🚀 7 Git Tricks You Probably Didn't Know Existed

Shahrkh Sidd — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 04:10:12 +0000

We all use git daily, but it has a ton of powerful (and lesser-known) features that can make your life easier. Here are some Git tricks that go beyond git status and git push.

Undo Your Last Commit (But Keep Changes)

git reset --soft HEAD~1

This undoes your last commit but keeps your changes staged. Super handy when you realize your commit message was wrong or you forgot to include a file.

Undo Last Commit (keep changes)

📘 Git Reset Explained

Remove a File from History (Without Nuking Your Repo)

git filter-branch --force --index-filter \
"git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch SECRET_FILE" \
--prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all

Oops! Did you commit an API key? This will remove the file from all commits.
(Use with caution — history rewrite ahead!)

Remove a File from Git History

📘 Removing Sensitive Data from Git History

See Who Changed a Specific Line

git blame FILE

Find out who changed which line of code and when. Useful for tracking down bugs or understanding legacy logic.

Git Blame

📘 Git Blame Documentation

Stash Only Certain Files

git stash push -m "my partial stash" myfile.js

No need to stash everything. This command lets you stash just one or a few files.

Stash Specific Files

📘 Advanced Git Stash Usage

Show Changes in a File You Staged

git diff --cached

Check what's going to be committed — super helpful before running git commit.

Show Staged Changes

📘 git diff vs git diff --cached

Remove Local Branches That Are Already Merged

git branch --merged | grep -v '*' | xargs git branch -d

Clean up your local repo by deleting all fully merged branches.

Remove Merged Branches

📘 Cleaning Up Local Git Branches

See Your Commit History Like a Tree

git log --oneline --graph --all

Visualize your commit history across branches. Great for understanding project flow.

View Commit Tree

📘 Visualize Git Log Like a Pro

💬 Got Any Favorites?

Which of these did you not know? Or do you have a secret Git trick of your own?
Drop it below — let’s learn from each other! 🙌

DEV Community: Shahrkh Sidd

🚀 7 Git Tricks You Probably Didn't Know Existed