Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Work-Unit Commit Planner agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The Work-Unit Commit Planner is an agent skill called work-unit-commits. It guides an AI coding agent to split a change into commits and pull requests that each deliver one clear behavior, fix, migration, or docs update. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it in plain language, and what to check before you rely on its output.
Work-Unit Commit PlannerGentleman-Programming/gentle-ai · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it so that SKILL.md sits inside a work-unit-commits folder.
- 2Place the folder. Move it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into your project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to one repository.
- 3Stage or prepare your change. Finish the implementation on a feature branch, with tests and docs written alongside the code.
- 4Ask for a commit plan. Tell the agent to split the change into work-unit commits, keeping tests and docs with the behavior they cover.
- 5Review the proposed split. Check each commit's purpose, its diff stats with git diff --stat, and its Conventional Commit message before letting the agent commit.
What an agent skill is and what this one changes
An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that an AI agent can load when a task matches the skill's description. Once loaded, the instructions shape how the agent works on that task.
When this skill is loaded, the agent plans commits as work units rather than by file type. A commit should represent a deliverable behavior, fix, migration, or docs unit. Tests stay in the same commit as the behavior they verify, and docs stay with the user-visible change they explain.
- Avoids splitting work by file type, such as all models first, then services, then tests.
- Checks each commit against a short checklist before committing.
- Writes Conventional Commit messages that explain the outcome, not the file list.
- For large changes, suggests a chain of stacked PRs, aiming for about 400 changed lines each.
Install the work-unit-commits skill
Download the skill as a ZIP from this page and unzip it. The skill is a folder containing SKILL.md, so the unzipped folder should include that file.
For a personal install, place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To scope it to one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead.
You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project install: the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Trigger the skill with natural requests
You do not need a special command. The skill's description lists its triggers: implementation, commit splitting, chained PRs, or keeping tests and docs with code. Ask for one of these in plain language and the agent can load it when the request matches.
The skill is most useful before you commit or open a PR, while the diff is still on your machine. Ask the agent to plan the commits first, then review its proposed split before it commits anything.
- Help me split this feature into reviewable commits.
- Plan the commits for this change so tests and docs stay with the code.
- This diff is big. Turn it into a chain of stacked PRs.
- Before I commit, check that each commit is one work unit.
Check the diff and history with git
The skill's commands use git to review the change and match the repository's commit style. Run these yourself if you want to see the same information the agent sees.
git diff --stat shows unstaged changes per file, git diff --cached --stat shows staged changes, and git log --oneline -5 shows recent commit messages so new messages follow the existing style.
git diff --stat
git diff --cached --stat
git log --oneline -5Know the checklist and the limits
Before each commit, the skill asks you to confirm several things: the commit has one clear purpose, the repo still makes sense after applying only this commit, tests or docs for the unit are included, and rollback is reasonable without reverting unrelated work. It also asks that focused test commands and their exact results be recorded.
The review budget is about 400 changed lines by default. The skill says not to shrink a diff by deleting comments, docs, tests, or by compressing code to fit. If a unit cannot fit, it should be sliced by work unit or the overage reported.
- Requires git.
- Runs no scripts and uses no network access, according to the listing.
- The skill assumes Conventional Commits and a roughly 400-line review budget.
What people use it for
- Splitting a feature branch into commits that a reviewer can read one at a time.
- Turning a large change into a chain of stacked PRs, each near 400 changed lines.
- Making sure a bug fix commit carries its regression test instead of landing the test separately.
- Rewriting a messy set of WIP commits into clearer, outcome-focused messages before opening a PR.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the work-unit-commits agent skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it. Put the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one repository. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What does the work-unit-commits skill require?
It requires git. According to the listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network access. Its only file is SKILL.md.
Is the work-unit-commits skill free?
The directory listing says the skill is MIT licensed. The SKILL.md metadata in the source names Apache-2.0, so check the license file in the source repository before you rely on either one.
Does this skill work with any commit message style?
No. The skill assumes Conventional Commits and a review budget of about 400 changed lines. If your repository requires a different convention, the skill's guidance may not fit.
Is this skill worth it for a solo project?
It is aimed at developers preparing feature branches for review, teams using stacked or chained PRs, and engineers who want cleaner history and easier rollbacks. For a solo project that does not care about commit structure, the checklist adds overhead with little benefit.
How is this different from just asking an AI to write a commit message?
Instead of only writing a message, the skill plans how to split the change into commits, keeps tests and docs with the code they describe, and checks each commit against a checklist. It also suggests stacked PRs for large changes.
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Our verdict
Use work-unit-commits if you prepare feature branches for review, work with stacked or chained PRs, or want a clean, rollback-friendly history and are happy with Conventional Commits. Pick something else if your repository uses a different commit or PR convention or if you work alone and do not care about commit structure.
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