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⚡ Git & GitHub Ultimate Command Cheat Sheet

A high-density reference sheet of essential Git and GitHub commands, organized by category, followed by the 🚨 Git Emergency Room triage guide for instant recovery from mistakes.

📑 Quick Navigation

⚙️ 1. Configuration & Setup

Command Description Example / Note
git config --global user.name "<name>" Sets your global author name git config --global user.name "Alice Dev"
git config --global user.email "<email>" Sets your global author email git config --global user.email "alice@dev.io"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main Sets main as the default initial branch Recommended for all new repos
git config --global core.editor "<editor>" Sets default editor for commit messages git config --global core.editor "code --wait"
git config --list Displays all active Git configurations Checks system, global, and local settings
git init Initializes a new local Git repository Creates the hidden .git folder
git clone <url> Clones a remote repository to local machine git clone git@github.com:user/repo.git

🔄 2. Daily Local Workflow

Command Description Example / Note
git status Shows state of working directory and staging area Always run this first
git add <file> Stages a specific file for the next commit git add index.html
git add . Stages ALL modified, deleted, and new files Prepares entire project for commit
git add -p Interactive staging (stages changes hunk by hunk) Great for reviewing code piece by piece
git commit -m "<msg>" Records staged snapshot to repository history git commit -m "feat: add user login"
git commit -am "<msg>" Stages tracked modified files AND commits in one step Skips git add for existing tracked files
git commit --amend Amends the most recent commit Use to fix typo in message or add forgotten files

🌿 3. Branching & Switching

Command Description Example / Note
git branch Lists all local branches (* = current active branch) git branch
git branch -a Lists all local and remote-tracking branches Shows remotes/origin/...
git switch <branch> Switches to an existing branch Modern replacement for git checkout
git switch -c <branch> Creates and switches to a new branch immediately git switch -c feat/darkmode
git branch -m <new-name> Renames the current active branch git branch -m main
git merge <branch> Merges specified branch into your active branch git merge feat/darkmode
git branch -d <branch> Safely deletes a merged local branch git branch -d feat/darkmode
git branch -D <branch> Force deletes an unmerged local branch ⚠️ Deletes unmerged commits

☁️ 4. Remote Repositories & GitHub

Command Description Example / Note
git remote add origin <url> Links local repository to a remote repository URL git remote add origin git@github.com:user/repo.git
git remote -v Lists all configured remote URLs Shows fetch and push endpoints
git push -u origin <branch> Pushes branch to remote and sets upstream tracking git push -u origin main
git push Pushes commits to the tracked upstream branch Used after -u has been configured
git pull Fetches remote changes AND merges them into active branch Shortcut for fetch + merge
git fetch Downloads objects and refs from remote without merging Inspect remote work safely
git push origin --delete <branch> Deletes a branch on GitHub remote git push origin --delete feat/legacy
git fetch --prune Removes stale remote tracking branches Cleans up branches deleted on GitHub

🔍 5. Inspecting, Diffs & History

Command Description Example / Note
git diff Shows unstaged changes in working directory Compares working tree vs staging area
git diff --staged Shows changes that are staged for the next commit Compares staging area vs last commit
git diff <b1>..<b2> Shows differences between two branches git diff main..feature
git log Displays full commit history Standard multi-line log
git log --oneline Displays compact one-line-per-commit history Quick history scan
git log --oneline --graph --all Visual ASCII branch and merge tree High-level repository topology
git show <commit> Shows details, metadata, and diff of a specific commit git show 4a8b1c2
git blame <file> Shows line-by-line author and commit history of a file Great for finding who wrote a specific line

🎒 6. Stashing (Temporary Shelving)

Command Description Example / Note
git stash / git stash push -m "<msg>" Saves dirty working changes to temporary stash git stash push -m "WIP: auth"
git stash list Lists all saved stashes Shows stash@{0}, stash@{1}, etc.
git stash pop Applies the latest stash AND removes it from list Restores changes back to working tree
git stash apply Applies the latest stash BUT keeps it in the stash list Useful to apply stash on multiple branches
git stash -u Stashes tracked AND untracked (new) files Leaves directory completely clean
git stash drop stash@{0} Deletes a specific stash from the list Discards stashed changes
git stash clear Permanently deletes all stashes Empties the entire stash stack

⏪ 7. Undoing & Rewriting History

Command Description Example / Note
git restore <file> Discards uncommitted changes in working directory ⚠️ Reverts file to last commit
git restore --staged <file> Unstages a file while preserving your local edits Moves file out of staging area
git revert <commit> Creates a NEW commit that reverses specified commit Safe for public branches
git reset --soft HEAD~1 Undoes last commit, keeps changes staged Perfect for amending or reorganizing commits
git reset --mixed HEAD~1 Undoes last commit, keeps changes unstaged Default reset behavior
git reset --hard HEAD~1 Undoes last commit and DESTROYS all local edits ⚠️ Irreversible data loss risk
git rebase <base-branch> Replays current branch commits on top of base branch Creates a clean linear history
git rebase -i HEAD~<N> Interactive rebase for the last N commits Squash, reword, edit, or drop commits
git cherry-pick <commit> Applies specific commit from another branch to active branch git cherry-pick 7a8b9c

🛠️ 8. Advanced Debugging & Recovery

Command Description Example / Note
git reflog Logs every single movement of HEAD (commits, checkouts, resets) The ultimate emergency safety net
git bisect start Initiates binary search mode to locate bug introduction git bisect start
git bisect bad Marks current commit as buggy / broken git bisect bad
git bisect good <commit> Marks a past commit as working / clean git bisect good v1.0.0
git bisect run <cmd> Automatically tests commits using an automated script git bisect run npm test
git bisect reset Exits bisect mode and returns to starting branch Cleans up bisect state

🚨 The Git Emergency Room (What to Do When Things Go Wrong)

The Scenario / Mistake The Immediate Solution
"I accidentally committed directly to main instead of a feature branch!" 1. Create feature branch where you are: git branch feat/my-work
2. Wind main back 1 commit: git reset --hard HEAD~1
3. Switch to your feature branch: git switch feat/my-work
"I typed the wrong commit message on my last commit." git commit --amend -m "feat: corrected commit message"
"I forgot to add a file to the commit I just made." git add forgotten-file.js
git commit --amend --no-edit
"I accidentally deleted a branch with unmerged work!" 1. Run git reflog and locate the hash of the last commit on that branch.
2. Run git branch <branch-name> <commit-hash>
"I made messy uncommitted edits and want to discard EVERYTHING back to clean state." git restore .
git clean -fd (Removes untracked files and directories)
"I accidentally committed an API key or password (not yet pushed)!" 1. Undo commit: git reset --soft HEAD~1
2. Remove secret file from staging: git restore --staged .env
3. Add .env to .gitignore
4. Re-commit: git commit -m "feat: my commit without secret"
"Git says error: failed to push some refs because remote has new changes." Pull and rebase cleanly before pushing:
git pull --rebase origin main
git push origin main
"I am stuck in Vim / an editor after typing git commit!" Press Esc, type :wq, and press Enter (or ZZ) to save and exit. To cancel without saving: Esc, :q!, Enter.
"A merge or rebase went horribly wrong and I want to abort!" For a merge: git merge --abort
For a rebase: git rebase --abort