diff --git a/.changeset/five-donuts-flash.md b/.changeset/five-donuts-flash.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..95f2de4b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/five-donuts-flash.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'skuba': patch
+---
+
+**template/\*-npm-package:** Add `yarn commit` script
diff --git a/template/oss-npm-package/README.md b/template/oss-npm-package/README.md
index ffe164aea..25ec4951e 100644
--- a/template/oss-npm-package/README.md
+++ b/template/oss-npm-package/README.md
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Next steps:
   - [Lint](#lint)
   - [Package](#package)
 - [Release](#release)
+  - [Commit messages](#commit-messages)
   - [Releasing latest](#releasing-latest)
   - [Releasing other dist-tags](#releasing-other-dist-tags)
 
@@ -101,6 +102,12 @@ It depends on this repo being hosted on [seek-oss] with appropriate access.
 
 To set up this repo for publishing, follow the instructions in our [OSS npm package guidance].
 
+### Commit messages
+
+This package is published with **[semantic-release]**, which requires a particular commit format to manage semantic versioning.
+You can run the interactive `yarn commit` command in place of `git commit` to generate a compliant commit title and message.
+If you use the `Squash and merge` option on pull requests, take extra care to format the squashed commit in the GitHub UI before merging.
+
 ### Releasing latest
 
 Commits to the `master` branch will be released with the `latest` tag,
diff --git a/template/oss-npm-package/_package.json b/template/oss-npm-package/_package.json
index cb63f17f5..f9f454c0a 100644
--- a/template/oss-npm-package/_package.json
+++ b/template/oss-npm-package/_package.json
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   "dependencies": {},
   "description": "<%- description %>",
   "devDependencies": {
+    "commitizen": "^4.2.3",
     "skuba": "*"
   },
   "files": [
@@ -20,12 +21,18 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "build": "skuba build-package",
+    "commit": "cz",
     "format": "skuba format",
     "lint": "skuba lint",
     "release": "yarn build && skuba release",
     "test": "skuba test --coverage",
     "test:watch": "skuba test --watch"
   },
+  "config": {
+    "commitizen": {
+      "path": "cz-conventional-changelog"
+    }
+  },
   "sideEffects": false,
   "types": "./lib-types/index.d.ts",
   "version": "0.0.0-semantically-released"
diff --git a/template/private-npm-package/README.md b/template/private-npm-package/README.md
index ae1a823f3..1a63bc1cf 100644
--- a/template/private-npm-package/README.md
+++ b/template/private-npm-package/README.md
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ Next steps:
   - [Lint](#lint)
   - [Package](#package)
 - [Release](#release)
+  - [Commit messages](#commit-messages)
   - [Releasing latest](#releasing-latest)
   - [Releasing other dist-tags](#releasing-other-dist-tags)
 
@@ -87,6 +88,12 @@ This package is published to the npm registry under the private `@seek` npm org
 
 It depends on this repo being hosted on [SEEK-Jobs] with appropriate access.
 
+### Commit messages
+
+This package is published with **[semantic-release]**, which requires a particular commit format to manage semantic versioning.
+You can run the interactive `yarn commit` command in place of `git commit` to generate a compliant commit title and message.
+If you use the `Squash and merge` option on pull requests, take extra care to format the squashed commit in the GitHub UI before merging.
+
 ### Releasing latest
 
 Commits to the `master` branch will be released with the `latest` tag,
diff --git a/template/private-npm-package/_package.json b/template/private-npm-package/_package.json
index 8971409fc..2786e4d6c 100644
--- a/template/private-npm-package/_package.json
+++ b/template/private-npm-package/_package.json
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   "dependencies": {},
   "description": "<%- description %>",
   "devDependencies": {
+    "commitizen": "^4.2.3",
     "skuba": "*"
   },
   "files": [
@@ -20,12 +21,18 @@
   },
   "scripts": {
     "build": "skuba build-package",
+    "commit": "cz",
     "format": "skuba format",
     "lint": "skuba lint",
     "release": "yarn build && skuba release",
     "test": "skuba test --coverage",
     "test:watch": "skuba test --watch"
   },
+  "config": {
+    "commitizen": {
+      "path": "cz-conventional-changelog"
+    }
+  },
   "sideEffects": false,
   "types": "./lib-types/index.d.ts",
   "version": "0.0.0-semantically-released"