Commit Draft
AI commit messages for Codex & Claude. Commit Draft writes Git commit messages in VS Code with the Codex CLI or Claude Code you already use. One click reads your changes and fills the Source Control message box with a draft you can review and edit.
Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by OpenAI or Anthropic.
Features
- Uses your existing sign-in. No API keys to paste; the extension stores no credentials.
- Describes what you are about to commit. Staged changes come first; tracked unstaged changes are used when nothing is staged.
- Handles large changes. Diffs of any practical size are condensed to fit instead of being rejected.
- Never overwrites your work. It asks before replacing a message, and if anything changes while it runs, the draft opens in a separate editor.
- Conventional Commits, if you want them. Turn on
feat: / fix: style subjects with one setting.
- No telemetry. The AI tool runs read-only, in a temporary folder, with its tools turned off.
Requirements
- VS Code 1.95 or later, with the built-in Git extension enabled
- One of these, installed and signed in:
- A local Git repository in a trusted workspace
Getting started
- Install the extension from the Visual Studio Marketplace, or install a
.vsix file with Extensions: Install from VSIX….
- Check that your CLI works: run
codex or claude in a terminal and sign in.
- Open the Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P, or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS) and run Commit Draft: Select AI Provider. Codex is the default.
- Stage the changes you want to commit.
- Click the Generate button (the speech-bubble icon) in the Source Control title bar.
- Review the draft, edit it if needed, and commit as usual.
To stop a request, click Cancel on the progress notification.
Commands
| Command |
What it does |
| Commit Draft: Generate Commit Message |
Writes a draft for the current repository. With several repositories open, the toolbar button uses its own repository and the Command Palette asks you to pick one. |
| Commit Draft: Select AI Provider |
Switches between Codex and Claude. |
How it works
Which changes are described
- Staged changes, if there are any. For a partially staged file, only the staged part is used.
- Otherwise, tracked unstaged changes. The progress notification tells you which one is used.
- New files must be staged first, and unsaved edits are not included, so save before generating.
- Binary files are described by name only.
Large changes
A diff up to commitDraft.maxDiffBytes (256 KB by default) is sent in full. A larger diff is condensed to fit, and the progress notification says so:
- Every changed file is listed with its added and removed line counts.
- Small files keep their full patch. Long ones are shortened, with a note saying how many lines were left out.
- Lock files, minified files, source maps and test snapshots are listed but not sent.
- The AI tool is told the diff was condensed, so it describes the change as a whole.
Diffs over 32 MB are described from the file list alone.
Your work is protected
- The extension never stages, commits, pushes or edits files.
- Replacing an existing message requires your confirmation.
- If your changes, your current commit or the message box change during generation, the draft opens in a separate editor instead.
- Cancelling or an error leaves your message untouched, and only one request per repository runs at a time.
Settings
Open Settings and search for commitDraft.
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
commitDraft.provider |
codex |
codex or claude |
commitDraft.conventionalCommits |
false |
Ask for Conventional Commits subjects such as fix: … |
commitDraft.codexPath |
codex |
Codex executable name or absolute path, without arguments |
commitDraft.codexModel |
(empty) |
Codex model; empty uses the CLI default |
commitDraft.claudePath |
claude |
Claude executable name or absolute path, without arguments |
commitDraft.claudeModel |
(empty) |
Claude model; empty uses the CLI default |
commitDraft.maxDiffBytes |
262144 |
Largest diff sent in full (1 KB to 1 MB); larger diffs are condensed |
commitDraft.timeoutSeconds |
120 |
How long to wait for the AI tool (10 to 600 seconds) |
The provider, path, model, size and timeout settings apply to your machine only, so a repository's workspace settings cannot change which program runs. Codex runs without your personal Codex configuration.
Choosing maxDiffBytes: a full 256 KB diff of generated TypeScript measured about 80,000 tokens with Codex and 150,000 with Claude. Larger values use more of your plan per large commit. Up to 1 MB fits Claude's context window; Codex models run out of context well before that.
Privacy
- When you click Generate, the selected diff is sent to the AI provider you chose, under your own account, terms and usage limits. Check what is staged before you generate.
- The extension has no telemetry, stores no credentials, keeps no history and never logs your code.
- Each request runs in a new temporary folder, and your code is passed through standard input, not command-line arguments.
- Codex runs read-only and ephemerally, with shell tools, apps, plugins and web search turned off.
- Claude runs in safe mode, with its tools and MCP servers turned off and no saved session.
- Your organization's managed policies still apply, and the provider's own data retention rules are unchanged.
Troubleshooting
| Problem |
What to do |
| Codex/Claude executable not found |
Check that the CLI runs in a terminal, then restart VS Code. If it is not on your PATH, set commitDraft.codexPath or commitDraft.claudePath to its full path; the error's Open Settings button takes you there. |
| Use a native executable … not a .cmd or .bat shim (Windows) |
Install the provider's native .exe and set its full path. |
| Codex/Claude reported an error: … |
The text comes from the provider. Common causes are an expired sign-in, an unknown model name or a usage limit. |
| … did not finish within N seconds |
Try again, or increase commitDraft.timeoutSeconds. |
| No tracked changes to describe |
Save your files and stage any new files. |
| Resolve merge conflicts … |
Finish or abort the merge first. |
| The Generate button is missing |
It appears only for Git repositories in a trusted workspace. You can also run the command from the Command Palette. |
| The draft opened in a separate editor |
Something changed while it was generated. Copy it into the message box if it still fits. |
| Remote window (WSL, SSH, Dev Containers) |
The extension runs in the remote environment, so install and sign in to the CLI there. |
Known limitations
- Tested on Linux. Windows and macOS have not been tested yet, which is why the extension is marked Preview.
- Web-based and virtual workspaces are not supported.
- AI wording varies between runs. Always review the draft before committing.
Contributing
Bug reports and pull requests are welcome; see CONTRIBUTING.md. To report a security issue, follow SECURITY.md. Release notes are in CHANGELOG.md.
License
MIT
| |
