Undo last commit but keep everything staged
Move HEAD back one commit while preserving index and working tree.
bashANYgitresetsoftundo
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git reset --soft HEAD~1Great for rewriting the latest commit while keeping all changes ready to recommit.
Git Reset, Revert, and Restore Cheat Sheet
Understand the differences between reset, revert, and restore and use the right recovery command safely.
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Reset Basics
Move branch tips and manipulate the index intentionally.
Undo last commit and unstage changes
Move HEAD back one commit and leave changes in the working tree.
bashANYgitresetmixedundo
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git reset --mixed HEAD~1`--mixed` is the default reset mode and is commonly used when you want to recommit changes differently.
Discard last commit and local changes
Move HEAD back one commit and discard index and working tree changes.
bashANYgitresetharddanger
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git reset --hard HEAD~1Very destructive locally. Use only when you are sure you want to discard the changes.
Unstage a single file
Remove a path from the index without changing its contents in the working tree.
bashANYgitresetunstageindex
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git reset HEAD path/to/fileClassic staging-area reset for one path. Modern workflows may also use `git restore --staged`.
Reset out of a conflicted merge state
Try to leave local changes intact while backing out of a merge-like operation.
bashANYgitresetmergerecovery
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git reset --merge ORIG_HEADUseful after failed merge or pull operations. Git documents `--merge` as intended for resetting out of conflicted merges.
Revert Basics
Create new commits that reverse previous commits.
bashANYgitrevertundohistory
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git revert <commit_sha>Preferred for undoing already-shared history because it preserves the public timeline.
Revert several commits without auto-committing
Apply inverse changes into the index and working tree first.
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git revert --no-commit <start_commit>^..<end_commit>Useful when combining multiple reversions into a single manual commit.
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git revert -m 1 <merge_commit_sha>Reverting a merge requires specifying the mainline parent. Be careful because later merges can behave differently after this.
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git revert --continueRevert can stop on conflicts just like cherry-pick and rebase.
Restore Basics
Restore file content from the index or another revision.
bashANYgitrestoreworking-treeundo
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git restore path/to/fileModern command for throwing away local unstaged edits to a path.
bashANYgitrestorestagedindex
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git restore --staged path/to/fileModern alternative to `git reset HEAD path/to/file` when you only want to affect the staging area.
Restore a file from another commit
Copy file contents from a specific commit into the working tree.
bashANYgitrestoresourcefile
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git restore --source=<commit_sha> path/to/fileUseful when you need one path as it existed in a different revision without moving branch history.
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git restore --patch path/to/filePowerful for partial undo operations at hunk granularity.
Restore both index and working tree from another commit
Reset a file to another revision in both staging area and working tree.
bashANYgitrestorestagedworktree
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git restore --source=<commit_sha> --staged --worktree path/to/fileUseful when you want a path to match another commit exactly in both locations.
Decision Guide
Choose the right undo command for the situation.
Mental model for reset vs restore vs revert
Quick decision guide for the three similarly named commands.
textANYgitresetrestorerevert
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reset = move branch/history
restore = restore file content/index state
revert = add new commit that undoes old commitGit’s official guidance distinguishes these commands clearly: reset moves refs/history, restore restores files/index, and revert records new inverse commits.
Create a safety branch before destructive changes
Save a recovery pointer before hard reset or risky history edits.
bashANYgitsafetybackuprecovery
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git branch backup-before-resetA simple but strong safeguard before destructive operations like hard reset or forceful history rewriting.
bashANYgitreflogresetrecovery
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git reflogIf you used the wrong reset mode or target, reflog is usually the fastest path back.
More in Git Advanced
Git Bisect, Cherry-pick, and Submodule Cheat Sheet
Advanced workflows for regression hunting, selective commit transfer, and repository dependency management.
Git Stash, Worktree, and Clean Cheat Sheet
Temporary work preservation, multi-worktree workflows, cleanup commands, and conflict-resolution reuse.
Git Reflog and Recovery Cheat Sheet
Recover commits, branches, and work after resets, rebases, deletes, and mistaken force updates.
Git Rebase Cheat Sheet
Advanced rebase commands, interactive workflows, conflict handling, and branch-transplant patterns.
Git Advanced Cheat Sheet
Advanced Git commands and workflows for rewriting history, recovering commits, debugging regressions, working with multiple trees, and maintaining repositories.