What is the difference between git merge and git rebase?

Git merge creates a merge commit that combines two branches, preserving history. Git rebase replays your commits on top of another branch, creating a linear history. Use merge for shared branches, rebase for local feature branches.

How do I undo a commit that has already been pushed?

Use git revert to create a new commit that undoes the changes. Never use git reset --hard on pushed commits as it rewrites history and will cause problems for other collaborators.

What is the difference between git fetch and git pull?

git fetch downloads changes from the remote without modifying your working directory. git pull is essentially git fetch followed by git merge. Use fetch when you want to review remote changes before integrating them.

Last updated: April 12, 2026

Git Commands Cheatsheet

Quick Answer

This cheatsheet covers the 40 most essential Git commands grouped by workflow: setup, staging, branching, merging, remote operations, inspection, and undo. Bookmark it for quick reference during development.

Setup

Command	Description
git init	Initialize a new Git repository in the current directory `git init`
git clone <url>	Clone a remote repository to your local machine `git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git`
git config --global user.name "<name>"	Set your global Git username `git config --global user.name "John Doe"`
git config --global user.email "<email>"	Set your global Git email `git config --global user.email "john@example.com"`

Staging

Command	Description
git status	Show the working tree status (modified, staged, untracked files)
git add <file>	Stage a specific file for commit `git add index.ts`
git add .	Stage all changes in the current directory and subdirectories
git add -p	Interactively stage hunks of changes
git reset <file>	Unstage a file while keeping its changes `git reset index.ts`

Committing

Command	Description
git commit -m "<message>"	Commit staged changes with a message `git commit -m "feat: add login page"`
git commit --amend	Modify the most recent commit (message or content)
git commit --amend --no-edit	Add staged changes to the last commit without changing the message

Branching

Command	Description
git branch	List all local branches
git branch <name>	Create a new branch `git branch feature/login`
git branch -d <name>	Delete a branch (safe — only if merged) `git branch -d feature/login`
git branch -D <name>	Force delete a branch (even if not merged)
git checkout <branch>	Switch to an existing branch `git checkout main`
git checkout -b <name>	Create and switch to a new branch `git checkout -b feature/auth`
git switch <branch>	Switch branches (modern alternative to checkout) `git switch main`

Merging

Command	Description
git merge <branch>	Merge a branch into the current branch `git merge feature/login`
git merge --no-ff <branch>	Merge with a merge commit even if fast-forward is possible
git rebase <branch>	Rebase current branch onto another branch `git rebase main`
git rebase --abort	Abort an in-progress rebase and return to the original state
git cherry-pick <commit>	Apply a specific commit to the current branch `git cherry-pick a1b2c3d`

Stashing

Command	Description
git stash	Temporarily save uncommitted changes
git stash pop	Restore the most recent stash and remove it from the stash list
git stash list	List all stashed changes
git stash drop	Delete the most recent stash

Remote

Command	Description
git push	Push committed changes to the remote
git push -u origin <branch>	Push and set upstream tracking for a new branch `git push -u origin feature/auth`
git pull	Fetch and merge changes from the remote
git fetch	Download remote changes without merging
git remote -v	Show remote repository URLs

Inspection

Command	Description
git log --oneline	Show commit history in compact format
git log --graph --oneline --all	Show commit graph for all branches
git diff	Show unstaged changes
git diff --staged	Show staged changes (ready to commit)
git show <commit>	Show details of a specific commit `git show a1b2c3d`
git bisect start	Start binary search to find a commit that introduced a bug

Tagging

Command	Description
git tag <name>	Create a lightweight tag at the current commit `git tag v1.0.0`
git tag -a <name> -m "<msg>"	Create an annotated tag with a message `git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release 1.0"`

Undo

Command	Description
git reset --soft HEAD~1	Undo the last commit but keep changes staged
git reset --hard HEAD~1	Undo the last commit and discard changes (destructive)
git revert <commit>	Create a new commit that undoes a previous commit `git revert a1b2c3d`

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