Conventional Commits Instructions for VS Code & Copilot

A structured, XML-based instruction template for VS Code and GitHub Copilot to automatically generate clean, single-line Conventional Commits with expressive emoji prefixes in English.

VS Code's automatic commit message generator can produce inconsistent formatting, missing types, or redundant file listings when using free-form prompts.

An XML instruction template enforcing scopeless, emoji-prefixed Conventional Commits 1.0.0 standards.

Create the instruction file inside your project's .github directory:

# Path: .github/commit-message-instructions.md

Copy the contents of commit-message-instructions.md directly into that file.

Link the file inside your project or workspace settings.

Project-Level Settings (.vscode/settings.json):

{
 "github.copilot.chat.commitMessageGeneration.instructions": [
 {
 "file": ".github/commit-message-instructions.md"
 }
 ]
}

Workspace Settings (.code-workspace):

{
 "folders": [
 {
 "path": "."
 }
 ],
 "settings": {
 "github.copilot.chat.commitMessageGeneration.instructions": [
 {
 "file": ".github/commit-message-instructions.md"
 }
 ]
 }
}

All generated commits strictly follow the <emoji> <type>: <description> syntax without parentheses or scopes:

1. English Only: All commit messages are written strictly in English.
2. No Scopes: No parentheses or scopes (use <emoji> <type>: <description> directly).
3. Imperative Mood: Present-tense action verbs (add not added or adds).
4. Casing & Punctuation: Entire subject line is lowercase; no trailing period.
5. Length Limits: Subject line limited to 50 characters when possible, max 72.
6. Single-Line for Setup & Chores: Initial setup, chores, configuration, and dependencies never generate bodies, file lists, or bullet points.
7. Body Constraints: Optional bodies are reserved only for complex features or breaking changes, wrapped at 72 characters and explaining what and why, not how.

This instruction template is inspired by and adapted from:

• copilot-kit by @ikcode-dev
• Bad Commit Messages? Here's What I Do Instead (Copilot)

MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.