Git is the standard version control system for software development. This reference organizes the commands you actually use day-to-day, grouped by workflow stage. Each command includes the flags and options that matter most.
Setup and Configuration
# Set your identity
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
# Set default branch name
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
# Set default editor
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"
# Enable colored output
git config --global color.ui auto
# View all settings
git config --list --show-origin
# Initialize a new repository
git init
# Clone a repository
git clone <url>
git clone <url> <directory> # Clone into specific directory
git clone --depth 1 <url> # Shallow clone (latest commit only)Staging and Committing
# Check status
git status
git status -s # Short format
# Stage files
git add <file> # Stage a specific file
git add . # Stage all changes in current directory
git add -p # Interactively stage hunks
# Unstage files
git restore --staged <file> # Unstage (keep changes)
git reset HEAD <file> # Legacy alternative
# Commit
git commit -m "message" # Commit with message
git commit -am "message" # Stage tracked files and commit
git commit --amend # Modify the last commit
git commit --amend --no-edit # Amend without changing message
git commit --allow-empty -m "msg" # Commit with no file changes
# View changes
git diff # Unstaged changes
git diff --staged # Staged changes
git diff <branch1>..<branch2> # Between branches
git diff --stat # Summary of changesBranching
# List branches
git branch # Local branches
git branch -r # Remote branches
git branch -a # All branches
git branch -v # With last commit info
# Create branches
git branch <name> # Create branch
git checkout -b <name> # Create and switch (legacy)
git switch -c <name> # Create and switch (modern)
# Switch branches
git checkout <branch> # Legacy
git switch <branch> # Modern
# Rename branch
git branch -m <old> <new> # Rename
git branch -m <new> # Rename current branch
# Delete branches
git branch -d <name> # Delete (safe — only if merged)
git branch -D <name> # Force delete
git push origin --delete <name> # Delete remote branchMerging and Rebasing
# Merge
git merge <branch> # Merge branch into current
git merge --no-ff <branch> # Force a merge commit
git merge --squash <branch> # Squash all commits into one
git merge --abort # Abort an in-progress merge
# Rebase
git rebase <branch> # Rebase current onto branch
git rebase -i HEAD~3 # Interactive rebase last 3 commits
git rebase --onto <new> <old> <br> # Transplant branch
git rebase --abort # Abort rebase
git rebase --continue # Continue after resolving conflicts
# Cherry-pick
git cherry-pick <commit> # Apply a specific commit
git cherry-pick <c1>..<c2> # Apply a range
git cherry-pick --no-commit <commit> # Apply changes without committingRemote Repositories
# Manage remotes
git remote -v # List remotes with URLs
git remote add <name> <url> # Add a remote
git remote remove <name> # Remove a remote
git remote rename <old> <new> # Rename a remote
git remote set-url <name> <url> # Change remote URL
# Fetch and pull
git fetch # Download from all remotes
git fetch <remote> # Download from specific remote
git fetch --prune # Remove deleted remote branches
git pull # Fetch and merge
git pull --rebase # Fetch and rebase
# Push
git push # Push current branch
git push -u origin <branch> # Push and set upstream
git push --force-with-lease # Safe force push
git push --tags # Push all tagsStashing
# Save work in progress
git stash # Stash tracked changes
git stash -u # Include untracked files
git stash push -m "description" # Stash with a name
git stash push <file> # Stash specific file
# Retrieve stashed work
git stash pop # Apply and remove latest stash
git stash apply # Apply but keep in stash list
git stash apply stash@{2} # Apply specific stash
# Manage stashes
git stash list # List all stashes
git stash show # Show stash summary
git stash show -p # Show stash diff
git stash drop # Remove latest stash
git stash clear # Remove all stashesLog and History
# View history
git log # Full log
git log --oneline # Compact format
git log --graph --oneline --all # Visual branch graph
git log -n 5 # Last 5 commits
git log --author="name" # Filter by author
git log --since="2 weeks ago" # Filter by date
git log --grep="fix" # Search commit messages
git log -p <file> # History of a file with diffs
git log --stat # Show files changed per commit
# Inspect
git show <commit> # Show commit details
git blame <file> # Who changed each line
git shortlog -sn # Commit count per author
git log --all --oneline --graph # ASCII branch visualizationUndoing Changes
# Discard working directory changes
git restore <file> # Discard changes (modern)
git checkout -- <file> # Discard changes (legacy)
# Undo commits
git revert <commit> # Create a new commit that undoes changes
git reset --soft HEAD~1 # Undo commit, keep changes staged
git reset --mixed HEAD~1 # Undo commit, keep changes unstaged
git reset --hard HEAD~1 # Undo commit and discard changes
# Recover
git reflog # View history of HEAD changes
git checkout <reflog-hash> # Restore to a reflog stateTags
# Create tags
git tag <name> # Lightweight tag
git tag -a <name> -m "message" # Annotated tag
git tag -a <name> <commit> # Tag a specific commit
# List and inspect
git tag # List all tags
git tag -l "v1.*" # Filter tags by pattern
git show <tag> # Show tag details
# Share tags
git push origin <tag> # Push a specific tag
git push --tags # Push all tags
git push origin --delete <tag> # Delete remote tag
git tag -d <tag> # Delete local tagUseful Aliases
Add these to your ~/.gitconfig under [alias]:
[alias]
st = status -s
co = checkout
br = branch
ci = commit
lg = log --oneline --graph --all --decorate
unstage = restore --staged
last = log -1 HEAD
undo = reset --soft HEAD~1Browse the full reference interactively with the Git Cheatsheet tool or generate .gitignore files with the Gitignore Generator.