Here Be Git Agent Skill

Initialise a git repository with optional agent commit instructions and .gitignore. Use when users say "here be git", "init git", "initialise git", or otherwise indicate they want to set up version control in the current directory.

789 tokens

context cost

the whole folder, loaded on every use

files

instructions only

copies elsewhere

how many repositories repackaged it

281

stars on the repo

on the repository, not the skill itself

Install

one command, takes just this skill from the repository

npx skills add https://github.com/intellectronica/agent-skills --skill here-be-git

The instruction itself

6 sections, as written by the author

Here Be Git

Initialise a git repository with optional configuration for agent workflows.

Workflow

Step 1: Initialise Git Repository

Run git init in the current working directory. Confirm to the user that the repository has been initialised.

Step 2: Agent Commit Instructions

Ask the user:

> Would you like me to add instructions for the agent to always commit when it's done with a task?

If the user confirms:

Check if AGENTS.md exists in the current directory
If it exists, append the commit instructions to it
If it doesn't exist, create it with the commit instructions

The commit instructions to add:

## Git Workflow — CRITICAL, MANDATORY, NO EXCEPTIONS

> **THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL.** Every agent operating in this repository MUST follow this workflow after every change, no matter how small. There are ZERO exceptions to this rule. Skipping a commit is never acceptable. If you have made any change to any file, you MUST commit before moving on.

### Rules

1. **ALWAYS commit your changes immediately after completing a task or reaching any logical stopping point.** Do not defer. Do not batch. Do not skip.
2. **ALWAYS commit before ending your session.** The working directory MUST be clean (all changes committed) when you finish. Leaving uncommitted changes is a failure state.
3. **Use clear, descriptive commit messages** that explain what was done and why.
4. **If in doubt, commit.** It is always better to have one commit too many than one too few.

### To be absolutely clear

- "I'll commit later" — **No. Commit now.**
- "It's just a small change" — **Commit it.**
- "I'm about to make another change" — **Commit the current one first.**
- "The user didn't ask me to commit" — **Irrelevant. Commit anyway.**

After creating or updating AGENTS.md, commit it with an appropriate message.

Step 3: Gitignore Configuration

Ask the user:

> Would you like me to create a .gitignore? If so, what flavour or patterns should I include? (e.g., Node.js, Python, macOS, IDE files, or specific files/patterns)

If the user provides a flavour or patterns:

Generate an appropriate .gitignore based on their input
For common flavours, include standard patterns:
Node.js: node_modules/, dist/, .env, *.log, etc.
Python: __pycache__/, *.pyc, .venv/, venv/, .env, *.egg-info/, etc.
macOS: .DS_Store, .AppleDouble, .LSOverride, ._*
IDE files: .idea/, .vscode/, *.swp, *.swo, *.sublime-*
Include any specific files or patterns the user mentions
Commit the .gitignore with an appropriate message

If the user declines, skip this step.

Notes

If git is already initialised in the directory, inform the user and skip to Step 2
Use the AskUserQuestion tool for the confirmation prompts
Keep commits atomic and well-described

Other skills for the same job

different authors, same section of the catalogue

MCP Builder

by anthropics

vendor ×13

Guide for creating high-quality MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that enable LLMs to interact with external services through well-designed tools. Use when building MCP servers to integrate external APIs or services, whether in Python (FastMCP) or Node/TypeScript (MCP SDK).

Automatically creates user-facing changelogs from git commits by analyzing commit history, categorizing changes, and transforming technical commits into clear, customer-friendly release notes. Turns hours of manual changelog writing into minutes of automated generation.

774 tokens

Finishing A Development Branch

by ZhanlinCui

×7

Use when implementation is complete, all tests pass, and you need to decide how to integrate the work - guides completion of development work by presenting structured options for merge, PR, or cleanup

Vercel React Native Skills

by vercel-labs

vendor ×6

React Native and Expo best practices for building performant mobile apps. Use when building React Native components, optimizing list performance, implementing animations, or working with native modules. Triggers on tasks involving React Native, Expo, mobile performance, or native platform APIs.

39k tokens

Vercel React Best Practices

by ratacat

×5

React and Next.js performance optimization guidelines from Vercel Engineering. This skill should be used when writing, reviewing, or refactoring React/Next.js code to ensure optimal performance patterns. Triggers on tasks involving React components, Next.js pages, data fetching, bundle optimization, or performance improvements.

Next.js best practices - file conventions, RSC boundaries, data patterns, async APIs, metadata, error handling, route handlers, image/font optimization, bundling

Use when starting feature work that needs isolation from current workspace or before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory selection and safety verification

1k tokens

How to use it

Copy the folder

Take intellectronica/here-be-git from the repository into ~/.claude/skills for personal use, or into .claude/skills inside a project.

Check the name does not clash

The agent identifies a skill by the name field in its header. Two skills with the same name cannot sit side by side — one of them will be ignored.