diff --git a/templates/contribute/commit.md b/templates/contribute/commit.md
index dc6e87d185..040d0ad7f9 100644
--- a/templates/contribute/commit.md
+++ b/templates/contribute/commit.md
@@ -4,18 +4,19 @@ We are using the following convention for writing pull request titles and descri
 
 ## Format
 
-Note: "Title:" and "Description:" do not actually appear
-
+The title of the PR will be the title of the commit after the PR is merged. It should have the following format:
 ```markdown
-  Title:
   <type>(<optional-scope>): <subject>
+```
 
-  Description:
+The description of the PR, before the `---`, will be the description of the commit after the PR is merged. It should have the following format:
+```markdown
   <body>
   <NEWLINE>
   <footer>
   <NEWLINE>
-  <dependencies>
+  ---
+  <anything else, including dependencies>
 ```
 
 `<type>` is:
@@ -68,7 +69,9 @@ An example where `<scope>` is not necessary might be:
 
 ```markdown
 feat: have library search use the whole range for replacement
+```
 
+```markdown
 previously `apply? using h` would replace to `refine blah using h` rather than `refine blah`.
 
 This also changes the diagnostic message to be on the whole syntax `apply? using h` rather than just the `apply?` bit, which seems fine to me.
@@ -78,15 +81,19 @@ And an example where including `<scope>` does add value:
 
 ```markdown
 docs(CategoryTheory/EssentialImage): typo and punctuation
+```
 
+```markdown
 Fix a typo, add two periods.
 ```
 
-An example with dependent PRs:
+An example with dependent PRs. These will not be in the commit message description.
 
 ```markdown
 feat: The norm on `Unitization` is a C⋆-norm
+```
 
+```markdown
 This shows that C⋆-algebras are always `RegularNormedAlgebra`s, so that their `Unitization` is equipped with a norm. Moreover, we show this norm is a C⋆-norm.
 
 ---
