint, load, read) to build custom checks
Downloads
Strengths
- Widely used, with 18,786 stars and an active push history shown in the metadata
- Rules are configurable and can be shared through npm packages
- Works both locally on commit and in CI
Trade-offs
- Requires Node.js and git with specific minimum versions, which adds setup for non-JavaScript projects
- The README says it is not a sponsored project, so patch releases for older versions are not promised
- Enforcing a convention takes team agreement; the tool cannot pick the format for you
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| commitlint (this) | 18.8k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Teams that already use or want to adopt the conventional commit format |
| husky | 35.4k | Dev tool | beginner | 8 months ago | JavaScript or Node.js projects that want shared pre-commit checks |
| git-history | 13.7k | App | beginner | 2.1 years ago | Developers trying to understand why a file looks the way it does |
| delta | 32.6k | Dev tool | beginner | 9 days ago | Developers who read a lot of git diffs or git show output in the terminal |
| oh-my-posh | 23.7k | Dev tool | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers who want their terminal prompt to show extra context |
| gitui | 22.6k | App | beginner | 1 months ago | Developers who already work in a terminal and want a visual view of git changes |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.