GitPad: Write your commits in Notepad
For many developers getting started with Git on Windows, one of the confusing features of Git is that the default editor for commit messages is Vim. While Vim is a…
For many developers getting started with Git on Windows, one of the confusing features of Git is that the default editor for commit messages is Vim. While Vim is a great editor, many folks would prefer something a bit more user-friendly.
For those folks, we’ve created a great getting-started resource, GitPad. This is a portable, single-EXE program that will configure Notepad as your default editor for commit messages and other features such as interactive rebase, which lets you reorder and combine commits before you send them to others.

If you’re interested, grab GitPad.exe from the Download page and run it, then restart your CMD / Bash shell window.
Written by
Related posts
Introducing Agent HQ: Any agent, any way you work
At Universe 2025, GitHub’s next evolution introduces a single, unified workflow for developers to be able to orchestrate any agent, any time, anywhere.
Octoverse: A new developer joins GitHub every second as AI leads TypeScript to #1
In this year’s Octoverse, we uncover how AI, agents, and typed languages are driving the biggest shifts in software development in more than a decade.
Announcing the 2025 GitHub Partner Award winners 🎉
GitHub celebrates its 2025 Partner Award winners, honoring global, regional, and technology partners for driving innovation, collaboration, and impact across the developer ecosystem.