---
title: Filter Builds by Commit Message
description: Control when Capawesome Cloud automations run using commit message patterns and skip keywords like [skip ci].
---

# Filter by Commit Message

A trigger pattern decides *which branch or tag* builds; a commit-message filter decides *whether a given push* builds at all. It's the tool you reach for when matching the branch isn't enough — to skip builds for documentation-only changes, or to build only when a message opts in.

There are two ways to filter: a positive pattern that the message must match, and skip keywords that suppress a build.

## Commit message pattern

When creating an automation, set an optional **Commit message pattern**. The automation then only triggers when the head commit message matches the pattern — useful when you want builds reserved for specific commits, such as those tagged `[build]` or following a release-commit convention.

## Skip keywords

To skip an automation for a specific push, include one of these keywords anywhere in the **head commit** message (case-insensitive):

- `[skip ci]`
- `[ci skip]`
- `[skip capawesome]`
- `[capawesome skip]`

For example:

```
docs: update readme [skip ci]
```

This is handy for commits that don't change the app itself — documentation, configuration, or chores — so you don't spend build minutes on them.

!!! note "Only the head commit is checked"

    Capawesome Cloud only inspects the head commit (the latest commit in the push), not every commit in the range.

## Next steps

- [Trigger on branch pushes](trigger-on-branch-pushes.md) — the automation a filter refines.
- [Automations reference](reference.md#skip-keywords) — the full list of patterns and keywords.