How do I undo the last Git commit without losing changes?

Use git reset --soft HEAD~1 to undo the last commit while keeping your changes staged. Use git reset HEAD~1 to keep changes unstaged. Use git reset --hard HEAD~1 to discard all changes completely.

What is the difference between git merge and git rebase?

git merge creates a merge commit preserving full history. git rebase replays commits on top of the target branch for a linear history. Use merge for shared branches; rebase to clean up local commits before merging.

How do I save uncommitted changes temporarily in Git?

Use git stash to temporarily save uncommitted changes. Restore with git stash pop (removes from stash) or git stash apply (keeps in stash). Use git stash list to see all stashes.

How do I delete a remote branch in Git?

Use git push origin --delete branch-name to delete a remote branch. Delete the local branch with git branch -d branch-name (safe) or git branch -D branch-name (force).

How do I clone only a specific branch in Git?

Use git clone --branch branch-name --single-branch repo-url to clone only one branch. This is faster and uses less disk space than a full clone.

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Git Commands Cheat Sheet 2026 — Complete Reference with Examples

By Jay, editor · Every shortcut on this site is verified by hand against official documentation · Updated July 2026

Published: March 15, 2026 · Updated: May 1, 2026 · 10 min read

Setup & Configuration
Daily Workflow
Branching & Merging
Remote Repositories
Undoing Mistakes
Stashing
Rebasing
Tags & Releases
History & Diffs
Advanced Tips

Git is the version control system used by virtually every software team. This cheat sheet covers every command you need — from first-time setup to advanced rebasing — with copy-paste ready examples.

1. Setup & Configuration

Command	What it does
git config --global user.name "Your Name"	Set your display name for commits
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"	Set your email for commits
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"	Set VS Code as default editor
git config --global init.defaultBranch main	Use `main` as default branch name
git config --list	View all current config values
git init	Initialize a new repo in current directory
git clone <url>	Clone a remote repo locally
git clone --branch <name> --single-branch <url>	Clone only one specific branch (faster)

2. Daily Workflow

Five commands handle 80% of daily Git: git pull → edit → git add . → git commit -m "msg" → git push.

Command	What it does
git status	Show working tree status
git add .	Stage all changes
git add -p	Stage changes interactively (hunk by hunk)
git commit -m "message"	Commit staged changes
git commit -am "message"	Stage tracked files and commit in one step
git commit --amend	Modify the last commit
git push -u origin <branch>	Push and set upstream tracking
git pull	Fetch and merge remote changes
git fetch	Download remote changes without merging

Tip: Use git commit --amend --no-edit to add forgotten files to the last commit without changing the message.

3. Branching & Merging

Command	What it does
git branch	List local branches
git branch -a	List all branches including remote
git checkout -b <name>	Create and switch to a new branch
git switch -c <name>	Modern syntax: create and switch
git branch -d <name>	Delete a merged branch (safe)
git branch -D <name>	Force-delete a branch
git merge <branch>	Merge branch into current branch
git merge --no-ff <branch>	Merge with a merge commit
git merge --squash <branch>	Squash all commits into one before merging
git cherry-pick <hash>	Apply a specific commit to current branch

4. Remote Repositories

Command	What it does
git remote -v	List remote connections with URLs
git remote add origin <url>	Add a remote named "origin"
git remote set-url origin <url>	Change remote URL
git push origin --delete <branch>	Delete a remote branch
git fetch --prune	Remove stale remote-tracking branches
git push --force-with-lease	Safer force push

Avoid git push --force on shared branches. Use --force-with-lease instead.

5. Undoing Mistakes

Command	What it does
git restore <file>	Discard unstaged changes to a file
git restore --staged <file>	Unstage a file
git reset --soft HEAD~1	Undo last commit, keep changes staged
git reset HEAD~1	Undo last commit, keep changes unstaged
git reset --hard HEAD~1	Undo last commit and discard all changes
git revert <commit>	Create a new commit undoing a previous one (safe for shared branches)
git clean -fd	Remove all untracked files and directories
git reflog	View all HEAD movements — your recovery safety net

Recovery: Accidentally ran git reset --hard? Run git reflog to find the hash, then git reset --hard <hash> to restore it.

6. Stashing

Command	What it does
git stash	Stash current changes
git stash -u	Stash including untracked files
git stash save "description"	Stash with a name
git stash list	Show all stashes
git stash pop	Restore most recent stash and delete it
git stash apply stash@{2}	Restore a specific stash (keeps it)
git stash drop stash@{1}	Delete a specific stash
git stash clear	Delete all stashes

7. Rebasing

Rebase rewrites history for a linear timeline. Use on local branches only.

Command	What it does
git rebase main	Replay current branch commits on top of main
git rebase -i HEAD~5	Interactive rebase: edit, squash, reorder, drop last 5 commits
git rebase --continue	Continue after resolving a conflict
git rebase --abort	Cancel the rebase

8. Tags & Releases

Command	What it does
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release 1.0"	Create an annotated tag
git push origin --tags	Push all tags to remote
git tag -d v1.0.0	Delete a local tag
git push origin --delete v1.0.0	Delete a remote tag

9. History & Diffs

Command	What it does
git log --oneline --graph --all	Visual branch graph in terminal
git log -p <file>	Show all changes to a specific file
git diff --staged	Show staged changes (what will be committed)
git diff main..feature	Compare two branches
git blame <file>	Show who changed each line and when

10. Advanced Tips

Command	What it does
git log -S "function_name"	Find commits that added/removed a specific string
git bisect start	Binary search to find the commit that introduced a bug
git submodule update --init --recursive	Initialize and update all submodules
git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --all"	Create a shortcut alias

Also explore: Git keyboard shortcuts in your IDE

View Git Shortcuts Reference

The model behind the commands

Git's commands make sense once three places are clear: the working tree (files on disk), the index or staging area (what the next commit will contain) and the repository (commits). add moves changes from the tree to the index, commit from the index to the repository, and the undo commands in the sheet are named by which of those they touch — restore for the tree, restore --staged for the index, reset and revert for commits. Reading the sheet with that map removes most of the guesswork.

Safe versus destructive

Commands that only add history — commit, merge, revert, tag, push without force — are safe to try. The ones that rewrite or discard — reset --hard, rebase, push --force, checkout -- file, clean — are the ones to run with a clear head, and the sheet marks them. Almost everything is recoverable through reflog for a few weeks, which is the last section here and the first place to look after a mistake.

Where this goes next

The git page on this site has the same commands with FAQs and a source reference, and the how-to answers cover the questions people search for most: undoing the last commit, restoring a stash, and the difference between merge and rebase. Aliases in ~/.gitconfig are the usual next step once the sheet is familiar.