# git-notes

Attaches notes to commits without touching their SHA. Useful for marking reviews, test results or adding context after the fact.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 1100 installs · ★ 1787
- Author: NeoLabHQ
- License: GPL-3.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit/tree/HEAD/skills/git-notes/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-08-26
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/git-notes

## What it does

The skill covers how git notes hang metadata on a commit or any Git object while leaving the object itself alone. Notes live in their own ref and show up next to the commit message in `git log` and `git show`. The default ref is `refs/notes/commits`.

Inside you get a command reference plus worked patterns: mark a review, check status with `git log --notes=reviews`, push notes to a remote, merge two note refs with the `union` or `cat_sort_uniq` strategy. For separate concerns it advises namespaces via `--ref`, otherwise test notes and review notes pile into one place.

The catch: notes do not travel with a normal push. You send them yourself with `git push origin refs/notes/reviews`. And a rebase drops them unless you run `git config notes.rewrite.rebase true` first. If a note is missing from the log, the ref is probably unspecified — pass `--notes=reviews` or set `notes.displayRef`.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill git-notes -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/git-notes/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/git-notes/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill git-notes -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/git-notes/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill git-notes -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/git-notes/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit git-notes
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/git-notes/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill git-notes -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --path skills/git-notes
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/git-notes/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit --skill git-notes -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/NeoLabHQ/context-engineering-kit/tree/HEAD/skills/git-notes/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- mark a commit as reviewed without rewriting history
- attach a test run result to a commit
- add an explanation to an old commit after the fact
- keep review notes and test notes in separate refs
- preserve notes across rebase and cherry-pick

## Example prompts
- Add a note to commit abc1234 in the reviews namespace: review passed, no comments
- Show notes from the reviews ref in git log for the last few commits
- Configure git so notes survive a rebase

## Similar
- [git-workflow](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/bobmatnyc-git-workflow.md) — skill · 556 installs
- [here-be-git](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/here-be-git.md) — skill · 527 installs
- [git-pr-reviewer](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/git-pr-reviewer.md) — skill · 320 installs
- [spatie-version-control](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/spatie-version-control.md) — skill · 480 installs
- [Git Workflow taste](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/prompts/git-workflow-taste.md) — prompt · ★ 174597
- [Developer Work Analysis from Git Diff and Commit Message](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/prompts/developer-work-analysis-from-git-diff-and-commit-message.md) — prompt · ★ 174597

From the same set: [neolabhq/context-engineering-kit](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/neolabhq/context-engineering-kit.md) — 55 cards

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