Git is a powerful version control system that every developer should master. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced developer, knowing a few handy Git command-line tricks can save you time and improve your workflow. Here are 20 essential Git tips and tricks to boost your efficiency.

1. Undo the Last Commit (Without Losing Changes)

git reset --soft HEAD~1

If you made a commit but want to undo it while keeping your changes, this command resets the last commit but retains the modified files in your staging area.

This is useful when you realize you need to make more changes before committing.

If you also want to remove the changes from the staging area but keep them in your working directory, use,

git reset HEAD~1

2. Discard Unstaged Changes

git checkout -- <file>

Use this to discard local changes in a file before staging. Be careful, as this cannot be undone! If you want to discard all unstaged changes in your working directory, use,

git reset --hard HEAD

3. Delete a Local Branch

git branch -d branch-name

Removes a local branch safely if it’s already merged. If it’s not merged and you still want to delete it, use -D

git branch -D branch-name

4. Delete a Remote Branch

git push origin --delete branch-name

Deletes a branch from the remote repository, useful for cleaning up old feature branches. If you mistakenly deleted the branch and want to restore it, you can use

git checkout -b branch-name origin/branch-name

if it still exists remotely.

5. Rename a Local Branch

git branch -m old-name new-name

Useful when you want to rename a branch locally without affecting the remote repository. To update the remote reference after renaming, push the renamed branch and delete the old one,

git push origin -u new-name
git push origin --delete old-name

6. See the Commit History in a Compact Format

git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all

A clean and structured way to view Git history, showing branches and commits in a visual format. If you want to see a detailed history with diffs, use

git log -p

7. Stash Your Changes Temporarily

git stash

If you need to switch branches but don’t want to commit yet, stash your changes and retrieve them later with

git stash pop

To see all stashed changes

git stash list

8. Find the Author of a Line in a File

git blame file-name

Shows who made changes to each line in a file. Helpful for debugging or reviewing historical changes. If you want to ignore whitespace changes

git blame -w file-name

9. View a File from a Previous Commit

git show commit-hash:path/to/file

Useful for checking an older version of a file without switching branches. If you want to restore the file from an old commit

git checkout commit-hash -- path/to/file

10. Reset a File to the Last Committed Version

git checkout HEAD -- file-name

Restores the file to the last committed state, removing any local changes. If you want to reset all files

git reset --hard HEAD

11. Clone a Specific Branch

git clone -b branch-name --single-branch repository-url

Instead of cloning the entire repository, this fetches only the specified branch, saving time and space. If you want all branches but don’t want to check them out initially:

git clone --mirror repository-url

12. Change the Last Commit Message

git commit --amend -m "New message"

Use this to correct a typo in your last commit message before pushing. Be cautious—if you’ve already pushed, use

git push --force-with-lease

13. See the List of Tracked Files

git ls-files

Displays all files being tracked by Git, which is useful for auditing your repository. To see ignored files

git ls-files --others --ignored --exclude-standard

14. Check the Difference Between Two Branches

git diff branch-1..branch-2

Compares changes between two branches, helping you understand what has been modified. To see only file names that changed

git diff --name-only branch-1..branch-2

15. Add a Remote Repository

git remote add origin repository-url

Links a remote repository to your local project, enabling push and pull operations. To verify remote repositories

git remote -v

16. Remove a Remote Repository

git remote remove origin

Unlinks your repository from a remote source, useful when switching remotes.

17. View the Last Commit Details

git show HEAD

Shows detailed information about the most recent commit, including the changes made. To see only the commit message

git log -1 --pretty=%B

18. Check What’s Staged for Commit

git diff --staged

Displays changes that are staged for commit, helping you review before finalizing a commit.

19. Fetch and Rebase from a Remote Branch

git pull --rebase origin main

Combines fetching and rebasing in one step, keeping your branch up-to-date cleanly. If conflicts arise, resolve them manually and continue with

git rebase --continue

20. View All Git Aliases

git config --global --list | grep alias

If you’ve set up aliases, this command helps you see them all. Aliases can make your Git workflow faster by shortening common commands. For example

git config --global alias.co checkout

allows you to use git co instead of git checkout.

Try these tricks in your daily development to level up your Git skills!