# Conventional Commit Format Requirement for rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch > Learn the conventional commit format for rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch. Commits need feat(phase-NN/MM): , be under 72 chars, and explain the why. - Repository: [Rohit Ghumare/ai-engineering-from-scratch](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch) - Tags: best-practices - Published: 2026-06-08 --- **The repository enforces a strict Conventional Commit format where every commit subject must follow `feat(phase-NN/MM): `, be 72 characters or fewer, and explain the "why" not the "what" in the body.** The `rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch` curriculum repository requires all contributors to follow a machine-readable commit convention. This standardized format, defined in the project's [`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/AGENTS.md) file, ensures that the lesson history remains clean, searchable, and automatically parseable across the AI engineering curriculum. ## Conventional Commit Structure ### Required Subject Line Format Every commit message must adhere to a strict pattern in the subject line: ``` feat(phase-NN/MM): ``` - **`feat`** – The commit type, which must always be "feat" when adding new lessons according to the source code. - **`phase-NN/MM`** – The phase number (`NN`) and lesson number (`MM`) identifiers. - **``** – A short, hyphen-separated description of the lesson content (e.g., `add-gradient-descent`). The entire subject line must not exceed **72 characters**, including the type, scope, and description. ### Commit Message Body Rules The commit body should explain **why** the change is necessary, avoiding descriptions of **what** the code does. This distinction helps reviewers understand the pedagogical intent behind new curriculum additions without reading the diffs. ## Valid and Invalid Commit Examples ### Correct commit subject ```text feat(phase-14/42): add-agent-workbench-capstone ``` This example follows all rules: it uses the `feat` type, specifies the phase and lesson numbers correctly, keeps the slug descriptive yet concise, and stays under the 72-character limit. ### Incorrect commit subjects The following patterns violate the repository's conventional commit format requirement: - **Too long**: Exceeding 72 characters in the subject line. - **Wrong type**: Using `fix(...)`, `docs(...)`, or other types instead of `feat`. - **Missing scope**: Omitting the phase/lesson specification (e.g., `feat: add-new-lesson`). ## Implementation in Git Workflow When contributing to `rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch`, apply the format directly in your Git commands: ```bash git checkout -b add-agent-workbench-capstone # ... make changes ... git add . git commit -m "feat(phase-14/42): add-agent-workbench-capstone" -m "Add the full Agent Workbench capstone lesson, including docs, code, and outputs. This lesson demonstrates multi-session handoff." git push origin add-agent-workbench-capstone ``` The `-m` flag appears twice: first for the subject line, then for the body explaining the pedagogical rationale. ## Where This Rule Is Defined The conventional commit format requirement is codified in three key files: - **[`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/AGENTS.md)** (lines 40-42): Contains the "Hard rules" section that specifies the exact `feat(phase-NN/MM): ` pattern and the 72-character limit. - **[`CONTRIBUTING.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md)**: Reinforces the commit style guidelines for pull request submissions. - **[`README.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/README.md)**: Displays the public-facing lesson table, where each entry must be added via a properly formatted commit to maintain curriculum integrity. ## Summary - Commit subjects must follow the exact pattern: `feat(phase-NN/MM): `. - Subject lines are limited to **72 characters maximum**. - The commit type must be **feat** for all new lesson contributions. - Commit bodies must explain the **why**, not the **what**. - These rules are enforced via the **AGENTS.md** "Hard rules" section. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What happens if my commit message exceeds 72 characters? Commits with subject lines longer than 72 characters violate the repository's hard rules as specified in [`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/AGENTS.md). You must amend your commit using `git commit --amend` to shorten the subject before submitting a pull request. ### Can I use other Conventional Commit types like fix or docs? No. According to the [`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/AGENTS.md) source code, the commit type must always be **feat** when adding new lessons to the curriculum. Other types such as `fix`, `docs`, or `chore` do not conform to the specific conventional commit format requirement for this repository. ### How do I determine the correct phase and lesson numbers? The phase (`NN`) and lesson (`MM`) numbers correspond to the curriculum's structured progression. These identifiers must match the lesson's position in the repository's [`README.md`](https://github.com/rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch/blob/main/README.md) table, ensuring consistent navigation through the AI engineering course materials. ### Where can I find the official commit format specification? The official specification resides in the **AGENTS.md** file at the repository root, specifically within the "Hard rules" section (lines 40-42). This document serves as the authoritative source for all conventional commit format requirements in `rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch`.