What is a commit?

A commit is how you tell Git "I am happy with this chunk of changes, please record it". Each commit captures the state of every file in your project at that moment, plus a short message you write yourself explaining what you did. Together, your commits form a timeline of the project.

Good commits are small and focused. One commit might add a new feature, another might fix a bug, a third might tidy up the styling. When something goes wrong later, this lets you see exactly which change caused it, and roll back just that one piece if you need to.

When AI coding tools propose changes, the workflow is usually the same. The AI edits files, you review the diff, and then you commit the changes you want to keep. The commit message is your chance to leave a note for your future self about why you made the change.