🤷
Tech

Best Commit Messages for When You Have No Idea What You Did

Confusing code changes deserve honest documentation

The best commit message is the one that doesn't get you fired in code review.
👑 #1 Pick

WIP: Stuff

Honest, concise, universally understood as 'I don't remember'

All 5 recommendations

Est. prices as of Mar 8, 2026

#1 · Classic Developer Move · Crowd Favorite

WIP: Stuff

Free

Honest, concise, universally understood as 'I don't remember'

  • ✓ Instantly communicates uncertainty to teammates
  • ✓ Works for 87% of afternoon commits
  • ✓ Sets appropriate expectations early
  • ✗ Will haunt you during sprint reviews
  • ✗ Signals you should have written tests
#2 · The Minimalist · Most Overhyped

Fix bug

Free

Which bug? No idea. But something's definitely fixed now.

  • ✓ Technically accurate about your intent
  • ✓ Saves typing time for actual coding
  • ✓ Pairs well with `git blame` detective work
  • ✗ Future you will hate present you
  • ✗ PR reviewers will demand specifics anyway
#3 · Brutally Transparent · Hidden Gem

idk what this does but tests pass

Free

Maximum honesty meets minimum accountability

  • ✓ Demonstrates empirical approach to debugging
  • ✓ Tests passing is technically a win condition
  • ✓ Your lead dev will either laugh or weep
  • ✗ Might get blocked during code review
  • ✗ Audit trails never forget
#4 · The Optimist

merge branch 'feature/hopefully-works' into main

Free

Faith-based development meets version control

  • ✓ Shows you have dreams and aspirations
  • ✓ If it works, you're a genius
  • ✓ Great for startups with no QA
  • ✗ If it doesn't work, you're a cautionary tale
  • ✗ Production outages trace directly to this commit
#5 · The Nihilist · Budget King

🤷 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Free

When words fail, emojis remain

  • ✓ Transcends language barriers
  • ✓ Gets your point across non-verbally
  • ✓ Memorable in git logs
  • ✗ CI/CD hooks may reject non-ASCII commits
  • ✗ Your manager will schedule a meeting about this
  • ✗ Not helpful for actual debugging