50 Git Commands Every Developer Should Know

Git is the de facto standard for version control, used by millions of developers and nearly every software project on the planet. But despite being ubiquitous, many developers only know a handful of commands — enough to get by, but not enough to work efficiently. This guide covers the 50 most important Git commands, organized by task. You'll learn not just what each command does, but when to use it and why it matters. Whether you're a beginner still confused by git add vs git commit, or an experienced developer who's never touched git reflog, this cheatsheet has something for you. 1. Setup and Configuration These commands set up your identity and configure Git's behavior. Run them once when you first install Git. git config Configure Git settings. The --global flag applies the setting to all repositories on your machine. # Set your name and email (required for commits) git config --global user.name "Your Name" git config --global user.email "[email protected]" # Set your default editor g