Most developers learn git add, git commit, and git push - and then stop there. That's fine for getting started, but the moment you're working on a team or dealing with a tricky bug, you'll wish you knew more.
Here are the Git commands I reach for all the time.
The Basics (You Probably Know These)
git init # Start a new repo
git clone <url> # Copy a remote repo locally
git add . # Stage all changes
git commit -m "" # Commit with a message
git push # Push to remote
git pull # Pull from remote
Cool. Now let's go deeper.
git log - Your Time Machine
The default git log output is a wall of text. Make it readable:
git log --oneline --graph --decorate
This gives you a compact, visual view of your commit history with branch info. I alias this to git lg in my config.
git stash - Save Your Work Without Committing
You're mid-feature when suddenly you need to fix an urgent bug on another branch. Don't commit half-finished work. Stash it:
git stash # Save your current changes
git stash pop # Bring them back later
git stash list # See all your stashes
It's like putting your work on a shelf. You switch branches, fix the bug, come back, and pop your changes back.
git diff - See Exactly What Changed
Before committing, review what you're actually sending:
git diff # Changes not yet staged
git diff --staged # Changes that are staged
git diff main..dev # Compare two branches
This is one of those commands that saves you from "oh no, I committed that?" moments.
git reset - Undo Things
Made a bad commit? There's a way back.
# Undo last commit, keep changes in working directory
git reset --soft HEAD~1
# Undo last commit, unstage changes but keep files
git reset HEAD~1
# ⚠️ Nuclear option: undo commit AND discard changes
git reset --hard HEAD~1
Warning:
--harddeletes your changes permanently. Use with caution on work you haven't pushed.
git rebase - Clean Up Messy History
If you have 5 tiny "fix typo" commits before a PR, you can squash them into one clean commit:
git rebase -i HEAD~5
An editor opens. Mark the commits you want to squash with squash (or just s). Git combines them. Your history looks intentional instead of chaotic.
git cherry-pick - Grab Just One Commit
Say your colleague made one specific fix on their branch and you need just that commit - not their whole branch:
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>
Get the hash from git log, run this, and that commit is now applied to your current branch. 🍒
git bisect - Find the Bug-Introducing Commit
This one's a superpower. You know your code worked on version A but is broken on version C. Which commit broke it?
git bisect start
git bisect bad # Current commit is broken
git bisect good v1.0 # This tag was working
# Git checks out a commit in the middle
# Test it. If broken:
git bisect bad
# If working:
git bisect good
# Repeat until Git tells you the exact commit that introduced the bug
git bisect reset # When done
Git uses binary search to find the culprit in just a few steps. Mind-blowing the first time you use it.
Set Up a Good .gitignore
Don't forget to tell Git what to ignore:
node_modules/
.env
.DS_Store
dist/
*.log
Create this in your project root. GitHub has a great collection of templates at gitignore.io.
One More Tip: Write Good Commit Messages
❌ "fix stuff"
❌ "wip"
❌ "asdfgh"
✅ "fix: resolve null pointer in user auth flow"
✅ "feat: add dark mode toggle to settings page"
✅ "refactor: extract validation logic into utils"
Your future self (and your teammates) will thank you.
Git is one of those tools that rewards patience and learning. The more you know, the more confident you'll feel when things go sideways - and things will go sideways. Now you're ready. 🔀
