## Brief overview
Project-specific git workflow guidelines emphasizing feature branch development, conventional commit messages, and proper branch management practices. Never work directly on main/master branches.

## Branch management strategy
- Always create feature branches for all development work
- Use kebab-case naming: feature/user-authentication, bugfix/login-validation, hotfix/security-patch, refactor/api-endpoints
- Keep feature branches short-lived (1-3 days ideally)
- One feature per branch, don't mix different types of changes
- Delete branches after successful merge

## Commit message conventions
- Use conventional commit format: type(scope): description
- Use present tense ("add feature" not "added feature")
- Be specific and descriptive in commit messages
- Reference issue numbers when applicable: feat(auth): add OAuth login #123
- Make frequent, small commits with clear purposes

## Development workflow steps
- Always start by ensuring main branch is up to date: git checkout main && git pull origin main
- Create new feature branch: git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name
- Before pushing, rebase with main: git fetch origin && git rebase origin/main
- Push feature branch: git push origin feature/your-feature-name
- Create Pull Request from feature branch to main
- Only merge after code review approval

## Code review requirements
- Create PR for all changes, no direct commits to main
- Request reviews from team members
- Address all feedback before merging
- Ensure all tests pass before creating PR
- Self-review changes before requesting reviews
- Update documentation when needed

## Emergency procedures
- For critical issues, create hotfix branches from main
- Make minimal necessary changes in hotfixes
- Test thoroughly before creating emergency PR
- Follow same review process even for hotfixes