---
title: "Changes"
url: https://loot.build/docs/concepts/changes
group: "Concepts"
status: written
summary: "The unit of history: a named, signed snapshot with a durable handle."
---

# Changes

> The unit of history: a named, signed snapshot with a durable handle.

A **change** is loot's reviewable unit of history — its answer to a commit. There is no separate add/commit step: the working tree _is_ the change at the tip. `loot describe -m` records it and names it; `loot new` finalizes and signs it, starting a fresh one. A change carries a set of paths, each with its own visibility — which is where permissions live.