Master this essential documentation concept
Individual changes or updates to code that are saved and tracked in a version control system.
Commits serve as the fundamental building blocks of version control in documentation workflows, capturing discrete changes to files and creating a permanent record of project evolution. Each commit represents a specific point in time when documentation was modified, reviewed, and deemed ready to be preserved in the project history.
When your development team discusses code changes, commits often take center stage in technical meetings and training sessions. Developers explain their commits in sprint reviews, technical demos, and pair programming sessions that are frequently recorded for team members who couldn't attend.
However, these valuable explanations about commit strategies, best practices, and the reasoning behind specific changes often remain trapped in lengthy videos. When a new developer needs to understand why a particular commit was structured in a certain way, they must scrub through recordings hoping to find the relevant discussion—a frustrating and time-consuming process.
Converting these video discussions into searchable documentation creates a knowledge base where developers can quickly find explanations about significant commits. When a developer explains the rationale behind breaking changes into atomic commits or demonstrates how to write clear commit messages, these insights become searchable text that your entire team can reference. This documentation becomes especially valuable during onboarding, when investigating bugs, or when understanding the evolution of critical features.
With properly documented commit practices extracted from your team's discussions, you create consistency in how code changes are tracked and communicated across your organization.
Multiple technical writers updating API documentation simultaneously, causing conflicts and version confusion when new features are released.
Implement structured commits for each API endpoint change with descriptive messages and coordinated branching strategy.
['Create feature branches for each API update', 'Make atomic commits for individual endpoint changes', "Use standardized commit message format (e.g., 'API: Add POST /users endpoint documentation')", 'Review commits before merging to main documentation branch', 'Tag commits corresponding to API version releases']
Clear documentation history aligned with API versions, reduced conflicts, and easier rollback when API changes are reverted.
Documentation changes need approval from subject matter experts before publication, but tracking review status and maintaining change history is difficult.
Use commits as checkpoints in the review process with specific commit messages indicating review stages.
["Create draft commits with 'DRAFT:' prefix in commit messages", 'Submit commits to review branches for SME evaluation', 'Use commit comments to document feedback and revisions', "Create final commits with 'APPROVED:' prefix after review completion", 'Maintain separate commits for reviewer-requested changes']
Transparent approval process with full audit trail, easier identification of approved content, and clear accountability for changes.
Keeping translated documentation versions synchronized with source content updates while tracking which translations need updating.
Structure commits to clearly indicate source language changes and track translation status across language branches.
["Commit source language changes with specific tags (e.g., 'EN: Update installation guide')", 'Create corresponding commits in translation branches referencing source commits', 'Use commit messages to indicate translation completion status', 'Implement automated tools to identify untranslated commits', 'Tag commits when all translations are synchronized']
Systematic tracking of translation needs, reduced risk of outdated translations, and clear visibility into localization progress.
Critical errors in published documentation need immediate fixes while maintaining stability of ongoing documentation projects.
Implement hotfix commit workflow that allows rapid deployment of critical fixes without disrupting main development.
['Create hotfix branches from stable release commits', 'Make targeted commits addressing only critical issues', "Use 'HOTFIX:' prefix in commit messages for easy identification", 'Fast-track review process for hotfix commits', 'Merge hotfix commits back to both main and development branches']
Rapid resolution of critical documentation issues while maintaining project stability and ensuring fixes are preserved in all branches.
Commit messages should clearly explain what was changed and why, making it easy for team members to understand the purpose of each modification without examining the actual changes.
Each commit should represent a single logical change or improvement, making it easier to track specific modifications and revert individual changes if needed.
Regular commits create more granular history and reduce the risk of losing work, while ensuring each commit represents a meaningful milestone in the documentation development process.
Establishing team-wide conventions for commit message format and prefixes helps maintain consistency and makes it easier to filter and search through commit history.
Always review your changes before creating a commit to ensure you're including only intended modifications and that the commit represents a complete, logical unit of work.
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