Master Git Rebase: A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Using Git Rebase

Git rebase is a fundamental command in Git used to integrate changes from one branch into another by moving or combining commits. Unlike merging, which creates a new commit to combine histories, rebasing rewrites the commit history to produce a linear sequence of commits. Essentially, it allows developers to change the base of their branch from one commit to another, making it appear as if the branch was created from a different starting point.

Rebasing is often described as a “linear” way of combining commits because it avoids the complex merge commits that sometimes clutter the project history. Instead, it creates a cleaner, more streamlined sequence of commits.

Why Use Git Rebase?

When working on a project, multiple developers often create branches to develop new features or fix bugs. These branches diverge from the main branch at different points in time. Over time, the main branch evolves as new commits are added by various team members.

If you continue to work on your feature branch without updating it with the latest changes from the main branch, you might run into conflicts later. Git rebase helps by allowing you to “rebase” your branch onto the latest commit of the main branch, ensuring your work includes all recent updates. This process keeps your branch up-to-date and avoids complex merges.

How Git Rebase Works

When performing a rebase, Git essentially performs the following steps internally:

• It identifies the commits on your branch that are not on the base branch (e.g., main).

• Git temporarily removes these commits from your branch.

• It moves the branch pointer to the latest commit on the base branch.

• Git reapplies your commits one by one on top of this new base.

This rewriting of commit history means that although your branch looks the same after the rebase, it is composed of new commits with new commit IDs.

Rebase Versus Merge

Both rebase and merge are used to integrate changes from one branch into another. The difference lies in how they handle history.

When you merge, Git creates a new commit that combines the histories of both branches. This results in a branching history with merge commits, which can sometimes become complex and harder to follow.

With rebase, you relocate your commits onto the latest commit of another branch, resulting in a straight, linear history. This makes the project history cleaner and easier to navigate.

However, because rebase rewrites history, it requires caution when collaborating, especially when working with shared branches.

Practical Scenario: Rebase in Action

Imagine you are developing a feature on a branch called “feature-branch,” which was created from the main branch. Meanwhile, the main branch has received new commits from other team members. To incorporate those changes into your feature branch, you have two options:

• Merge: You merge the main branch into your feature branch, creating a merge commit.

• Rebase: You rebase your feature branch onto the latest commit of the main branch, replaying your work on top of the updated main branch.

If you choose to merge, your history will include the merge commit. If you choose to rebase, your branch will look like it was started from the latest commit on the main branch, resulting in a clean, linear history.

Types of Git Rebase

The basic rebase involves moving commits from your current branch and applying them on top of another branch’s latest commit. This helps incorporate upstream changes from the main branch into your feature branch before the final merge. By resolving conflicts during rebasing, you ensure your commits will apply cleanly when merged later.

Basic rebasing is commonly used to update feature branches with the latest changes from the main branch, reducing merge conflicts and keeping the history linear.

Interactive Rebase

Interactive rebase is a powerful feature that allows developers to edit, reorder, combine, or remove commits before pushing them to a remote repository. When running an interactive rebase, Git opens an editor displaying a list of commits involved. You can then choose actions for each commit, such as:

• Rewording commit messages

• Squashing multiple commits into one

• Dropping unnecessary commits

• Splitting a commit into smaller parts

This process helps maintain a clean and meaningful commit history, which is crucial for collaboration and code review.

When to Use Interactive Rebase

Interactive rebasing is particularly useful in these scenarios:

• Cleaning up commit history before sharing your branch with others

• Organizing commits logically before merging into the main branch

• Combining minor or fixup commits into more significant, meaningful commits.

• Removing sensitive or erroneous commits before pushing

Interactive rebase offers granular control over the commit history, making the project easier to understand and maintain.

Benefits of Using Git Rebase

One of the main advantages of rebasing is the creation of a clean, linear commit history. This makes it easier to understand the progression of changes without the noise of merge commits cluttering the log.

Avoiding Merge Commit Clutter

In projects with multiple contributors and frequent merges, the commit history can become complex and difficult to follow. Rebasing eliminates the unnecessary merge commits, making the history more concise.

Easier Code Review and Debugging

A linear history simplifies reviewing code changes, as each commit represents a clear step in development. It also helps when debugging because it’s easier to trace the changes that led to a bug.

Organizing Commits Logically

By using interactive rebase, developers can organize commits into meaningful groups, improving project documentation and understanding.

Facilitating Collaboration

Rebasing helps keep branches updated with the latest changes from the main branch, reducing conflicts and improving collaboration among team members.

Git Rebase Modes and How to Use Them

The standard rebase mode automatically takes the commits from your current branch and reapplies them on top of another branch’s tip. This process is straightforward and usually involves minimal manual intervention unless conflicts occur.

The basic syntax for a standard rebase is:

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git rebase <base-branch>

 

For example, if you want to rebase your feature branch onto the main branch, you would first check out your feature branch and then run:

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git rebase main

 

Git will sequentially replay your commits on top of the main branch’s latest commit, allowing you to resolve conflicts if they arise.

Interactive Git Rebase

Interactive rebase is invoked using the– interactive (or -i) flag:

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git rebase –interactive <base-branch>

 

This command opens a text editor listing the commits that will be rebased, along with commands you can apply to each commit, such as pick, squash, edit, or drop.

Common uses of interactive rebase include:

• Squashing multiple small commits into a single meaningful commit

• Editing commit messages for clarity or accuracy

• Reordering commits to maintain logical progression

• Removing commits that are no longer necessary

By refining the commit history before pushing changes, developers ensure the repository’s history remains clean and understandable.

Common Commands in Interactive Rebase

• Pick: Use the commit as is

• Reword: Change the commit message

• Edit: Pause the rebase to make changes in the commit

• Squash: Combine this commit with the previous one

• Fixup: Like squash, but discard the commit message.

• Drop: Remove the commit entirely from history.

Benefits of Interactive Rebase Over Standard Rebase

Interactive rebase provides more control over the commit history, enabling developers to craft a narrative that accurately represents the development process. It is especially useful before merging a feature branch to maintain a clean, professional project history.

Git Rebase Commands Explained

Essential Git Rebase Commands

Here is a summary of key Git rebase commands and their purposes:

• Git rebase <base>: Performs a standard rebase by replaying your branch commits onto the specified base branch.

• Git rebase– interactive <base>: Launches an interactive rebase session to modify commit history.

• Git rebase continue: After resolving conflicts during a rebase, this command continues the rebase process.

• Git rebase– skip: Skips the current commit that is causing conflict, removing it from the rebase sequence.

• Git rebase– abort: Cancels the rebase operation and returns the branch to its original state before the rebase began.

• Git rebase– quit: Stops the rebase process without resetting the branch, leaving changes in place for manual intervention.

• Git status: Shows the status of the repository during the rebase process.

Handling Conflicts During Rebase

Conflicts are common during a rebase, especially when your commits touch the same code areas as recent changes on the base branch. When a conflict occurs:

• Git will pause the rebase and mark the conflicting files.

• You must manually resolve conflicts by editing files.

Once resolved, stage the changes using:

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git add <file>

Then continue the rebase with:

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Git rebase– continue.

If you decide the conflict is too complicated or the rebase should be stopped, you can abort with:

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git rebase– abort

 

This resets your branch to the state before the rebase started.

Using Git Pull with Rebase

git pull is a command that fetches changes from a remote repository and merges them into the current branch. By default, it performs a fetch followed by a merge.

Git Pull Rebase

Instead of merging, you can configure Git to rebase your changes on top of the fetched branch during a pull. This avoids unnecessary merge commits and maintains a cleaner history.

To perform a pull with rebase, use:

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git pull– rebase

 

Alternatively, you can set this behavior as the default for all pulls on your repository with:

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git config– global pull. rebase true

Orr for a specific branch:

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git config branch.<branch-name>. rebase true

 

This is particularly helpful for developers working on shared branches to avoid merge commits when syncing their local branches with upstream changes.

Benefits of Pulling with Rebase

• Keeps the commit history linear and easy to follow

• Reduces clutter caused by frequent merges

• Simplifies reviewing changes before pushing to a remote repository

Rebasing Branches in Practice

Rebase a Feature Branch onto the Main Branch

When working on a feature branch, you often want to integrate the latest changes from the main branch to keep your work current and minimize conflicts before merging back.

The workflow is:

Switch to your feature branch:

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git checkout feature-branch

Rebase onto the main branch:

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git rebase main

This reapplies your feature branch commits onto the latest commit in the main branch.

Benefits of Rebasing Feature Branches

• Incorporates upstream changes early and frequently

• Avoids large, complex merge conflicts later

• Produces a linear and tidy commit history

Combining Multiple Branches

Sometimes, a developer might want to combine commits from different branches. Rebasing is an efficient way to move the commits from one branch onto another, creating a coherent branch that integrates the work.

The steps typically involve:

• Checking out the target branch

• Rebasing the source branch commits onto the target branch.

For example:

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git checkout feature-branch

git rebase develop

 

This places your feature branch commits on top of the current state of the develop branch.

Advanced Git Rebase Techniques

Using git rebase– onto

The– onto option provides advanced control during a rebase by allowing you to specify a new base commit for a subset of commits, rather than rebasing the entire branch.

The syntax is:

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git rebase –onto <newbase> <oldbase> [branch]

 

• <newbase> is the commit you want to rebase onto.

• <oldbase> is the commit where the rebase starts, excluding this commit.

• [branch] is optional; if omitted, it defaults to the current branch.

Example Use Case

Suppose you want to move commits that come after commit A onto commit B. You can do:

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git rebase –onto B A feature-branch

 

This takes all commits on the feature-branch after commit A and reapplies them onto commit B.

This is particularly useful when you want to:

• Rebase a subset of commits selectively.

• Move part of your branch onto another base.

• Split a long history into smaller, more manageable segments.

Recovering From a Problematic Rebase

Sometimes, rebasing can go wrong, especially when rewriting history with force pushes. To recover:

• Use git reflog to find the commit references before the rebase.

• Reset your branch to a safe commit.

For example:

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git reflog

git reset –hard <commit-hash>

 

You can then rebase carefully again, or merge as needed.

Rebase and Force Push

Because rebase rewrites commit history by creating new commit IDs, you must be cautious when pushing rebased branches to shared repositories.

After a rebase, you will typically need to force push:

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git push– force

 

Or more safely:

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git push– force-with-lease

 

The– force-with-lease option protects against overwriting others’ work by ensuring the remote branch is in the expected state before pushing.

Best Practices for Force Pushing After Rebase

• Communicate with your team before force pushing.

• Ensure no one else is working on the same branch to avoid overwriting their changes.

• Consider rebasing only local branches or feature branches before merging.

Git Rebase vs Git Merge

Key Differences

• Git Merge creates a new commit that combines the histories of two branches, preserving the branching history.

• Git Rebase moves your branch commits to a new base commit, creating a linear, cleaner history.

When to Use Merge

• When you want to preserve the full context and history of branch divergence.

• When working on a shared branch with multiple contributors.

• When the branch history’s context is important for future reference.

When to Use Rebase

• When working on a private feature branch.

• To keep the commit history linear and easier to follow.

• Before merging a feature branch into the main branch to reduce clutter.

• To incorporate upstream changes frequently and avoid complex merges.

Visualizing the Difference

Merge example:

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*   Merge commit (combines branches)

|\

| * Feature commit 2

| * Feature commit 1

* | Main commit 3

* | Main commit 2

* | Main commit 1

 

Rebase example:

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* Feature commit 2 (rebased)

* Feature commit 1 (rebased)

* Main commit 3

* Main commit 2

* Main commit 1

 

Rebase produces a straight, linear history, while merge shows branch points and merges explicitly.

Managing Conflicts During Rebase

Common Causes of Conflicts

Conflicts during rebase occur when changes in your branch overlap or contradict changes in the base branch.

Typical causes include:

• Modifications to the same lines of code.

• Changes in the same files or functions.

• Divergent refactors or renames.

Resolving Conflicts Step-by-Step

When Git encounters a conflict during rebase:

1. Git stops and marks the conflicting files.

2. Run git status to see files with conflicts.

3. Open conflicting files and manually edit to resolve issues.

4. Once resolved, stage the changes:

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git add <file>

 

1. Continue the rebase:

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git rebase– continue

 

1. If further conflicts arise, repeat the steps.

2. To skip the conflicting commit altogether (only when safe), run:

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git rebase– skip

 

1. To abort the entire rebase and return to the original state:

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git rebase– abort

 

Tips to Minimize Conflicts

• Rebase frequently to keep up with upstream changes.

• Communicate with your team to coordinate overlapping changes.

• Keep your commits small and focused.

• Use interactive rebase to clean up commits before pushing.

Best Practices for Using Git Rebase

Use Rebase Only on Local or Private Branches

Avoid rebasing public branches shared with others, as rewriting history will require others to manually fix their local branches.

Keep Commit History Clean

Regularly squash, edit, or reorder commits to make history more readable and meaningful.

Communicate with Your Team

Before rebasing and force pushing, notify team members to avoid conflicts or lost work.

Regularly Rebase Against the Main Branch

This practice helps incorporate upstream changes early, reducing complex conflicts later.

Test After Rebasing

Run tests or build the project after rebasing to ensure changes integrate smoothly.

Git Pull with Rebase

What is git pull– rebase?

By default, git pull fetches changes from the remote repository and merges them into your current branch, potentially creating a merge commit. Using git pull– rebase changes this behavior by rebasing your local commits on top of the upstream changes instead of merging.

This keeps the commit history linear and avoids unnecessary merge commits, which is especially helpful when collaborating with a team.

How to Use git pull– rebase

Run this command to fetch and rebase:

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git pull– rebase

 

This command will:

• Fetch the latest changes from the remote branch.

• Reapply your local commits on top of the updated remote branch.

• Pause to resolve conflicts if any arise during the rebase.

Configuring Git to Always Use Rebase on Pull

You can set Git to always use rebase instead of merge when pulling:

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git config– global pull. rebase true

 

Alternatively, for a single repository:

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git config pull.rebasee true

 

This configuration helps maintain a cleaner history by default.

Combining Multiple Branches Using Rebase

Scenario: Multiple Feature Branches

In complex projects, you might have multiple feature branches with independent commits. Sometimes you want to combine those commits into a single branch to simplify integration or deployment.

How to Rebase a Branch onto Another Branch

1. Switch to the branch you want to update:

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git checkout feature-branch

 

1. Rebase it onto the target branch (e.g., main):

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git rebase main

 

This will:

• Move your feature branch commits on top of the latest commits in the main branch.

• Allow you to resolve any conflicts that occur.

Rebasing Multiple Feature Branches

If you want to combine changes from multiple branches, you can rebase one feature branch onto another:

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git checkout feature-branch-2

git rebase feature-branch-1

 

After rebasing, all commits from feature-branch-2 will be placed on top of feature-branch-1 commits, making a linear history.

Aborting and Quitting a Rebase

Why Abort or Quit a Rebase?

Sometimes, during a rebase, conflicts may be complicated or the rebase may no longer be desirable. Git provides options to stop or cancel the rebase process.

Differences Between git rebase –abort and git rebase –quit

• git rebase– abort: Completely cancels the rebase and resets the branch to its original state before starting the rebase. This is useful when conflicts are too complex or you decide not to proceed.

• Git rebase– quit: Stops the rebase but does not reset the HEAD. It is helpful if the rebase is stuck or you want to clean up without undoing changes.

How to Use These Commands

To abort a rebase and return to the original branch state:

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git rebase– abort

 

To quit a rebase without resetting HEAD:

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git rebase– quit

 

Use these commands carefully, depending on your needs.

Best Practices and Final Tips for Using Git Rebase

Plan Your Rebase Strategy

Decide when and where rebasing fits best in your workflow. Use it primarily to keep feature branches updated and histories clean before merging.

Communicate and Coordinate

Always inform your team before rebasing shared branches or force pushing rebased commits to remote repositories.

Use Interactive Rebase for Commit Cleanup

Interactive rebasing helps polish commit history by squashing minor fixes or organizing logical changes into meaningful commits.

Be Cautious With Public Branches

Never rebase commits that have been pushed to shared branches unless everyone involved agrees and understands the implications.

Regularly Back Up Your Work

Before complex rebases, consider creating a backup branch:

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git branch backup-feature-branch

 

This protects against data loss in case you need to restore.

Learn to Resolve Conflicts Efficiently

Practice resolving rebase conflicts to speed up your workflow and reduce errors.

Avoid Rebasing Large Merge Commits

Rebasing merge commits can be complex and error-prone. Instead, use merges for those situations.

Summary

Git rebase is a powerful tool for managing branch histories, creating a cleaner, linear commit structure, and integrating changes from one branch onto another. It offers significant advantages over merging when used correctly, such as simplifying project history and making it easier to understand.

Understanding the differences between standard and interactive rebase, along with advanced options like– onto, allows developers to tailor rebasing to their workflows. However, care must be taken, especially with public branches, as rebasing rewrites history and can disrupt other collaborators.

Mastering Git rebase commands like– continue,– skip,– abort, and knowing how to handle conflicts are essential skills for developers working in team environments. Using Git pull with rebase further enhances collaboration by keeping local changes aligned cleanly with remote updates.

When done thoughtfully and collaboratively, Git rebase helps streamline development workflows, improve code quality, and maintain a clear project history.