Local Commit AI CLI

Generate Git commit messages from staged changes in VS Code using your local AI CLI.

Local Commit AI CLI includes presets for Codex CLI and Claude Code CLI, plus a custom provider for any command-line tool that can generate text. The extension runs the selected command on your machine, sends it the staged Git diff, and writes the generated message back to the Source Control commit input.

Features

• Adds a Generate Commit Message action to the Source Control toolbar.
• Reads staged changes with git diff --cached.
• Sends the diff to codex exec, claude --print, or your custom command.
• Writes the generated message back to the Git commit input.
• Supports a customizable prompt template with {diff} replacement.
• Supports optional model names for both providers.
• Limits the number of diff lines sent to the CLI to keep generation fast and predictable.
• Lets you choose the toolbar icon from a small set of built-in VS Code icons.

Installation

Install from:

• Open VSX Registry
• VS Code Marketplace

Download the latest VSIX file from GitHub Releases.

Then install it in VS Code:

1. Open the Extensions view.
2. Open the ... menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Install from VSIX....
4. Choose the downloaded local-commit-ai-cli-*.vsix file.

You can also install it from the command line:

code --install-extension local-commit-ai-cli-*.vsix

Requirements

Install at least one supported CLI and make sure it is available on PATH:

• Codex CLI
• Claude Code CLI
• Any custom CLI that accepts a prompt through stdin or command arguments

The extension only uses staged changes. Stage files before generating a commit message.

Usage

1. Open a Git repository in VS Code.
2. Stage the changes you want to commit.
3. Open the Source Control view.
4. Click Generate Commit Message in the Source Control toolbar.
5. Review the generated message before committing.

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
localCommitAi.provider	codex	CLI provider. Supported values: codex, claude, custom.
localCommitAi.model	""	Optional model name passed to the selected CLI.
localCommitAi.buttonIcon	hubot	Toolbar icon. Supported values: sparkle, hubot, gitCommit, commentAdd.
localCommitAi.customCommand	""	Command used when provider is custom.
localCommitAi.customArgs	[]	Arguments used when provider is custom. Use {prompt} to insert the generated prompt into an argument.
localCommitAi.customPromptStdin	true	Send the generated prompt to stdin when customArgs does not include {prompt}.
localCommitAi.prompt	Conventional commit prompt	Prompt template. Use {diff} where the staged diff should be inserted.
localCommitAi.maxDiffLines	100	Maximum staged diff lines sent to the CLI. Use 0 to disable truncation.
localCommitAi.debug	false	Write generation diagnostics to the Local Commit AI CLI output channel.

Example settings:

{
  "localCommitAi.provider": "codex",
  "localCommitAi.model": "gpt-5.4-mini",
  "localCommitAi.buttonIcon": "hubot",
  "localCommitAi.maxDiffLines": 100,
  "localCommitAi.prompt": "You are a commit message generator.\n\nReturn exactly one line and nothing else.\n\nRules:\n- Output must be a single conventional commit message\n- Format: type(scope?): description\n- Allowed types: build, chore, ci, docs, feat, fix, perf, refactor, revert, style, test\n- Use lowercase type\n- Keep the description concise\n- Do not use markdown\n- Do not wrap the message in quotes\n- Do not add explanations, alternatives, notes, warnings, or recommendations\n- Do not mention whether the diff is ready to commit\n- If the diff is small or incomplete, still generate the best possible commit message\n\nStaged git diff:\n{diff}"
}

Model examples:

Provider	Model setting
Codex CLI	gpt-5.4-mini
Claude Code CLI	claude-haiku-4-5-20251001

Custom provider example with opencode:

{
  "localCommitAi.provider": "custom",
  "localCommitAi.customCommand": "opencode",
  "localCommitAi.customArgs": ["run", "{prompt}"],
  "localCommitAi.customPromptStdin": false
}

If your CLI reads from stdin, omit {prompt} from customArgs and leave customPromptStdin enabled:

{
  "localCommitAi.provider": "custom",
  "localCommitAi.customCommand": "your-cli",
  "localCommitAi.customArgs": ["generate-commit-message"],
  "localCommitAi.customPromptStdin": true
}

Debugging

Enable localCommitAi.debug to inspect generation diagnostics in the Local Commit AI CLI output channel.

The debug log includes provider, command, argument template, prompt source, diff line counts, duration, exit code, stderr preview, and the generated message. It does not log the full prompt or diff content.

Packaging

Install dependencies:

npm install

Build:

npm run compile

Prepare the changelog before tagging a release:

npm run changelog:release -- v0.3.1

Or run the Prepare Release GitHub Actions workflow with a version such as 0.3.1.

Create a VSIX package:

npm run package

Install the generated package locally:

code --install-extension local-commit-ai-cli-0.0.1.vsix

License

MIT