git-commit

Commit staged changes

$ git commit -m "[message]"

$ git commit -am "[message]"

$ git commit --amend

$ git commit

$ git commit --allow-empty -m "[message]"

$ git commit -s -m "[message]"

$ git commit --fixup [commit]

$ git commit --squash [commit]

git commit [options] [--] [files...]

git commit records changes to the repository by creating a new commit object containing the currently staged changes, metadata, and a descriptive message. Each commit represents a snapshot in the repository's history, identified by a unique SHA-1 hash and linked to its parent commit(s).
The standard workflow involves staging changes with git add, then committing those staged changes. The -a flag shortcuts this by automatically staging all modified tracked files before committing. Commit messages can be provided inline with -m or by opening an editor where you can write multi-line messages with detailed explanations.
The --amend option modifies the most recent commit instead of creating a new one, useful for correcting mistakes or adding forgotten changes. This rewrites history, so amended commits should not be pushed to shared branches unless force-pushing is acceptable.
Advanced options support signing commits with GPG (--gpg-sign), adding metadata like co-authors or issue references, and creating specialized commits for rebase workflows. The --fixup and --squash options create commits meant to be combined with earlier commits during interactive rebasing, supporting cleanup of messy development history.
Empty commits (--allow-empty) are occasionally useful for triggering CI/CD pipelines or marking milestones without actual code changes. The --verbose flag shows the full diff in the editor, helping write accurate commit messages by reviewing what's being committed.

-m, --message msg

Commit message.

Stage all modified files.

Amend previous commit.

Use previous message.

Add Signed-off-by.

Allow empty commits.

Fixup for commit.

Squash into commit.

Show diff in editor.

Override author.

~/.gitconfig [commit]

Commit-related settings including default gpgSign, template, and cleanup behavior.

Hook script that validates or modifies commit messages before finalizing.

Hook script that runs checks before allowing a commit to proceed.

git-add(1), git-status(1)