GitLens 17.2 is here with a comprehensive set of improvements designed to enhance how you work with Git. This release introduces Commit Composer – AI-powered commit organization, refines the Home View experience based on your feedback, expands AI model support, and delivers enterprise-grade security controls for teams using AI features.

Let’s explore what’s new and how these features can improve your development workflow.

Commit Composer: AI-Powered Git History Organization (Preview)

One of the most exciting additions in 17.2 is Commit Composer, an early preview feature that uses AI to help organize your Git commits into clear, logical stories.

What Commit Composer Does

Commit Composer analyzes your code changes and uses AI to:

• Organize related changes across files into logical, cohesive commits
• Generate meaningful commit messages that clearly describe what each commit accomplishes
• Create commit descriptions that provide helpful context for reviewers

Two Ways to Use It

Generate commits from working directory changes Perfect for organizing uncommitted work into structured commits. Access this via the Command Palette, the “…” menu on branch cards in Home View, or by right-clicking the WIP row in the Commit Graph.

Generate new commits from existing changes on a branch Great for cleaning up commit history before creating a pull request. Right-click any commit in the Commit Graph and select “AI Rebase Current Branch onto Commit.”

For safety, Commit Composer automatically stashes your original changes before making modifications, ensuring you can always revert if needed.

What’s Next

As Commit Composer evolves from preview to general availability, we’re continuing to gather feedback from the developer community. Your experiences with these features help shape their development and ensure they solve real workflow challenges. Learn more about Commit Composer and let us know how we can improve on our Github Discussion board.

We’re particularly interested in feedback about:

• How Commit Composer fits into your existing Git workflows
• The effectiveness of AI-generated commit messages for your projects
• The impact of Home View improvements on your daily development routine

Home View: Streamlined Developer Experience

We’ve refined the GitLens Home View based on extensive user feedback, focusing on the three key components of your current work: the active branch, linked issues, and related pull requests.

Cleaner Issue Association

The large “Associate an Issue” button has been removed to reduce visual clutter when no issue is linked to your branch. You can still associate issues using the subtle icon in the header. When an issue is identified, it now appears above the current branch, reinforcing the natural workflow progression: issue → branch → pull request.

Enhanced Repository Navigation

The main header now uses a breadcrumb design that provides clear context about your current repository. The repository name is collapsed by default with the branch prominently displayed, so you always know which branch you’re working on. Hover over the breadcrumb to reveal the full repository name when needed.

Simplified Pull Request Creation

We’ve consolidated the “Create Pull Request” and “Create with AI” buttons into a streamlined split button. Click the main button for standard PR creation, or click the smaller ✨ button to generate AI-powered titles and descriptions—giving you options without interface clutter.

Expanded AI Model Support

GitLens 17.2 significantly expands AI model support across all AI-powered features:

• Anthropic Claude 4 Opus and Claude 4 Sonnet for advanced reasoning capabilities
• OpenAI o3 Pro and latest Gemini 2.5 Pro preview for cutting-edge AI performance
• Mistral models for additional AI provider options

This expanded support gives you more choices for AI-powered features like commit message generation, code explanations, and the new Commit Composer functionality.

Enterprise AI Security Controls (Advanced Plan)

Organizations on the Advanced plan now have granular control over AI provider access for their teams. These new security controls allow admins to:

• Disable specific AI providers to block access to certain models
• Set custom API keys for specific providers that all organization members will use
• Configure custom URLs and keys for additional AI providers

These controls ensure compliance with organizational security policies while maintaining access to AI-powered development features, giving enterprises the flexibility they need to adopt AI tools safely.

Refined AI Explanations

AI explanations throughout GitLens now open in a single rendered markdown file instead of showing both rendered content and markdown source simultaneously. This change:

• Reduces editor tab clutter
• Provides a cleaner reading experience
• Eliminates save prompts when closing explanation documents
• Makes it easier to focus on the AI-generated insights

Additional Quality of Life Improvements

GitLens 17.2 includes several smaller but impactful improvements:

• File History Contributors: The File History view now shows contributors, making it easier to understand who’s been working on specific files
• Enhanced Loading States: Added loading messages to several GitLens views for better user feedback
• Improved Stash and Commit Pickers: Added inline buttons with proper messaging when no items are available
• Worktree Management: Added “Open Worktree in New Window” command to branch cards in Home View
• Automatic Change Management: Uncommitted changes are now automatically stashed and popped during Pull operations
• Terminal-Free Operations: Branch deletion no longer requires opening a terminal
• Performance Improvements: Enhanced loading performance for the Worktrees view and better state management across views

Automatic Pull Workflow Improvements

GitLens now automatically stashes and pops uncommitted changes during Pull operations, reducing workflow friction and preventing conflicts during routine Git operations. This small change eliminates a common source of developer frustration when staying up-to-date with remote changes.

Getting Started with GitLens 17.2

GitLens 17.2 is available now through the VS Code extension marketplace. Whether you’re interested in trying the new Commit Composer features, exploring the refined Home View experience, or taking advantage of expanded AI model support, this release offers improvements for developers at every level.

For the full list of changes, check out our detailed release notes.