Most Common Git Commands Every Developer Should Know

Whether you're a seasoned developer or just starting your journey in software development, Git is one of the most essential tools you’ll use daily. Git is a powerful distributed version control system that allows teams to collaborate, manage code changes, and keep project history clean and trackable.

But Git can be overwhelming for beginners. With so many commands available, it's hard to know where to start. Don’t worry! In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the most common Git commands that every developer should know, with practical examples and clear explanations.

Let’s dive in! 🚀

What Is Git?

Before jumping into commands, here’s a quick refresher:

Git is a version control system developed by Linus Torvalds (yes, the creator of Linux). It helps track changes in source code and facilitates collaboration between developers.

Think of Git like a save button on steroids—allowing you to travel back in time, experiment safely, and merge contributions from multiple developers seamlessly.

Prerequisite: Install Git

You can check if Git is installed using:

git --version

If it’s not installed, download it from git-scm.com.

1. git init

📋 Purpose:

Initializes a new Git repository in your project folder.

📦 Example:

git init

This creates a .git directory, which tracks all changes in your project. Run this when starting a new project from scratch.

2. git clone

📋 Purpose:

Copies a remote repository (like from GitHub) to your local machine.

📦 Example:

git clone https://github.com/username/repo.git

This creates a local copy of the remote project so you can start working on it.

3. git status

📋 Purpose:

Shows the current state of your working directory and staging area.

📦 Example:

git status

Useful to see which files are:

• Modified
• Staged
• Untracked

 4. git add .

📋 Purpose:

Adds files to the staging area—preparing them to be committed.

📦 Examples:

git add filename.txt

Add all files:

git add .

Or only certain files:

git add index.html style.css

5. git commit

📋 Purpose:

Saves changes from the staging area to the repository.

📦 Example:

git commit -m "Add login feature"

This creates a snapshot of your code that you can refer to or revert back to later.

6. git log

📋 Purpose:

Shows the commit history for your project.

📦 Example:

git log

You’ll see commit hashes, authors, dates, and messages. Add --oneline for a compact view:

git log --oneline

7. git diff

📋 Purpose:

Shows the differences between two versions of files.

📦 Example:

git diff

Use this to preview what changes have been made before committing.

8. git branch

📋 Purpose:

Lists all branches or creates a new branch.

📦 Example:

git branch

To create a new branch:

git branch feature/login

9. git checkout

📋 Purpose:

Switches to another branch or restores files.

📦 Example:

git checkout main

Or switch and create a new branch in one command:

git checkout -b feature/signup

10. git merge

📋 Purpose:

Combines changes from one branch into another.

📦 Example:

git checkout main
git merge feature/login

Merges the changes from the feature/login branch into main.

11. git pull

📋 Purpose:

Downloads changes from a remote repository and merges them into your current branch.

📦 Example:

git pull origin main

12. git push

📋 Purpose:

Uploads local changes to the remote repository.

📦 Example:

git push origin main

You typically push after committing locally so your teammates can see your updates.

13. git remote

📋 Purpose:

Manages connections to remote repositories.

📦 Example:

Check remotes:

git remote -v

Add a new remote:

git remote add origin https://github.com/user/repo.git

14. git reset

📋 Purpose:

Unstages files or resets commits.

📦 Example:

To unstage a file:

git reset filename.txt

To reset to a previous commit (soft reset):

git reset --soft HEAD~1

Be careful: hard resets will remove changes:

git reset --hard HEAD~1

15. git stash

📋 Purpose:

Temporarily saves changes that you don’t want to commit yet.

📦 Example:

git stash

To bring stashed changes back:

git stash pop

Useful when switching branches but you’re not ready to commit your current work.

16. git rebase

📋 Purpose:

Reapplies commits on top of another base tip. Used for a cleaner commit history.

📦 Example:

git checkout feature
git rebase main

⚠️ Be careful with rebase on shared branches—it rewrites commit history!

 17. git tag

📋 Purpose:

Marks specific points in your repository history, often used for version releases.

📦 Example:

git tag v1.0.0
git push origin v1.0.0

18. git fetch

📋 Purpose:

Gets updates from a remote repo without merging them into your branch.

📦 Example:

git fetch origin

You can later inspect or merge manually.

19. git cherry-pick

📋 Purpose:

Apply a specific commit from another branch onto your current branch.

📦 Example:

git cherry-pick a1b2c3d

Helpful when you only need one specific commit without merging the whole branch.

Bonus: Helpful Git Aliases

Tired of typing long Git commands? Set up aliases:

git config --global alias.st status
git config --global alias.co checkout
git config --global alias.cm commit
git config --global alias.br branch

Now you can run git st instead of git status! 🙌

These are some of the most common Git commands developers use daily. For a comprehensive list and advanced usage, visit the official Git documentation.

Final Tips for Working with Git

• Commit often with clear messages.
• Use branches for features and fixes.
• Always pull before you push.
• Don’t be afraid of mistakes—Git makes it easy to recover.
• Use .gitignore to exclude unnecessary files (like node_modules, .env, etc.).

Conclusion

Git is one of the most powerful tools in a developer’s toolkit. Once you get the hang of these common commands, you'll be able to manage your code like a pro. The key is practice—so create a sample project and try each of these commands out.

Remember: It’s better to understand a few Git commands deeply than to memorize many without context.

Happy coding! 😊