Git Commands Cheat Sheet
Search and filter common Git commands for setup, commits, branches, remotes, recovery, debugging, and advanced workflows.
0 of 45 commands
| Command | Category | Purpose | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
git init |
Setup | Create a new Git repository in the current folder. | git init |
Creates a .git directory. |
git clone |
Setup | Copy an existing remote repository locally. | git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git |
Creates a new local folder by default. |
git status |
Inspect | Show working tree status, staged files, branch info, and changes. | git status |
One of the most commonly used Git commands. |
git add |
Stage | Stage file changes for the next commit. | git add file.js |
Use git add . to stage all changes in the current directory. |
git restore --staged |
Stage | Unstage a file without changing the working copy. | git restore --staged file.js |
Modern replacement for many reset unstaging workflows. |
git commit |
Commit | Create a commit from staged changes. | git commit -m "Update homepage" |
Commits are local until pushed. |
git commit --amend |
Commit | Modify the most recent commit. | git commit --amend |
Avoid amending commits already shared unless you understand force push impact. |
git log |
Inspect | Show commit history. | git log --oneline --graph --decorate |
Useful for reviewing recent commits and branch structure. |
git diff |
Inspect | Show unstaged changes. | git diff |
Compares working tree changes against the index. |
git diff --staged |
Inspect | Show staged changes. | git diff --staged |
Shows what will be included in the next commit. |
git branch |
Branch | List, create, or delete branches. | git branch |
Use git branch new-branch to create a branch. |
git switch |
Branch | Switch branches. | git switch main |
Modern branch-switching command. |
git switch -c |
Branch | Create and switch to a new branch. | git switch -c feature/login |
Equivalent to creating a branch then switching to it. |
git checkout |
Branch | Older multi-purpose command for switching branches or restoring files. | git checkout main |
Still common, but git switch and git restore are clearer for many workflows. |
git merge |
Branch | Merge another branch into the current branch. | git merge feature/login |
Creates a merge commit unless fast-forward is possible. |
git rebase |
Branch | Replay commits on top of another base commit. | git rebase main |
Useful for linear history. Avoid rebasing shared branches without caution. |
git cherry-pick |
Commit | Apply a specific commit onto the current branch. | git cherry-pick abc1234 |
Useful for selectively moving a commit. |
git stash |
Working Tree | Temporarily save uncommitted changes. | git stash |
Useful before switching branches or pulling changes. |
git stash pop |
Working Tree | Reapply and remove the latest stash. | git stash pop |
May cause conflicts if files changed. |
git stash list |
Working Tree | List saved stashes. | git stash list |
Shows stash entries like stash@{0}. |
git restore |
Working Tree | Restore files in the working tree. | git restore file.js |
Discards unstaged changes for the file. |
git reset |
Undo | Move HEAD and optionally reset index and working tree. | git reset --soft HEAD~1 |
Powerful undo command. Be careful with --hard. |
git reset --hard |
Undo | Reset index and working tree to a commit, discarding local changes. | git reset --hard HEAD |
Destructive for uncommitted work. |
git revert |
Undo | Create a new commit that undoes an earlier commit. | git revert abc1234 |
Safer than reset for shared history. |
git clean |
Undo | Remove untracked files from the working tree. | git clean -fd |
Destructive. Use git clean -n first to preview. |
git remote |
Remote | Manage remote repository connections. | git remote -v |
Common remote name is origin. |
git remote add |
Remote | Add a remote repository. | git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git |
Used when connecting a local repo to GitHub or another host. |
git fetch |
Remote | Download remote refs and objects without merging. | git fetch origin |
Safe way to update remote-tracking info. |
git pull |
Remote | Fetch and integrate remote changes into the current branch. | git pull origin main |
Usually fetch plus merge, unless configured for rebase. |
git push |
Remote | Upload local commits to a remote branch. | git push origin main |
Use -u to set upstream on first push. |
git push -u |
Remote | Push and set upstream tracking for the branch. | git push -u origin feature/login |
After this, git push and git pull can infer the remote branch. |
git push --force-with-lease |
Remote | Force push more safely by checking remote state first. | git push --force-with-lease |
Safer than --force, but still rewrites remote history. |
git tag |
Tag | List, create, or delete tags. | git tag v1.0.0 |
Tags are often used for releases. |
git tag -a |
Tag | Create an annotated tag. | git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release v1.0.0" |
Annotated tags include metadata and a message. |
git show |
Inspect | Show details for commits, tags, or objects. | git show abc1234 |
Useful for inspecting a specific commit. |
git blame |
Inspect | Show line-by-line commit attribution for a file. | git blame file.js |
Useful for tracking when and why a line changed. |
git grep |
Search | Search tracked files for text or patterns. | git grep "function render" |
Fast repository-aware search. |
git shortlog |
Inspect | Summarize commits by author. | git shortlog -sn |
Useful for contributor summaries. |
git config |
Config | Read or write Git configuration. | git config --global user.name "Your Name" |
Can be local, global, or system-level. |
git config --global user.email |
Config | Set the email used for commits. | git config --global user.email "you@example.com" |
Important for GitHub commit attribution. |
git reflog |
Recovery | Show recent movements of HEAD and branch refs. | git reflog |
Useful for recovering commits after reset, rebase, or checkout mistakes. |
git bisect |
Debug | Find the commit that introduced a bug using binary search. | git bisect start |
Powerful for regression debugging. |
git worktree |
Advanced | Manage multiple working trees from one repository. | git worktree add ../repo-feature feature/login |
Useful for working on multiple branches at once. |
git submodule |
Advanced | Manage nested repositories inside a repository. | git submodule update --init --recursive |
Common in projects that vendor external repositories. |
git archive |
Export | Create an archive of files from a commit or branch. | git archive --format=zip HEAD > source.zip |
Exports tracked files without the .git directory. |