bash
git stash push -m "WIP before review"Notes
Messages make stash history much easier to understand in long-running repositories.
Git Stash, Worktree, and Clean Cheat Sheet
Temporary work preservation, multi-worktree workflows, cleanup commands, and conflict-resolution reuse.
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Stash Workflows
Save, inspect, apply, branch from, and manage stashes.
Stash unstaged changes only
Keep staged changes in the index and stash the rest.
bashANYgitstashindex
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git stash push --keep-index -m "stash unstaged only"Notes
Useful when you want to test or commit only what is staged while setting aside unrelated work.
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git stash push -m "stash selected files" -- path/to/file another/fileNotes
Advanced stash usage for partial working tree preservation.
List stashes with diffstat
See stash entries and a compact summary of their changes.
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git stash list --statNotes
Helpful when you have many stashes and need a quick overview of their scope.
Show full patch for a stash
Inspect the actual diff stored in a stash entry.
bashANYgitstashpatchinspect
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git stash show -p stash@{0}Notes
Useful before applying or branching from an older stash.
Create a branch from a stash
Check out a new branch and apply a stash there.
bashANYgitstashbranchrecovery
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git stash branch recovered-wip stash@{0}Notes
Very useful when a stash no longer applies cleanly on the current branch but should become dedicated work.
Worktree Workflows
Maintain multiple working directories from one repository.
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git worktree listNotes
The first command to run when managing multiple checkouts from the same repository.
Create a detached worktree at a commit
Check out a specific commit in a new working tree.
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git worktree add --detach ../investigation <commit_sha>Notes
Useful for quick historical investigation without disturbing active branches.
Create worktree and new branch together
Add a worktree and create a new branch from current HEAD.
bashANYgitworktreebranch
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git worktree add -b hotfix ../hotfixNotes
A fast way to spin up a new isolated working directory for urgent work.
Lock a worktree
Prevent a worktree from being pruned or accidentally removed.
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git worktree lock ../feature --reason "USB drive worktree"Notes
Useful when the worktree lives on a removable or temporarily unavailable path.
Prune stale worktree administrative entries
Clean up references to missing worktree directories.
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git worktree pruneNotes
Helpful after manually deleting worktree directories outside Git.
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git worktree remove --force ../featureNotes
Use `--force` only when the worktree has local changes or other blockers and you intentionally want it removed.
Clean and Temporary File Management
Remove untracked files safely and recover from build clutter.
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git clean -nNotes
Always preview before cleaning. This is the safest habit for `git clean`.
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git clean -fNotes
Deletes untracked files only, not directories or ignored files.
Delete untracked files and directories
Remove untracked files and directories.
bashANYgitcleandirectories
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git clean -fdNotes
Common when resetting a repository after generated build artifacts and local temp directories.
Delete ignored files too
Remove ignored and untracked files and directories.
bashANYgitcleanignoreddanger
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git clean -fdxNotes
Very destructive in projects with ignored local configs or build outputs. Use carefully.
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git clean -iNotes
Safer than force-cleaning when you want more control over what gets removed.
Rerere and Repeated Conflict Resolution
Record and reuse conflict resolutions across merges and rebases.
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git config --global rerere.enabled trueNotes
Excellent for repeated rebases, repeated cherry-picks, or long-running branches that see the same conflict patterns.
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git rerere diffNotes
Useful when verifying that rerere recorded the intended resolution.
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git rerere clearNotes
Helpful if rerere recorded an incorrect or unwanted resolution pattern.
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 Reset, Revert, and Restore Cheat Sheet
Understand the differences between reset, revert, and restore and use the right recovery command safely.
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.