Breaking Change with Scope and Body

The Complete Breaking Change Commit

This example demonstrates every element of a Conventional Commit working together: type, scope, breaking change marker, description, body, and footer.

Full Example

feat(api)!: replace REST endpoints with GraphQL

The entire REST API has been replaced with a GraphQL API.
All existing client integrations must be updated to use
GraphQL queries and mutations instead of HTTP method-based
REST calls.

The new API provides:
- A single /graphql endpoint
- Type-safe queries with auto-generated TypeScript types
- Real-time subscriptions via WebSocket
- Batched queries for reduced network overhead

Migration guide: https://docs.example.com/migration/v3

BREAKING CHANGE: all /api/v2/* REST endpoints have been
removed. Use the /graphql endpoint with the appropriate
queries and mutations. See the migration guide for
endpoint-to-query mapping.
Refs: #892, #915
Reviewed-by: Alice

Element Analysis

Element	Value	Notes
Type	feat	New feature (GraphQL API)
Scope	(api)	Affects the API module
Bang	!	Breaking change indicator
Description	replace REST endpoints with GraphQL	Imperative, concise
Body	8 lines	Detailed explanation with bullet points
BREAKING CHANGE footer	4 lines	Migration instructions
Refs footer	#892, #915	Related issue references
Reviewed-by footer	Alice	Reviewer attribution

Version Impact

This commit triggers a major version bump (e.g., 2.x.x to 3.0.0) because of the breaking change. The feat type alone would trigger a minor bump, but the breaking change overrides it.

Best Practices Demonstrated

• The subject line is under 72 characters.
• The body wraps at 100 characters per line.
• The body explains what changed and why.
• The footer provides migration instructions.
• Multiple footer tokens are used correctly.