Specify English as the required language for commit messages #233

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GiteaMirror · 2026-02-17T11:55:03-06:00

GiteaMirror commented

2026-02-17 11:55:03 -06:00

Originally created by @geriwald on GitHub (Jan 24, 2026).

Summary

The Conventional Commits specification defines the structure and format of commit messages in detail, but does not explicitly state that commit messages should be written in English.

Problem

While the specification provides clear rules for types, scopes, descriptions, and footers, the language requirement is implicit. This can lead to inconsistencies in international teams or open-source projects where contributors might write commits in their
native language.

Proposal

Add an explicit rule stating that commit messages MUST be written in English, similar to how other aspects (like BREAKING CHANGE being uppercase) are explicitly specified.

This would:

Ensure consistency across all projects following the spec
Improve readability for international contributors
Align with the de facto standard in the software industry

Suggested addition

A new rule could be added:

Commit messages MUST be written in English to ensure universal readability across international teams and open-source communities.

Or alternatively, a note in the specification header clarifying this expectation.

Originally created by @geriwald on GitHub (Jan 24, 2026). ## Summary The Conventional Commits specification defines the structure and format of commit messages in detail, but does not explicitly state that commit messages should be written in English. ## Problem While the specification provides clear rules for types, scopes, descriptions, and footers, the language requirement is implicit. This can lead to inconsistencies in international teams or open-source projects where contributors might write commits in their native language. ## Proposal Add an explicit rule stating that commit messages MUST be written in English, similar to how other aspects (like `BREAKING CHANGE` being uppercase) are explicitly specified. This would: - Ensure consistency across all projects following the spec - Improve readability for international contributors - Align with the de facto standard in the software industry ## Suggested addition A new rule could be added: > Commit messages MUST be written in English to ensure universal readability across international teams and open-source communities. Or alternatively, a note in the specification header clarifying this expectation.

GiteaMirror commented

2026-02-17 11:55:04 -06:00

@tats-u commented on GitHub (Feb 3, 2026):

The language of a commit message is off-topic:

Improve readability for international contributors

Align with the de facto standard in the software industry

Not applied to internal proprietary repositories in organizations in non-English-native countries (including France). Your suggestion is harmful because it make it harder for such organizations to adopt Conventional Commits. Not every Git user is good at English. Your own native language (e.g. French) is the most readable and clear in commit messages. If you will never make your projects public for all the tea in China, commit messages may be written in any arbitrary non-English languages, e.g. «fix(foo): suppression de l'erreur d'affichage».

@tats-u commented on GitHub (Feb 3, 2026): The language of a commit message is off-topic: > - Improve readability for international contributors > - Align with the de facto standard in the software industry Not applied to internal proprietary repositories in organizations in non-English-native countries (including France). Your suggestion is harmful because it make it harder for such organizations to adopt Conventional Commits. Not every Git user is good at English. Your own native language (e.g. French) is the most readable and clear in commit messages. If you will _never_ make your projects public _for all the tea in China_, commit messages may be written in any arbitrary non-English languages, e.g. «fix(foo): <span lang=fr>suppression de l'erreur d'affichage</span>».

GiteaMirror referenced this issue

2026-02-17 12:01:17 -06:00

[PR #233] [MERGED] Add netlify logo #380

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Reference: github-starred/conventionalcommits.org#233