Git & GitHub Commands Cheat Sheet

A practical cheat sheet for the most commonly used Git and GitHub commands. These commands can be used from the VS Code integrated terminal, Windows PowerShell, Command Prompt, macOS Terminal, or Linux Terminal.

Note: Git commands work locally. Commands such as git push and git pull interact with a remote repository such as GitHub.

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1. Check Git Installation

Purpose	Description	Command
Check Git version	Verifies that Git is installed and shows the installed version.	git --version
Show Git help	Opens general Git help.	git help
Show help for a command	Displays help for a specific Git command.	git help <command>

Example:

git --version
git help commit

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2. Configure Git

These commands are normally run once on a new computer.

Purpose	Description	Command
Set username	Sets the name attached to your Git commits.	git config --global user.name "Your Name"
Set email	Sets the email attached to your Git commits.	git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
View configuration	Displays Git configuration values.	git config --list
View global configuration	Displays global Git configuration.	git config --global --list
Change default branch	Sets the default initial branch name to main.	git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Example:

git config --global user.name "John Doe"
git config --global user.email "john@example.com"

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3. Create or Clone a Repository

Purpose	Description	Command
Initialize repository	Converts the current folder into a Git repository.	git init
Clone repository	Downloads an existing remote repository to your computer.	git clone <repository-url>
Clone into a specific folder	Clones the repository into the specified directory.	git clone <repository-url> <folder-name>

Example:

git init
git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git

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4. Check Repository Status

Purpose	Description	Command
Check status	Shows modified, staged, and untracked files.	git status
Short status	Shows a compact version of repository status.	git status --short
Show remote repositories	Displays configured remote repositories.	git remote -v

Example:

git status
git remote -v

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5. Add Files to Staging

Purpose	Description	Command
Stage one file	Adds a specific file to the staging area.	git add <file>
Stage multiple files	Adds multiple specific files.	git add <file1> <file2>
Stage all changes	Stages new, modified, and deleted files in the current directory.	git add .
Stage all repository changes	Stages changes throughout the repository.	git add -A
Unstage a file	Removes a file from staging without deleting it.	git restore --staged <file>

Example:

git add index.html
git add .
git restore --staged index.html

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6. Commit Changes

Purpose	Description	Command
Create a commit	Saves staged changes to the local Git history.	git commit -m "Commit message"
Commit with a message	Creates a commit with a descriptive message.	git commit -m "Add login feature"
Commit all tracked changes	Stages modified/deleted tracked files and commits them. New untracked files are not included.	git commit -am "Update files"
Amend last commit	Changes the most recent commit.	git commit --amend
Amend commit message	Replaces the most recent commit message.	git commit --amend -m "New message"

Example:

git add .
git commit -m "Add user authentication"

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7. View Commit History

Purpose	Description	Command
View history	Shows commit history.	git log
Compact history	Shows one-line summaries of commits.	git log --oneline
Show recent commits	Shows the latest commits in compact form.	git log --oneline -10
Show graph	Displays branches and commits as a graph.	git log --oneline --graph --all
Show commit details	Displays information about a specific commit.	git show <commit-id>

Useful command:

git log --oneline --graph --all

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8. Branch Commands

Purpose	Description	Command
List branches	Shows local branches.	git branch
List all branches	Shows local and remote branches.	git branch -a
Create branch	Creates a new branch.	git branch <branch-name>
Switch branch	Switches to an existing branch.	git switch <branch-name>
Create and switch	Creates a branch and switches to it.	git switch -c <branch-name>
Delete branch	Deletes a local branch after it has been merged.	git branch -d <branch-name>
Force delete branch	Deletes a local branch even if it has not been merged.	git branch -D <branch-name>
Rename current branch	Renames the currently checked-out branch.	git branch -m <new-name>

Example:

git switch -c feature/login

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9. Push Changes to GitHub

Purpose	Description	Command
Push branch	Uploads local commits to the remote repository.	git push origin <branch-name>
Push current branch	Pushes the current branch to its configured upstream branch.	git push
First push	Pushes a branch and sets its upstream remote branch.	git push -u origin <branch-name>
Push all branches	Pushes all local branches to the remote.	git push --all
Delete remote branch	Deletes a branch from the remote repository.	git push origin --delete <branch-name>
Push tags	Uploads tags to the remote repository.	git push --tags

Typical first push:

git push -u origin main

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10. Pull Changes from GitHub

Purpose	Description	Command
Pull changes	Downloads remote changes and integrates them into the current branch.	git pull
Pull from branch	Pulls changes from a specific remote branch.	git pull origin <branch-name>
Fetch changes	Downloads remote changes without modifying your current branch.	git fetch
Fetch all remotes	Downloads changes from all configured remotes.	git fetch --all

Difference:

git fetch  → Download remote changes
git pull   → Fetch + integrate remote changes

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11. Remote Repository Commands

Purpose	Description	Command
Add remote	Connects the local repository to a remote repository.	git remote add origin <repository-url>
View remotes	Displays remote repository URLs.	git remote -v
Change remote URL	Changes the URL of an existing remote.	git remote set-url origin <repository-url>
Remove remote	Removes a configured remote.	git remote remove origin
Rename remote	Renames an existing remote.	git remote rename <old-name> <new-name>

Example:

git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repository.git

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12. Merge Branches

Purpose	Description	Command
Merge branch	Merges another branch into the current branch.	git merge <branch-name>
Abort merge	Cancels an ongoing merge.	git merge --abort
Continue merge	Continues after resolving merge conflicts.	git merge --continue

Example:

git switch main
git merge feature/login

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13. Rebase

Purpose	Description	Command
Rebase branch	Replays your commits on top of another branch.	git rebase <branch-name>
Abort rebase	Cancels an ongoing rebase.	git rebase --abort
Continue rebase	Continues a rebase after resolving conflicts.	git rebase --continue
Interactive rebase	Lets you edit, reorder, combine, or remove recent commits.	git rebase -i HEAD~<number>

Example:

git rebase main

Warning: Avoid rebasing commits that have already been shared if other people depend on those commits.

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14. Undo Changes

Purpose	Description	Command
Discard changes in a file	Restores a file to its last committed/staged state.	git restore <file>
Unstage file	Removes a file from staging.	git restore --staged <file>
Restore file from a commit	Restores a file to the version from a specific commit.	git restore --source=<commit-id> <file>
Revert commit	Creates a new commit that reverses an existing commit.	git revert <commit-id>
Reset to previous commit	Moves HEAD and optionally changes the staging/working tree.	git reset <commit-id>
Soft reset	Moves HEAD but keeps changes staged.	git reset --soft <commit-id>
Mixed reset	Moves HEAD and unstages changes while keeping files.	git reset --mixed <commit-id>
Hard reset	Moves HEAD and discards tracked working-tree changes.	git reset --hard <commit-id>

Reset vs Revert

git reset  → Rewrites local history
git revert → Creates a new commit that undoes an earlier commit

Be especially careful with:

git reset --hard

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15. Stash Changes

Git stash temporarily stores uncommitted changes so you can switch branches or work on something else.

Purpose	Description	Command
Stash changes	Temporarily saves current changes.	git stash
Stash with message	Saves changes with a descriptive message.	git stash push -m "message"
List stashes	Shows all saved stashes.	git stash list
Apply stash	Restores a stash but keeps it in the stash list.	git stash apply
Apply specific stash	Restores a specific stash.	git stash apply stash@{0}
Pop stash	Restores the latest stash and removes it from the stash list.	git stash pop
Delete stash	Deletes a specific stash.	git stash drop stash@{0}
Clear stashes	Deletes all stashes.	git stash clear

Example:

git stash push -m "Work in progress"
git switch main
git stash pop

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16. Compare Changes

Purpose	Description	Command
Show working changes	Shows changes that are not staged.	git diff
Show staged changes	Shows changes that are staged for commit.	git diff --staged
Compare branches	Shows differences between two branches.	git diff <branch1>..<branch2>
Compare commits	Shows differences between two commits.	git diff <commit1>..<commit2>

Example:

git diff
git diff --staged
git diff main..feature/login

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17. Git Tags

Tags are commonly used to mark releases or important versions.

Purpose	Description	Command
List tags	Shows existing tags.	git tag
Create tag	Creates a lightweight tag.	git tag <tag-name>
Create annotated tag	Creates a tag with a message and metadata.	git tag -a <tag-name> -m "message"
Show tag	Displays information about a tag.	git show <tag-name>
Delete local tag	Deletes a local tag.	git tag -d <tag-name>
Push tag	Uploads a tag to GitHub.	git push origin <tag-name>
Delete remote tag	Deletes a tag from the remote repository.	git push origin --delete <tag-name>

Example:

git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "First release"
git push origin v1.0.0

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18. GitHub CLI (gh)

If GitHub CLI is installed, you can manage many GitHub features directly from the terminal.

Purpose	Description	Command
Check GitHub CLI	Shows the installed GitHub CLI version.	gh --version
Login to GitHub	Authenticates the GitHub CLI.	gh auth login
Check authentication	Shows the current authentication status.	gh auth status
Clone repository	Clones a GitHub repository.	gh repo clone <owner>/<repo>
Create repository	Creates a new GitHub repository.	gh repo create
View repository	Displays repository information.	gh repo view
Open repository	Opens the repository in your browser.	gh repo view --web
List issues	Lists repository issues.	gh issue list
Create issue	Creates a GitHub issue.	gh issue create
List pull requests	Lists pull requests.	gh pr list
Create pull request	Creates a pull request.	gh pr create
View pull request	Displays pull request details.	gh pr view <number>
Checkout pull request	Checks out a pull request locally.	gh pr checkout <number>
Merge pull request	Merges a pull request.	gh pr merge <number>

Example:

gh auth login
gh repo view --web
gh pr list

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19. GitHub Pull Request Workflow

A common workflow for contributing changes is:

git switch main
git pull

git switch -c feature/my-feature

# Make your changes

git status
git add .
git commit -m "Add my feature"

git push -u origin feature/my-feature

Then create a Pull Request on GitHub.

With GitHub CLI:

gh pr create

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20. Common Git Workflow

For everyday development:

# Get the latest code
git pull

# Create a feature branch
git switch -c feature/my-feature

# Check changes
git status

# Stage changes
git add .

# Commit changes
git commit -m "Add my feature"

# Push branch
git push -u origin feature/my-feature

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21. Quick Fixes for Common Problems

Check which branch you are on

git branch --show-current

See what changed

git status
git diff

See recent commits

git log --oneline -10

Accidentally staged a file

git restore --staged <file>

Accidentally changed a file and want to discard it

git restore <file>

Temporarily save unfinished work

git stash

Restore stashed work

git stash pop

Update your local branch

git pull

See remote URL

git remote -v

Create a new branch

git switch -c feature/new-feature

Push a new branch

git push -u origin feature/new-feature

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22. Useful Git Aliases

Aliases allow you to create shorter Git commands.

Purpose	Command
Create co for checkout/switch	git config --global alias.co switch
Create br for branch	git config --global alias.br branch
Create ci for commit	git config --global alias.ci commit
Create st for status	git config --global alias.st status
Create a compact log	git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --all"

After creating the aliases:

git st
git br
git lg

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Most Frequently Used Commands

If you only want to remember the commands you use every day, start with these:

# Check status
git status

# Get latest changes
git pull

# Create a branch
git switch -c feature/my-feature

# Switch branch
git switch main

# Stage changes
git add .

# Commit changes
git commit -m "Your commit message"

# Push changes
git push

# Push a new branch
git push -u origin feature/my-feature

# View branches
git branch -a

# View commit history
git log --oneline

# Temporarily save changes
git stash

# Restore stash
git stash pop

# View remote repository
git remote -v

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Typical Git → GitHub Workflow

Create / Clone Repository
          ↓
       git pull
          ↓
   Create Feature Branch
          ↓
   Make Code Changes
          ↓
      git status
          ↓
       git add .
          ↓
  git commit -m "message"
          ↓
      git push
          ↓
   GitHub Pull Request
          ↓
       Code Review
          ↓
        Merge

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Git Command Cheat Sheet at a Glance

Category	Most Useful Commands
Setup	git config
Create repository	git init
Clone	git clone
Status	git status
Stage	git add
Commit	git commit
History	git log
Branch	git branch, git switch
Merge	git merge
Rebase	git rebase
Download changes	git fetch, git pull
Upload changes	git push
Remote	git remote
Undo	git restore, git revert, git reset
Temporary work	git stash
Compare	git diff
Releases	git tag
GitHub CLI	gh