---
name: git-workflow
description: "Essential Git patterns for effective version control, eliminating redundant Git guidance per agent."
user-invocable: false
version: "1.0.0"
category: agent-reference
effort: low
---
# Git Workflow
Essential Git patterns for effective version control. Eliminates ~120-150 lines of redundant Git guidance per agent.
## Commit Best Practices
### Conventional Commits Format
```
<type>(<scope>): <subject>
<body>
<footer>
```
**Types:**
- `feat`: New feature
- `fix`: Bug fix
- `docs`: Documentation only
- `refactor`: Code change that neither fixes bug nor adds feature
- `perf`: Performance improvement
- `test`: Adding or updating tests
- `chore`: Build process, dependencies, tooling
**Examples:**
```bash
feat(auth): add OAuth2 authentication
Implements OAuth2 flow using Google provider.
Includes token refresh and validation.
Closes #123
fix(api): handle null response in user endpoint
Previously crashed when user not found.
Now returns 404 with error message.
perf(db): optimize user query with index
Reduces query time from 500ms to 50ms.
```
### Atomic Commits
```bash
# Good: Each commit does one thing
git commit -m "feat: add user authentication"
git commit -m "test: add auth tests"
git commit -m "docs: update API docs for auth"
# Bad: Multiple unrelated changes
git commit -m "add auth, fix bugs, update docs"
```
## Branching Strategy
### Git Flow (Feature Branches)
```bash
# Create feature branch from main
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b feature/user-authentication
# Work on feature with regular commits
git add src/auth.py
git commit -m "feat(auth): implement login endpoint"
# Keep branch updated with main
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout feature/user-authentication
git rebase main # Or: git merge main
# Push and create PR
git push -u origin feature/user-authentication
```
### Trunk-Based Development
```bash
# Work directly on main with short-lived branches
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b fix/null-pointer
# Make small change
git commit -m "fix: handle null in user query"
git push origin fix/null-pointer
# Merge immediately via PR
```
## Common Workflows
### Updating Branch with Latest Changes
```bash
# Option 1: Rebase (cleaner history)
git checkout feature-branch
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
# Resolve conflicts if any
git add resolved_file.py
git rebase --continue
# Option 2: Merge (preserves history)
git checkout feature-branch
git merge origin/main
```
### Undoing Changes
```bash
# Undo last commit (keep changes)
git reset --soft HEAD~1
# Undo last commit (discard changes)
git reset --hard HEAD~1
# Undo changes to specific file
git checkout -- file.py
# Revert a commit (creates new commit)
git revert abc123
# Amend last commit
git add forgotten_file.py
git commit --amend --no-edit
```
### Getting a Temporary Clean Tree
When you need a clean tree to run one command — a baseline check, a bisect, a
build against `origin/main` — add a throwaway worktree instead of moving the
work already in your tree:
```bash
git worktree add .claude/worktrees/baseline-$$ origin/main
# … run the check there …
git worktree remove .claude/worktrees/baseline-$$
```
Your own tree keeps its changes throughout, so a command that dies partway
through leaves nothing to restore.
### Stashing Work
The stash stack is repo-global, not per-worktree: every worktree of a repo
shares one stack. Name each entry and restore it by ref, so you get back the
one you saved:
```bash
# Save current work under a name you can recognize
git stash push -u -m "WIP: authentication feature $(date +%s)"
# List first — confirm which ref is yours
git stash list
# Apply the ref you confirmed, not "the most recent"
git stash apply 'stash@{0}'
```
Check that the restored files are the ones you saved before dropping the entry.
### Cherry-Picking Commits
```bash
# Apply specific commit from another branch
git cherry-pick abc123
# Cherry-pick multiple commits
git cherry-pick abc123 def456
# Cherry-pick without committing
git cherry-pick -n abc123
```
## Resolving Conflicts
```bash
# When conflicts occur during merge/rebase
# 1. Check conflicted files
git status
# 2. Edit files to resolve conflicts
# Look for conflict markers:
<<<<<<< HEAD
Your changes
=======
Their changes
>>>>>>> branch-name
# 3. Mark as resolved
git add resolved_file.py
# 4. Continue operation
git rebase --continue # or git merge --continue
```
## Viewing History
```bash
# Compact log
git log --oneline -10
# Graphical log
git log --graph --oneline --all
# Commits by author
git log --author="John Doe"
# Commits affecting specific file
git log -- path/to/file.py
# See changes in commit
git show abc123
# Compare branches
git diff main..feature-branch
```
## Branch Management
```bash
# List branches
git branch -a # All branches (local + remote)
# Delete local branch
git branch -d feature-branch # Safe delete (merged only)
git branch -D feature-branch # Force delete
# Delete remote branch
git push origin --delete feature-branch
# Rename branch
git branch -m old-name new-name
# Track remote branch
git checkout --track origin/feature-branch
```
## Tags
```bash
# Create lightweight tag
git tag v1.0.0
# Create annotated tag (recommended)
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
# Push tags to remote
git push origin v1.0.0
git push origin --tags # Push all tags
# Checkout tag
git checkout v1.0.0
# Delete tag
git tag -d v1.0.0
git push origin --delete v1.0.0
```
## Advanced Operations
### Interactive Rebase
```bash
# Edit last 3 commits
git rebase -i HEAD~3
# Options in editor:
# pick = use commit
# reword = change commit message
# edit = stop to amend commit
# squash = combine with previous commit
# fixup = like squash but discard message
# drop = remove commit
```
### Bisect (Find Bug Introduction)
```bash
# Start bisect
git bisect start
git bisect bad # Current version has bug
git bisect good v1.0.0 # This version was good
# Git checks out middle commit
# Test if bug exists
git bisect bad # if bug exists
git bisect good # if bug doesn't exist
# Git narrows down until finding first bad commit
git bisect reset # Return to original branch
```
### Blame (Find Who Changed Line)
```bash
# See who last modified each line
git blame file.py
# Ignore whitespace changes
git blame -w file.py
# Show specific line range
git blame -L 10,20 file.py
```
## Git Hooks
```bash
# Pre-commit hook (runs before commit)
# .git/hooks/pre-commit
#!/bin/bash
npm run lint
npm test
# Pre-push hook (runs before push)
# .git/hooks/pre-push
#!/bin/bash
npm run test:integration
```
## Best Practices
### ✅ DO
- Commit frequently with atomic changes
- Write clear, descriptive commit messages
- Pull before push to avoid conflicts
- Review changes before committing (`git diff --staged`)
- Use branches for features and fixes
- Keep commits small and focused
### ❌ DON'T
- Commit sensitive data (use `.gitignore`)
- Commit generated files (build artifacts, `node_modules`)
- Force push to shared branches (`git push --force`)
- Commit work-in-progress to main
- Include multiple unrelated changes in one commit
- Rewrite public history
## .gitignore Patterns
```gitignore
# Dependencies
node_modules/
venv/
__pycache__/
# Build outputs
dist/
build/
*.pyc
*.o
*.exe
# IDE
.vscode/
.idea/
*.swp
# Secrets
.env
*.key
*.pem
secrets.yml
# OS
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
# Logs
*.log
logs/
```
## Quick Command Reference
```bash
# Status and diff
git status
git diff
git diff --staged
# Commit
git add .
git commit -m "message"
git push
# Branch
git branch
git checkout -b branch-name
git merge branch-name
# Update
git pull
git fetch
# Undo
git reset HEAD~1
git checkout -- file
git revert commit-hash
# History
git log
git log --oneline
git show commit-hash
```
## Remember
- **Commit often** - Small commits are easier to review and revert
- **Descriptive messages** - Future you will thank present you
- **Pull before push** - Stay synchronized with team
- **Use branches** - Keep main stable
- **Review before commit** - Check what is being committed