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Alex Spinov
Alex Spinov

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7 Git Aliases That Save Me 30 Minutes Every Day

#git #productivity #devops #beginners

I type these 50+ times a day

Add these to your ~/.gitconfig:

[alias]
    s = status -sb
    co = checkout
    br = branch
    ci = commit
    lg = log --oneline --graph --decorate -20
    undo = reset HEAD~1 --mixed
    amend = commit --amend --no-edit
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1. git s — Short Status 

$ git s
## main...origin/main
 M src/app.py
?? tests/new_test.py
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Instead of the verbose default output. Shows branch tracking info in one line.

2. git lg — Visual Log 

$ git lg
* a1b2c3d (HEAD -> main) Fix rate limiting bug
* d4e5f6g Add retry logic to scraper
|\  
| * 7h8i9j0 (feature/auth) Add OAuth support
|/
* k1l2m3n Initial commit
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See your entire branch history as a graph. Better than any GUI.

3. git undo — Undo Last Commit (Keep Changes) 

$ git undo
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Undoes the last commit but keeps all changes staged. Essential when you commit too early.

4. git amend — Quick Fix Last Commit 

$ git add forgotten_file.py
$ git amend
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Adds staged changes to the previous commit without changing the message. I use this 10+ times a day.

5. Custom: git wip — Save Work in Progress 

[alias]
    wip = !git add -A && git commit -m "WIP: $(date +%H:%M)"
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$ git wip
[main abc1234] WIP: 14:32
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Quick snapshot of your current state. Great before switching branches.

6. Custom: git fresh — Sync With Main 

[alias]
    fresh = !git checkout main && git pull && git checkout - && git rebase main
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One command to update your feature branch with the latest main.

7. Custom: git cleanup — Delete Merged Branches 

[alias]
    cleanup = !git branch --merged main | grep -v main | xargs -r git branch -d
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Cleans up all branches that have been merged. Run weekly.

Full .gitconfig block 

[alias]
    s = status -sb
    co = checkout
    br = branch
    ci = commit
    lg = log --oneline --graph --decorate -20
    undo = reset HEAD~1 --mixed
    amend = commit --amend --no-edit
    wip = !git add -A && git commit -m "WIP: $(date +%H:%M)"
    fresh = !git checkout main && git pull && git checkout - && git rebase main
    cleanup = !git branch --merged main | grep -v main | xargs -r git branch -d
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Copy-paste this into your ~/.gitconfig and you're done.

What git aliases do you use? I'm always looking for new ones.

Follow me for developer productivity tips. I write about Python, automation, and APIs.

More from me: 10 Dev Tools I Use Daily | 77 Scrapers on a Schedule | 150+ Free APIs

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