- What: Briefly describe the change
- Why: Problem it solves / value
- How: Key changes (bullets)
- Unit tests added/updated
- Manual/Integration verified
- CI passes locally (tests + lint)
- Breaking changes: yes/no (explain)
- Migration notes (if any)
- Small, logical commits
- Docs/README updated (if user-facing)
- Backwards compatible (or documented)
- Security/Privacy reviewed (if applicable)
- Linked issue(s) / references
- Screenshots/logs (if relevant)