Star Commit AI
Auto-generate smart commit messages from git diffs using Claude AI — one click from the VS Code Source Control panel.
No more writing commit messages manually. Star Commit AI reads your changes, understands the context, and generates meaningful Conventional Commits messages instantly.
Features
AI-Powered Commit Messages from Git Diffs
Star Commit AI reads your current git diff — staged, unstaged, or all changes — and sends it to Claude AI to generate a meaningful, context-aware commit message. No more staring at a blank input box.
One-Click from the Source Control Panel
A star icon button is placed directly in the VS Code Source Control title bar. Click it once to generate and populate the commit message input box without leaving the panel.
Model Selection (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku)
Choose the Claude model that fits your workflow:
- Opus — Most capable. Best quality, best for complex or large diffs.
- Sonnet — Balanced. The recommended default for everyday commits.
- Haiku — Fastest. Lower latency, ideal for quick, small commits.
Diff Mode Selection
Control what gets sent to the AI:
- All changes (default) — includes both staged and unstaged changes relative to HEAD.
- Staged only — includes only changes that have been added to the index.
Custom Prompt Templates
Override the built-in prompt with your own using a custom template. Use {diff} as a placeholder for the diff content. This lets you enforce team conventions, specify output formats, or add extra context.
The built-in prompt instructs the AI to produce commit messages following the Conventional Commits specification (feat:, fix:, chore:, etc.), keeping your history clean and parseable.
Getting Started
Step 1 — Install the extension
Search for "Star Commit AI" in the VS Code Extensions panel and install it.
Step 2 — Install the Claude Code CLI
Star Commit AI relies on the Claude Code CLI to communicate with the AI. Install it using either method:
Option A — Standalone installer (recommended)
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash
Option B — npm global install
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
After installing, authenticate with your Anthropic account by running:
claude
Follow the prompts to complete authentication. The extension will use the same authenticated session.
Step 3 — Generate a commit message
- Open a git repository in VS Code.
- Make some changes to your files.
- Open the Source Control panel (
Ctrl+Shift+G / Cmd+Shift+G).
- Click the "Star Commit AI" icon in the Source Control title bar.
- The generated commit message will appear in the commit input box, ready to review and submit.
Configuration
All settings are under the starCommitAI namespace and can be configured in your VS Code settings (settings.json or the Settings UI).
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
starCommitAI.provider |
string |
"claude-code" |
The AI provider to use. Currently only claude-code is supported. |
starCommitAI.model |
string |
"sonnet" |
The Claude model to use: opus, sonnet, or haiku. |
starCommitAI.diffMode |
string |
"all" |
Which changes to send: "all" (staged + unstaged) or "staged" (staged only). |
starCommitAI.promptTemplate |
string |
"" |
Custom prompt template. Use {diff} as the diff placeholder. Leave empty to use the built-in prompt. |
starCommitAI.maxDiffLength |
number |
8000 |
Maximum number of characters to send from the diff. Longer diffs are truncated. |
starCommitAI.commitMessageLanguage |
string |
"english" |
The natural language to write the commit message in (e.g. "english", "spanish", "japanese"). |
Commands
All commands are available from the VS Code Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P). Search for "Star Commit AI" to find them.
| Command |
Description |
Star Commit AI: Generate Commit Message |
Read the current diff and generate a commit message. Also available as the star icon in the Source Control title bar. |
Star Commit AI: Select AI Model |
Open a quick pick to switch between Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku. |
Star Commit AI: Select Diff Mode |
Open a quick pick to switch between "all changes" and "staged only". |
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85.0 or later.
- Claude Code CLI installed and authenticated (via standalone installer or
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code).
- A git repository open in your workspace.
Roadmap
The extension is built on a provider abstraction layer, making it straightforward to add new AI backends. Planned additions:
- OpenAI (GPT-4) — via the OpenAI API with a key stored securely in VS Code's
SecretStorage.
- Google (Gemini) — via the Gemini API with the same secure key management pattern.
Model selection will become dynamic based on the active provider's available models when additional providers are added.
Why Star Commit AI?
- Save time — stop writing commit messages by hand for every change
- Consistent style — every message follows Conventional Commits format automatically
- Context-aware — Claude reads the actual diff, not just file names, producing accurate descriptions
- Zero config — install, click the star, done. No API keys to manage (uses your Claude Code CLI session)
- Multilingual — generate commit messages in any language (English, Spanish, Japanese, etc.)
- Privacy-first — diffs are sent directly to Claude via your authenticated CLI session, not through any third-party server
License
MIT — see LICENSE for details.
