Improve AI commit suggestions and pin provider models

README.md

@@ -125,9 +125,11 @@ keyboard alone, and the mouse stays first-class.
   `.code-workspace`), native macOS
   menubar, open in your editor or terminal, settings (⌘,) for appearance / diff /
   git / integrations / AI, in-app updates.
-- **AI commit messages** — suggest subject + body from staged changes via
-  your ChatGPT subscription (Codex CLI) or Claude Code CLI; Settings → AI
-  for sign-in, provider choice, and CLI health checks.
+- **AI commit messages** — suggest subject + body from staged changes (or all
+  unstaged changes when nothing is staged) via
+  your ChatGPT subscription (Codex CLI, `gpt-5.6-luna`) or Claude Code CLI
+  (`claude-sonnet-5`); Settings → AI for sign-in, provider choice, and CLI
+  health checks.
 - **Fast by design** — reads go through [gix](https://github.com/GitoxideLabs/gitoxide),
   writes through git2 and your system `git`. Performance targets live in
   [`PRD.md`](./PRD.md) §8 and are measured in

ROADMAP.md

@@ -1661,15 +1661,17 @@ is preflighted before Strand reports that the browser or CLI flow has started.
   `docs/strand-cli.md` + task breakdown in TASKS.md.
 - Plugin / extension surface
 - AI features (writing suggestions, conflict hints) — PRD Q3
-  - ☑ Commit message suggestions from staged diffs (Codex / Claude Code CLIs)
+  - ☑ Commit message suggestions from staged diffs, or all unstaged changes
+    when nothing is staged (Codex / Claude Code CLIs)
   - ☑ Pull-request title/description suggestions from committed branch diffs
 - ◐ Built-in PR review surface — moved into 1.0 with the GitHub/Azure read-only
   foundation; GitLab/Bitbucket adapters and review/merge parity continue here.
 
-**AI commit messages (2026-07-01):** Subscription-first suggestions from staged
-diffs — Codex CLI (`codex login` / `codex exec`) for ChatGPT Plus, Claude Code
-CLI (`claude -p`) for Anthropic. Rust `ai/` module + four IPC commands; Settings
-→ AI for sign-in; CommitBar sparkle button; palette + ⌘⇧M. Verified:
+**AI commit messages (2026-07-01):** Subscription-first suggestions prefer the
+staged diff, and fall back to all unstaged changes when no staged diff exists —
+Codex CLI (`codex login` / `codex exec`) for ChatGPT Plus, Claude Code CLI
+(`claude -p`) for Anthropic. Rust `ai/` module + four IPC commands; Settings →
+AI for sign-in; CommitBar sparkle button; palette + ⌘⇧M. Verified:
 `cargo test -p strand-tauri`, `pnpm --filter ./ui exec tsc --noEmit`.
 
 ---

TASKS.md

@@ -1760,7 +1760,8 @@ extraction above as prerequisite. **Do not start before 1.0 ships**
 
 - ☑ Rust `ai/` module + IPC (`ai_provider_*`, `repo_suggest_commit_message`)
 - ☑ Settings → AI (ChatGPT / Claude Code sign-in, custom CLI paths)
-- ☑ CommitBar Suggest + palette / ⌘⇧M shortcut
+- ☑ CommitBar Suggest + palette / ⌘⇧M shortcut (prefers the staged diff; falls
+  back to all unstaged changes when no staged diff exists)
 - ☑ Pull-request title/description suggestions from committed merge-base diffs
   (`repo_suggest_pull_request`, Create PR **Fill with Codex/Claude Code**)
 - ☑ Windows CLI spawning hardened (DAN-11: `ai/bin.rs` resolves `.exe`/`.cmd`/

crates/strand-tauri/src/ai/claude.rs

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ use super::bin::{resolve_claude, run_capture, spawn_detached, STATUS_TIMEOUT, SU
 use super::AiProviderStatus;
 
 const CLAUDE_INSTALL: &str = "https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup";
+/// A fast, focused model is sufficient for short commit and PR copy.
+const SUGGEST_MODEL: &str = "claude-sonnet-5";
 
 pub fn status(cli_override: Option<&str>) -> AiProviderStatus {
     let Some(bin) = resolve_claude(cli_override) else {
@@ -88,6 +90,8 @@ pub fn suggest(
         &bin,
         &[
             "-p",
+            "--model",
+            SUGGEST_MODEL,
             "--output-format",
             "json",
             "--tools",

crates/strand-tauri/src/ai/codex.rs

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ use super::bin::{resolve_codex, run_capture, spawn_detached, STATUS_TIMEOUT, SUG
 use super::AiProviderStatus;
 
 const CODEX_INSTALL: &str = "https://developers.openai.com/codex";
+/// A fast, focused model is sufficient for short commit and PR copy.
+const SUGGEST_MODEL: &str = "gpt-5.6-luna";
 
 pub fn status(cli_override: Option<&str>) -> AiProviderStatus {
     let Some(bin) = resolve_codex(cli_override) else {
@@ -61,6 +63,8 @@ pub fn suggest(
         &bin,
         &[
             "exec",
+            "--model",
+            SUGGEST_MODEL,
             "--cd",
             repo_path.to_str().ok_or("invalid repo path")?,
             "--sandbox",

crates/strand-tauri/src/ai/mod.rs

@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ pub fn suggest_commit_message(
     cli_override: Option<&str>,
 ) -> Result<CommitMessageSuggestion, String> {
     if diffs.is_empty() {
-        return Err("Nothing staged — stage changes before generating a message.".into());
+        return Err("Nothing changed — make a change before generating a message.".into());
     }
     let text = format!(
         "{}\n\nRemember: reply with JSON only: {{\"subject\":\"...\",\"body\":\"...\"}}",

crates/strand-tauri/src/ai/prompt.rs

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use strand_core::diff::{DiffStatus, FileDiff};
 const MAX_FILES: usize = 8;
 const MAX_TOTAL_CHARS: usize = 12_000;
 
-const INSTRUCTION: &str = "Write a git commit message for the staged changes below.\n\
+const INSTRUCTION: &str = "Write a git commit message for the changes below.\n\
 Use conventional commit style when appropriate.\n\
 Reply with JSON only, no markdown fences: {\"subject\":\"...\",\"body\":\"...\"}\n\
 Keep subject at most 72 characters. Body may be empty string if not needed.";
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ Reply with JSON only, no markdown fences: {\"title\":\"...\",\"description\":\".
 Keep the title concise. Write a useful Markdown description that explains what changed and why.\n\
 Mention testing only when the changes provide clear evidence; do not invent results or implementation details.";
 
-/// Build the user prompt sent to Codex / Claude from staged file diffs.
+/// Build the user prompt sent to Codex / Claude from the selected file diffs.
 pub fn build_prompt(diffs: &[FileDiff]) -> String {
     let mut out = String::from(INSTRUCTION);
-    out.push_str("\n\n## Staged changes\n");
+    out.push_str("\n\n## Changes\n");
     append_diffs(&mut out, diffs);
     out
 }

crates/strand-tauri/src/commands.rs

@@ -1300,7 +1300,15 @@ pub async fn repo_suggest_commit_message(
 ) -> CmdResult<ai::CommitMessageSuggestion> {
     run_blocking("ai suggest", move || {
         let repo = Repo::discover(&path)?;
-        let diffs = repo.diff_staged()?;
+        // A commit must use staged changes, but a suggestion is useful before
+        // the user has staged anything. Prefer the exact staged set whenever
+        // it exists; otherwise describe the whole working-tree delta.
+        let staged_diffs = repo.diff_staged()?;
+        let diffs = if staged_diffs.is_empty() {
+            repo.diff_unstaged()?
+        } else {
+            staged_diffs
+        };
         let override_path = ai_cli_override(provider, openai_cli, anthropic_cli);
         ai::suggest_commit_message(
             provider,

ui/src/views/LocalChanges.tsx

@@ -398,7 +398,7 @@ export function LocalChanges() {
         </PanelGroup>
       </div>
 
-      <CommitBar canCommit={staged.length > 0} />
+      <CommitBar canCommit={staged.length > 0} hasChanges={staged.length > 0 || unstaged.length > 0} />
 
       {resolverFile && (
         <MergeResolver path={resolverFile} onClose={() => setResolverFile(null)} />
@@ -1271,7 +1271,7 @@ function BlockActions({
 
 // ─── Commit bar ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-function CommitBar({ canCommit }: { canCommit: boolean }) {
+function CommitBar({ canCommit, hasChanges }: { canCommit: boolean; hasChanges: boolean }) {
   const activePath = useRepo((s) => s.activePath);
   const commit = useRepo((s) => s.commit);
   const suggestCommitSignal = useRepo((s) => s.suggestCommitSignal);
@@ -1311,7 +1311,7 @@ function CommitBar({ canCommit }: { canCommit: boolean }) {
   }
 
   const suggest = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (!activePath || !canCommit) return;
+    if (!activePath || !hasChanges) return;
     setSuggesting(true);
     setCommitError(null);
     try {
@@ -1339,7 +1339,7 @@ function CommitBar({ canCommit }: { canCommit: boolean }) {
     } finally {
       setSuggesting(false);
     }
-  }, [activePath, aiProvider, anthropicCli, canCommit, openaiCli]);
+  }, [activePath, aiProvider, anthropicCli, hasChanges, openaiCli]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!suggestCommitSignal) return;
@@ -1369,11 +1369,13 @@ function CommitBar({ canCommit }: { canCommit: boolean }) {
   const disabled = submitting || !subject.trim() || (!canCommit && !amend);
   // Missing CLI does not disable the button: clicking surfaces the backend's
   // install/sign-in hint inline, instead of a dead control (DAN-11).
-  const suggestDisabled = suggesting || submitting || !canCommit;
+  const suggestDisabled = suggesting || submitting || !hasChanges;
   const suggestTitle = suggesting
     ? 'Generating commit message…'
-    : !canCommit
-      ? 'Stage changes to suggest a commit message'
+    : !hasChanges
+      ? 'Make changes to suggest a commit message'
+      : !canCommit
+        ? 'Suggest commit message from all unstaged changes'
       : !aiInstalled
         ? 'Install the CLI (Settings → AI) to enable suggestions'
         : 'Suggest commit message from staged changes';

website/docs/everyday-git.md

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ The commit form takes a subject and an optional description body. `Mod+Enter` in
 
 ### AI commit message suggestions
 
-The sparkle button next to the subject field (or `Mod+Shift+M`, or the palette action "Suggest commit message") generates a commit message from your **staged** changes. Suggestions use your own subscription CLIs — the Codex CLI (ChatGPT) or the Claude Code CLI — with no Strand-side API key. Pick the provider and sign in under Settings → AI; see [Settings](settings.md) for setup.
+The sparkle button next to the subject field (or `Mod+Shift+M`, or the palette action "Suggest commit message") generates a commit message from your **staged** changes. If nothing is staged, it uses all unstaged changes instead, so it is available as soon as there is work to describe. Suggestions use your own subscription CLIs — the Codex CLI (ChatGPT) or the Claude Code CLI — with no Strand-side API key. Pick the provider and sign in under Settings → AI; see [Settings](settings.md) for setup.
 
 ## Fetch, pull, push
 

website/docs/settings.md

@@ -53,12 +53,13 @@ Configure the external editor and terminal that Strand's "Open in editor" (`Mod+
 
 ## AI
 
-Strand can suggest a commit message from staged changes or draft pull-request
-text from committed branch changes. It has no API key of its own — suggestions
-run through a CLI you already have, on your own subscription. Auth and billing
-stay entirely in the vendor's CLI; Strand only orchestrates it.
+Strand can suggest a commit message from staged changes, or all unstaged changes
+when nothing is staged, and draft pull-request text from committed branch
+changes. It has no API key of its own — suggestions run through a CLI you
+already have, on your own subscription. Auth and billing stay entirely in the
+vendor's CLI; Strand only orchestrates it.
 
-- **AI writing provider** — "OpenAI (ChatGPT subscription)" (default), which uses your ChatGPT subscription via the Codex CLI, or "Anthropic (Claude Code CLI)", which uses the Claude Code CLI (`claude`).
+- **AI writing provider** — "OpenAI (ChatGPT subscription)" (default), which uses your ChatGPT subscription via the Codex CLI (`gpt-5.6-luna`), or "Anthropic (Claude Code CLI)", which uses the Claude Code CLI (`claude-sonnet-5`). These fixed, focused models keep short commit-message and PR-draft requests responsive rather than inheriting your coding CLI's default model.
 - **Codex CLI** — an optional custom path (leave empty to use `codex` on PATH), a status line, and **Sign in with ChatGPT** / **Sign out** buttons.
 - **Claude Code CLI** — an optional custom path (leave empty to use `claude` on PATH), a status line, and **Sign in to Claude Code** / **Sign out** buttons.
 - **Check CLI status** — checks both CLIs and reports whether each is missing,