# Commit message functionality for topic title edits
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [August 6, 2024, 8:01am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314 "2024-08-06T08:01:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2024, 8:01am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/1 "2024-08-06T08:01:28Z")
Is it possible to leave a commit message — a note explaining the reasons for your changes — when tweaking a topic title, later adding or removing topic tags, and/or shifting categories?
It is normally always useful to let others know your motives for making such changes.
If this facility does not exist, please treat this query as a feature request. TIA and best
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2024, 8:18am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/2 "2024-08-06T08:18:55Z")
When editing a post, you can add an edit message using the ℹ style icon in the composer:
Clicking on that will open up a box to add a message:
Though changes made using the topic title edit pencil don’t have the same option.
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### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2024, 8:23am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/3 "2024-08-06T08:23:34Z")
> [@JammyDodger](#):
>
> Though changes made using the topic title edit pencil don’t have the same option.
Thanks. That was my impression. Being a programmer, I get nervous when I cannot leave a note for those who might follow along behind.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2024, 8:30am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/4 "2024-08-06T08:30:34Z")
Is your edit message shown in the same revision as the title edit when you do that?
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2024, 8:37am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/5 "2024-08-06T08:37:13Z")
Apparently not. When editing only the title, it seems to create a second revision for the edit message instead.
Let’s flip it to #Contribute > Feature 👍
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### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [August 6, 2024, 11:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/6 "2024-08-06T11:28:11Z")
To let you know that I guess you can vote up ⬆ this feature request by clicking on the blue **Vote** button on the very top left.
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### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 10:11am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/7 "2026-02-19T10:11:02Z")
When I edit a **topic title** (as opposed to a posting) — usually to correct a typo or add tags — I don’t get the **opportunity** to add a **commit message**.
I think that feature would be useful, particularly as I often edit under admin rights and it could be helpful to explain that context.
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### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/8 "2026-02-19T14:22:45Z")
> [@robbie.morrison](#):
>
> When I edit a **topic title** (as opposed to a posting) — usually to correct a typo or add tags — I don’t get the **opportunity** to add a **commit message**.
If you use the ✏ under the first post you can, a little less convenient, but possible
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 2:35pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/9 "2026-02-19T14:35:14Z")
> [@awesomerobot](#):
>
> If you use the ✏ under the first post you can, a little less convenient, but possible
I don’t think it’s possible for everyone. If you are permitted to edit topics (category, tag, and title) because you are a member of one of the groups in the `edit all topic groups` settings but not in a group allowed to edit posts written by other users (`edit all post groups`), the button below the post is not available. By default, users with TL3 are allowed to edit all topics but not all posts. However, I must admit that I have never felt the need to provide a reason for these edits. Usually those changes are self-explanatory, and the revision is all you need to understand.
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### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/10 "2026-02-19T14:45:13Z")
I cannot locate the little yellow south-east pointing pencil icon mentioned earlier by @awesomerobot.
Here is what I see when I edit either the title field or list of tags:
Regarding the question of use‑cases:
> [@Moin](#):
>
> However, I must admit that I have never felt the need to provide a reason for these edits.
My community are mostly coders. So they would be quite happy to see a revised date or tag for some hypothetical webinar say captured in the commit log. Potentially useful information.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/11 "2026-02-19T14:48:30Z")
> [@robbie.morrison](#):
>
> Here is what I see when I edit either the title field or list of tags:
>
> 
Kris referred to the button below the post, where you can edit its content and the title.
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### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 2:54pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/12 "2026-02-19T14:54:24Z")
> [@Moin](#):
>
> Kris referred to the button below the post
Got it. My discourse is provided by Communiteq so the old interface still applies at this juncture.
That second editing feature is useful to know. Tx.
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### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2026, 4:08pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/13 "2026-02-19T16:08:43Z")
> [@robbie.morrison](#):
>
> That second editing feature is useful to know
Sorry people — that editing “trick” does **not work**. You end up with **two changes** , the first with the tags but no commit message. And the second with no changes but the entered commit message. And those together make **no sense**.
We really do need **dedicated commit message functionality** for direct edits to the title field and/or tags list. TIA.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 10:52am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/15 "2026-02-20T10:52:16Z")
@NateDhaliwal Have you tried that?
Did it result in only one revision for you? When I tried it in 2024 it resulted in exactly that: 2 revisions. And it still seems to be the same:
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### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 10:59am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/16 "2026-02-20T10:59:54Z")
> [@Moin](#):
>
> And it still seems to be the same
I just tried the same process on a slightly non-current version of Discourse (as provided by the Communiteq hosting service) and my result was identical: two commits from the one alteration to the title field with some change log text also added.
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### Author:  [@NateDhaliwal](https://meta.discourse.org/u/NateDhaliwal)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 11:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/17 "2026-02-20T11:15:13Z")
Yup, my bad! I guess I saw wrongly. There is indeed 2 revisions!
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### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 10:41pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/18 "2026-02-20T22:41:27Z")
I’ve got a fix in the works that will solve the issue with the double revision on editing the title/tag/category only and adding an edit reason… will hopefully be merged next week!
[https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/37959](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/pull/37959)
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### Author:  [@robbie.morrison](https://meta.discourse.org/u/robbie.morrison)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2026, 10:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/commit-message-functionality-for-topic-title-edits/320314/19 "2026-02-20T22:49:44Z")
That’s fantastic. Tx.