FAQ

FAQ

General

What is Git Commit Message Editor?

A VS Code extension that provides a structured form for writing Git commit messages, with live preview, smart suggestions, AI drafting, and custom templates.

Is it free?

Yes, it's open-source under the MIT license.

Which versions of VS Code are supported?

VS Code ^1.85.0 or higher.

Troubleshooting

The editor doesn't open

• Ensure you have a Git repository open
• The built-in Git extension (vscode.git) must be active
• Try reopening VS Code

AI Draft doesn't work

• Make sure GitHub Copilot Chat is installed and signed in
• Stage some changes (git add) before clicking the button
• Check that you have an active internet connection

"No changes to analyse" for AI Draft

You need to stage changes first. Run git add on the files you want to commit.

Template not saving

• You must have a workspace folder open
• Workspace templates are saved to .vscode/commit-templates/ in the repository root

Amend fails

• Make sure you have at least one commit
• No other Git operations should be in progress (e.g., merge, rebase)

Scopes not showing up

• Scopes are stored in workspace settings
• Add them manually via Settings UI or click Save in the Scope field

Auto Gitmoji not working

• Check that autoGitmoji is true in settings
• The template must define a gitmoji token with descriptions matching type labels

Settings

Where are my settings stored?

• User settings: ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json
• Workspace settings: .vscode/settings.json in your repository

Can I share settings with my team?

Yes, use a .commit-message-editor.json file at the repository root. See Configuration.

Templates

Can I create my own template?

Yes, use the Config Editor (⚙ Template) or manually create a JSON file in .vscode/commit-templates/.

Can I delete built-in templates?

No, built-in templates are read-only. Use Duplicate to create an editable copy.

How do I share a template with my team?

Save it as a workspace template (.vscode/commit-templates/) or export it as JSON and commit it to the repository.

Git Operations

What does "Amend Last" do?

Loads the last commit's message into the form and allows you to amend it after confirmation.

What does "Undo Insert" do?

Reverts the Source Control input box to the value it had before the last Insert.

What is "Git Template"?

Writes the current message to .gitmessage and runs git config commit.template .gitmessage, making it available for git commit from the terminal.

What is Free‑form Text mode?

It's a mode where you write the entire commit message in a single large textarea instead of using the structured form. You can switch between Form and Free‑form using the tabs.

How do I open the Git Editor mode?

Use the Command Palette (Git Commit Message Editor: Open as Git Editor (COMMIT_EDITMSG)) or set scmTitleCommand to "openAsGitEditor" to make it the default SCM action.

Why is my Git Editor document read‑only?

This was fixed in version 1.7.0 by using a proper FileSystemProvider. If you're still experiencing issues, make sure you're using the latest version.

How do I change the UI language?

Set gitCommitMessageEditor.language to "en", "fa", or "auto" (to follow VS Code's display language).

What are the frequent type/scope chips?

These are clickable chips that appear above the Type and Scope fields, showing the most commonly used values from your recent commit history (last 50 commits). They are enabled by default but can be disabled via rememberFrequentTypes and rememberFrequentScopes.

Can I use multiple keywords in a single issue field?

Yes! For example, you can write Resolves #10, resolves #123, resolves octo-org/octo-repo#100 in the Resolves field. The editor will preserve each keyword and format the issues correctly.

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That's the complete wiki content. You can add these pages to your repository's wiki by:

1. Going to https://github.com/idmdakhi/GitCommitMessageEditor-vsce/wiki
2. Clicking "Create the first page" or "New Page"
3. Copying and pasting each section as a separate page

Recommended page structure:

Page	Content
Home	Introduction + Quick Links
Installation	Installation instructions
User-Guide	Full user guide
Configuration	Settings + Repo config
Templates	Template management + JSON structure
Development	Building from source
FAQ	Frequently asked questions