The Art of Writing Good Commit Messages for Web Developers

Commit messages are the unsung heroes of a well-maintained codebase. For web developers, they provide clarity on changes, streamline team collaboration, and serve as a historical record that makes debugging and onboarding easier. But what makes a good commit message, and why should you care?

A great commit message starts with a concise subject line. Keep it under 50 characters and use the imperative mood—for example, “Fix navbar alignment” or “Add API error handling.” This mirrors how Git describes changes when they’re applied, like giving the codebase a command.

For web projects, which often involve multiple layers (front-end, back-end, APIs), adding a brief explanation in the commit body can be a lifesaver. For instance, if you’ve fixed a layout issue, note whether it was a CSS change, a JavaScript bug, or something deeper. A good body answers the “why” behind the change:

fix: Resolve navbar alignment issue

The navbar was misaligned on smaller viewports due to incorrect flexbox settings. Updated the CSS rules to ensure proper alignment across all screen sizes.

Web development often involves iterative work—fixing bugs, adding features, or optimizing performance. To keep the history clean, avoid bundling unrelated changes in a single commit. Instead of committing “Fix login issue and update styles,” split it into:

“fix: Resolve login issue with token validation”
“style: Update button colors for consistency”
Finally, always link your commits to tasks or issues. For example: “Resolves #123: Implemented user session timeout.” This connects your work to a larger context and helps others quickly understand its purpose.

Good commit messages aren’t just nice-to-have—they’re critical for a smooth workflow in web development. They make pull requests easier to review, simplify debugging, and keep your project organized as it grows. *Start treating your commit messages as part of your code, and your team will thank you!
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Comments

[Sadia]

This is a fantastic article! It succinctly captures the importance of clear and well-structured commit messages for maintaining a clean, collaborative, and efficient codebase. The tips on using concise subject lines, the imperative mood, and detailed commit bodies, as well as linking to tasks, are particularly actionable and valuable for web developers. A great read for anyone looking to improve their Git practices!

[Crypto.Andy (DEV)]

Thank you for your comment! I’m glad you found the article helpful and valuable. Clear and well-structured commit messages truly make a big difference in team collaboration and development efficiency. I hope the tips in the article prove useful for your future projects! 😊

[recursiveaf]

I'm convinced there is a direct correlation between quality of commit message and how long you've worked on a repo. The classic "fixed bug" commit.

[Crypto.Andy (DEV)]

You’re absolutely right! Early commits on a new repo often reflect more haste or less context, leading to those classic “fixed bug” messages. As developers spend more time on a project, they tend to recognize the importance of clarity and detail in commit messages for their future selves and teammates. It's definitely a learning curve, but the payoff in maintainability and collaboration is huge! 😊

[Sage]

I didn’t even know anything about even writing commit messages lol. All I write for my commits is “UPLOAD #” so I remember what files I uploaded in 1 upload. But thank you for sharing this!