Why I still hand write my commit messages

For over a decade, I have been an advocate of writing comprehensive Git commit messages. Despite the availability of Large Language Models (LLMs) that can generate them, I continue to prioritize this practice. The primary purpose of a commit message is to explain the rationale behind a particular change. Chris Beams' influential post on writing commit messages is a widely cited guide in this regard.

However, many still focus on describing the "what" changes rather than the "why". This omission deprives the codebase of crucial context. Writing the commit message itself can also enhance understanding of the modifications made. It mirrors the learning process of teaching, reinforcing the comprehension of the changes. This exercise often uncovers alternative approaches to the implemented solution.

Moreover, crafting commit messages is akin to writing documentation. It necessitates stepping back to consider how an unfamiliar user might perceive and interact with the code. This perspective often reveals the need to clarify implied assumptions. When working with AI-assisted code, I take responsibility for the changes, ensuring I understand the motivations behind them.

Introducing atomic commits, where each commit encapsulates a single, logical change, aids in attributing AI involvement. It provides transparency about which aspects were assisted by AI, without compromising personal touch. Recently, I used Claude Max, an AI, to commit my changes atomically over 100 recent commits. While the AI's commits were functional, they lacked the personal style I prefer. However, the process still yielded valuable improvements.

My affinity for documentation extends to commit messages, which are integral pieces of documentation. While I don't enforce this practice in my projects, I find it beneficial for my own understanding and contribution. However, the intensity of writing can be taxing, and I may not always prioritize it, despite its value. This post, available at [this link](https://www.jvt.me/posts/2026/08/17/hand-write-commits/), explains my continued commitment to writing commit messages.