Git Cheatsheet: Essential Commands for Everyday Use

This quick-reference guide collects the most useful Git commands with short explanations and copy-paste examples. Whether you’re new to Git or need a refresher, this cheatsheet covers the daily essentials plus some advanced tricks.

Basics

Use these to get started and check your Git setup:

• git init → Create a new repository in the current folder
• git clone [url] → Copy a repository from a remote URL
• git status → Show the working tree status
• git help [command] → Get help for a specific Git command

Configuration

Manage your identity and editor settings:

• git config --global user.name "Your Name" → Set global author name
• git config --global user.email "you@example.com" → Set global author email
• git config --list → Show all configuration

Staging & Committing

Track file changes in your project:

• git add [file] → Stage a specific file
• git add . → Stage all changes in the directory
• git commit -m "message" → Commit staged changes with a message
• git commit -am "message" → Stage and commit tracked files in one step

Branching & Merging

Work with feature branches and combine changes:

• git branch → List all branches
• git branch [name] → Create a new branch
• git checkout [name] → Switch to another branch
• git switch -c [name] → Create and switch to a new branch (modern syntax)
• git merge [branch] → Merge another branch into the current one
• git branch -d [name] → Delete a branch

Remote Repositories

Work with GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket remotes:

• git remote -v → Show remote URLs
• git remote add origin [url] → Add a new remote
• git push -u origin main → Push branch to remote and set upstream
• git pull → Fetch and merge changes from remote
• git fetch → Download changes without merging

Inspecting History

Review commits and logs:

• git log → Show commit history
• git log --oneline --graph --decorate → Pretty, compact log view
• git show [commit] → Show details of a commit
• git diff → Show unstaged changes
• git diff --staged → Show staged changes

Undoing Changes

Fix mistakes and roll back:

• git restore [file] → Discard changes in a file
• git restore --staged [file] → Unstage a file
• git reset --hard [commit] → Reset repository to a commit (dangerous)
• git revert [commit] → Create a new commit that undoes a previous one

Stashing

Temporarily save uncommitted changes:

• git stash → Save dirty changes for later
• git stash list → Show stashed changes
• git stash apply → Reapply latest stash
• git stash drop → Delete latest stash

Collaboration Tips

• Use feature branches for each task.
• Keep your main branch stable.
• Always pull before pushing to avoid conflicts.
• Use pull requests for review and collaboration.

Advanced Tricks

Go beyond the basics with these powerful commands:

• git cherry-pick [commit] → Apply a specific commit onto the current branch
• git rebase [branch] → Replay commits onto another branch
• git tag [name] → Create a lightweight tag for a commit
• git reflog → Show history of HEAD (great for recovering lost commits)

Tip: Use Git frequently with small commits and clear messages. It’s easier to understand history and revert changes later.