Git Commands I Actually Use (And the Scary Ones I Google Every Time)

Tools #git #terminal #productivity #tools #workflow
4 min read

Let’s be real: we all use about 10 Git commands regularly and Google the rest when needed. Here’s my daily toolkit and the commands I bookmark for emergencies.

The Daily Drivers (90% of My Git Usage)

1. Check What’s Changed

git status
git diff
git diff --staged

I probably run git status 50 times a day. No shame.

2. Commit Stuff

git add .
git add -p  # Stage in chunks - super useful!
git commit -m "Add feature X"
git commit --amend  # Fix the last commit

Pro tip: Use git add -p to review changes before staging. Catches a lot of console.log() statements.

3. Branch Management

git branch  # List branches
git checkout -b feature/new-thing
git checkout main
git branch -d feature/old-thing  # Delete merged branch

Or with the newer syntax:

git switch main
git switch -c feature/new-thing

4. Sync with Remote

git pull
git push
git push -u origin feature-branch  # First push
git fetch  # Get updates without merging

5. View History

git log
git log --oneline  # Compact view
git log --graph --all  # Pretty visualization

Add this alias to your .gitconfig:

git config --global alias.lg "log --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset' --abbrev-commit"

Then use git lg for a beautiful log!

The “I Need to Google This” Commands

Undo Commits (But Keep Changes)

git reset HEAD~1  # Undo last commit, keep changes
git reset --soft HEAD~1  # Keep changes staged
git reset --hard HEAD~1  # ⚠️ DESTROY last commit

Warning: --hard is permanent. Commits and changes are gone. Make sure you mean it.

Undo Commits (Remote)

# If you pushed by mistake
git revert HEAD  # Safe - creates new commit
git push

# If you REALLY need to force it (be careful!)
git reset --hard HEAD~1
git push --force  # ⚠️ Will rewrite history!

Rule: Never force push to main or shared branches. You will make enemies.

Stash: The Temporary Drawer

git stash  # Save work temporarily
git stash pop  # Get it back
git stash list  # See all stashes
git stash apply stash@{0}  # Apply specific stash
git stash drop  # Delete a stash

I use this when I need to quickly switch branches but have uncommitted work.

Cherry-Pick: Steal Commits

git cherry-pick abc123  # Apply commit from another branch

Useful when you committed to the wrong branch.

Rebase: Rewrite History

git rebase main  # Move your commits on top of main
git rebase -i HEAD~3  # Interactive rebase last 3 commits

Interactive rebase lets you:

  • Squash commits together
  • Reword commit messages
  • Reorder commits
  • Delete commits

Warning: Only rebase local commits. Never rebase pushed commits unless you’re alone.

Find Who Broke It

git blame filename.js  # See who wrote each line
git bisect start  # Binary search for the bad commit

git bisect is magic for finding which commit broke things.

Clean Up

git clean -n  # Preview what will be deleted
git clean -fd  # Delete untracked files and directories

The Nuclear Option

# When everything is broken and you just want a fresh start
git fetch origin
git reset --hard origin/main

This throws away ALL local changes. Use sparingly.

My Aliases

In ~/.gitconfig:

[alias]
    co = checkout
    br = branch
    ci = commit
    st = status
    unstage = reset HEAD --
    last = log -1 HEAD
    visual = log --graph --all --oneline
    undo = reset --soft HEAD~1

Now I can type git co instead of git checkout. Saves dozens of keystrokes daily.

The Dangerous Ones

These I handle with extreme caution:

  • git reset --hard - Destroys uncommitted changes
  • git push --force - Rewrites remote history
  • git clean -fd - Deletes untracked files
  • git rebase on public branches - Confuses everyone

Golden Rule: If you’re unsure, make a backup branch first:

git branch backup-just-in-case

Oh Sh*t, Git!

For when things go wrong, bookmark ohshitgit.com. It’s saved me countless times.

Tools I Love

  • lazygit - TUI for Git (terminal UI)
  • tig - Text-mode interface for Git
  • VS Code Git Integration - For when I’m feeling GUI-ish
  • GitHub CLI - gh pr create is magic

Conclusion

You don’t need to memorize every Git command. Know the basics cold, bookmark the advanced stuff, and don’t be afraid to Google.

And remember: the worst Git mistake you can make is not using Git at all.

Happy committing! 🚀

P.S. Always read the command before hitting enter. Especially with --force or --hard. Trust me on this.