Git Commands Cheat Sheet 2026: Beginner to Advanced

# Set your name and email (global)
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your@email.com"
 
# Set default branch name to main
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 your settings
git config --list
 
# View a specific setting
git config user.name

# Windows: convert CRLF to LF on commit
git config --global core.autocrlf true
 
# Mac/Linux: convert CRLF to LF on commit, no conversion on checkout
git config --global core.autocrlf input

# Initialize a new repository
git init
 
# Clone an existing repository
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git
 
# Clone into a specific directory
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git my-project
 
# Check the status of your working directory
git status
 
# Stage a specific file
git add index.html
 
# Stage multiple files
git add src/app.js src/utils.js
 
# Stage all changes (new, modified, deleted)
git add .
 
# Commit staged changes
git commit -m "Add user authentication flow"
 
# Stage and commit tracked files in one step
git commit -am "Fix login validation bug"
 
# Push to remote repository
git push origin main
 
# Pull latest changes from remote
git pull origin main

# List all local branches
git branch
 
# List all branches including remote
git branch -a
 
# Create a new branch
git branch feature/user-profile
 
# Switch to a branch (modern syntax)
git switch feature/user-profile
 
# Create and switch in one step
git switch -c feature/user-profile
 
# Rename the current branch
git branch -m new-branch-name
 
# Delete a merged branch
git branch -d old-branch
 
# Force delete an unmerged branch
git branch -D experimental-branch
 
# Push a new branch to remote
git push -u origin feature/user-profile

# Merge feature branch into main
git switch main
git merge feature/user-profile
 
# Merge with a commit message (no fast-forward)
git merge --no-ff feature/user-profile
 
# Abort a merge if there are conflicts you're not ready to resolve
git merge --abort
 
# After resolving conflicts, complete the merge
git add .
git commit

# Rebase current branch onto main
git rebase main
 
# Abort a rebase in progress
git rebase --abort
 
# Continue after resolving a conflict during rebase
git rebase --continue
 
# Rebase and squash last 3 commits
git rebase -i HEAD~3

# Stash current changes
git stash
 
# Stash with a description
git stash push -m "WIP: user profile validation"
 
# List all stashes
git stash list
 
# Apply the most recent stash (keep it in stash list)
git stash apply
 
# Apply and remove the most recent stash
git stash pop
 
# Apply a specific stash
git stash apply stash@{2}
 
# Drop a specific stash
git stash drop stash@{1}
 
# Clear all stashes
git stash clear
 
# Stash including untracked files
git stash -u

# Apply a specific commit to the current branch
git cherry-pick abc1234
 
# Cherry-pick without committing (stage only)
git cherry-pick --no-commit abc1234
 
# Cherry-pick a range of commits
git cherry-pick abc1234..def5678

# Undo last commit, keep changes staged
git reset --soft HEAD~1
 
# Undo last commit, keep changes unstaged
git reset --mixed HEAD~1
 
# Undo last commit, discard all changes (destructive)
git reset --hard HEAD~1
 
# Unstage a file (keep changes in working directory)
git restore --staged file.js

# Revert a specific commit
git revert abc1234
 
# Revert without auto-committing
git revert --no-commit abc1234
 
# Revert a merge commit (specify parent)
git revert -m 1 abc1234

# Compact one-line log
git log --oneline
 
# Log with graph visualization
git log --oneline --graph --all
 
# Log for a specific file
git log --follow -- src/auth.js
 
# Search commit messages
git log --grep="fix login"
 
# Show commits by author
git log --author="Your Name"
 
# Show commits in a date range
git log --after="2026-01-01" --before="2026-03-27"
 
# Show last 5 commits
git log -5
 
# View changes in working directory
git diff
 
# View staged changes
git diff --staged
 
# Compare two branches
git diff main..feature/user-profile
 
# Show changes in a specific commit
git show abc1234
 
# Show file statistics (insertions/deletions)
git diff --stat main..feature/user-profile

# List remotes
git remote -v
 
# Add a remote
git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git
 
# Add a second remote (e.g., for deployment)
git remote add production https://deploy.example.com/repo.git
 
# Rename a remote
git remote rename origin upstream
 
# Remove a remote
git remote remove upstream
 
# Fetch updates without merging
git fetch origin
 
# Fetch all remotes
git fetch --all
 
# Push all branches
git push --all origin
 
# Delete a remote branch
git push origin --delete old-feature
 
# Set upstream tracking
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/main main
 
# Prune deleted remote branches
git fetch --prune

# Create a lightweight tag
git tag v1.0.0
 
# Create an annotated tag (recommended)
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
 
# Tag a specific commit
git tag -a v1.0.0 abc1234 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
 
# List all tags
git tag
 
# Push a tag to remote
git push origin v1.0.0
 
# Push all tags
git push origin --tags
 
# Delete a local tag
git tag -d v1.0.0
 
# Delete a remote tag
git push origin --delete v1.0.0

# Dependencies
node_modules/
vendor/
 
# Build output
dist/
build/
.next/
 
# Environment files
.env
.env.local
 
# OS files
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
 
# IDE files
.vscode/
.idea/
 
# Logs
*.log
npm-debug.log*
 
# Coverage
coverage/

# Stop tracking a file without deleting it
git rm --cached config.json
 
# Stop tracking an entire directory
git rm -r --cached dist/

# Find which commit introduced a bug (binary search)
git bisect start
git bisect bad          # current commit is broken
git bisect good abc1234 # this commit was working
# Git checks out a middle commit; test it, then:
git bisect good   # or git bisect bad
# Repeat until Git identifies the first bad commit
git bisect reset  # return to original state
 
# Show who last modified each line of a file
git blame src/auth.js
 
# Create a patch file
git format-patch -1 HEAD
 
# Apply a patch
git apply fix.patch
 
# Clean untracked files (dry run first)
git clean -n
git clean -fd
 
# List all files tracked by Git
git ls-files
 
# Count commits by author
git shortlog -sn

# Create a worktree for a branch
git worktree add ../hotfix-branch hotfix/login-fix
 
# List active worktrees
git worktree list
 
# Remove a worktree
git worktree remove ../hotfix-branch

git config --global alias.st "status"
git config --global alias.co "switch"
git config --global alias.cm "commit -m"
git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --all"
git config --global alias.last "log -1 HEAD --stat"
git config --global alias.unstage "restore --staged"

# Start a new feature
git switch main
git pull origin main
git switch -c feature/new-dashboard
 
# Work, commit, repeat
git add .
git commit -m "Add dashboard layout and data fetching"
 
# Stay up to date with main
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
 
# Push and create a pull request
git push -u origin feature/new-dashboard

# You committed to main but meant to commit to a feature branch
git switch -c feature/accidental-work    # create branch with current commits
git switch main
git reset --hard HEAD~1                  # remove the commit from main

# Squash all feature branch commits into one
git switch main
git merge --squash feature/messy-history
git commit -m "Add complete user authentication system"