git-essentials

name	git-essentials
description	Expert Git workflow assistance for branching, merging, rebasing, conflict resolution, and history management. Use when working with Git operations beyond simple commits.
allowed-tools	["Bash"]
tags	["git","branching","merging","rebasing","conflicts","version-control","workflow"]
platforms	["Claude","ChatGPT","Gemini"]
author	locusai

Git Essentials

When to use this skill

• Creating and managing branches
• Resolving merge conflicts
• Rebasing and cleaning up history
• Cherry-picking commits
• Investigating history with git log/blame/bisect
• Recovering from mistakes (reset, revert, reflog)

Branching Strategy

Branch naming

feat/<issue>-<short-description>
fix/<issue>-<short-description>
chore/<short-description>
release/<version>
hotfix/<issue>-<description>

Common workflows

# Create feature branch from main
git checkout main && git pull
git checkout -b feat/123-add-auth

# Keep branch up to date with main
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main

# Squash commits before merge
git rebase -i origin/main
# Mark commits as 'squash' or 'fixup'

Conflict Resolution

Strategy

1. Understand both sides of the conflict
2. Determine which changes to keep (or merge both)
3. Test after resolution
4. Never blindly accept "ours" or "theirs"

# See which files conflict
git status

# Use merge tool
git mergetool

# After resolving manually
git add <resolved-files>
git rebase --continue   # or git merge --continue

History Investigation

# Search commits by message
git log --grep="fix auth"

# Find who changed a line
git blame <file> -L <start>,<end>

# Find which commit introduced a bug
git bisect start
git bisect bad HEAD
git bisect good v1.0.0
# Git will binary search — test each commit and mark good/bad

# Show changes to a specific function
git log -p -S "functionName" -- <file>

Recovery

# Undo last commit (keep changes staged)
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Find lost commits
git reflog

# Restore a deleted branch
git checkout -b <branch> <reflog-sha>

# Revert a pushed commit (creates new commit)
git revert <sha>

# Unstage files
git restore --staged <file>

# Discard working tree changes
git restore <file>

Best Practices

1. Commit often — small, atomic commits are easier to review and revert
2. Pull before push — avoid unnecessary merge commits
3. Don't rewrite shared history — never force-push to main/master
4. Use .gitignore — keep build artifacts, secrets, and IDE files out
5. Write meaningful messages — future-you will thank present-you
6. Review diffs before committing — git diff --staged catches mistakes