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Git branches

A branch is a movable name pointing to a line of commits. Branches let you isolate work, review changes, and merge completed work without disturbing another line of development.

Branch tasks

Task Page
Create or switch branches Create and switch branches
Compare branches Compare branches
Combine completed work Merge a branch
Update a branch safely Rebase and synchronize
Remove or recover branches Delete and restore branches
Preserve files on a backup branch Archive files on a backup branch

Check your location first

Run git status --short --branch before branch operations. The first line shows the current branch and tracking state; the following lines show changed files.

A focused branch cycle

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flowchart TD
    A[main] --> B[Create branch]
    B --> C[Work and commit]
    C --> D[Review changes]
    D --> E[Merge or open pull request]