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Git Commands Every Beginner Actually Needs (Just 12)

๐Ÿ“… Jul 1, 2026 โฑ 5 min read

Git has 150+ commands; daily work uses 12. Learn these and you are productive on any team.

The daily loop

git init                      # start tracking a folder
git status                    # what changed? (run constantly)
git add .                     # stage everything
git commit -m "Add login form"
git push origin main          # upload
git pull                      # download teammates' work

Branching

git checkout -b feature/navbar   # create + switch
git checkout main                # switch back
git merge feature/navbar         # bring changes in
git branch -d feature/navbar     # clean up

Fixing mistakes (everyone needs these)

git restore file.css             # discard uncommitted changes
git reset --soft HEAD~1          # undo last commit, keep the work
git log --oneline                # what happened here?

Commit message rule

Imperative, specific: "Fix navbar overflow on mobile" โ€” not "changes" or "final final2". Your GitHub history is part of your resume; recruiters do look.

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