A collection of cool hidden and not so hidden features of Git and GitHub.
- GitHub
- Ignore Whitespace in Diffs
- Adjust Tab Space
- Commit History by Author
- Cloning a Repository
- Branches
- Gists
- Git.io URL Shortener
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Line Highlighting in Repositories
- Closing Issues via Commit Messages
- Cross-Link Issues
- Locking Conversations
- CI Status on Pull Requests
- Filters for Issues and PRs
- Syntax Highlighting in Markdown Files
- Emojis
- Images/GIFs
- Quick Quoting
- Pasting Clipboard Image to Comments
- Quick Licensing
- Task Lists
- Relative Links
- Viewing YAML Metadata in your Documents
- Rendering Tabular Data
- Rendering PDFs
- Revert a Pull Request
- Diffs
- Contribution Guidelines
- Octicons
- GitHub Student Developer Pack
- SSH Keys
- Profile Image
- Repository Templates
- GitHub Codespaces
- GitHub Actions
- Dependabot
- GitHub Discussions
- Code Owners
- Protecting Branches
- GitHub Pages
- GitHub Copilot
- GitHub Sponsors
- Saved Replies
- Markdown Footnotes
- Alerts in Markdown
- Mermaid Diagrams
- GeoJSON and TopoJSON Maps
- STL 3D Models
- GitHub CLI (gh)
- GitHub Mobile
- Pin Repositories to Profile
- Profile README
- GitHub Archive Program
- Git
- Remove All Deleted Files from the Working Tree
- Previous Branch
- Stripspace
- Checking out Pull Requests
- Empty Commits
- Styled Git Status
- Styled Git Log
- Git Query
- Git Grep
- Merged Branches
- Fixup and Autosquash
- Web Server for Browsing Local Repositories
- Git Bisect
- Git Stash
- Git Rebase Interactive
- Git Cherry-Pick
- Git Reflog
- Git Worktree
- Git Blame
- Git Submodules
- Git Aliases
- Auto-Correct
- Git Configuration Color
- Git Shortlog
- Git Archive
- Git Clean
- Git Diff with Word Highlighting
- Git Partial Clone
- Git Sparse Checkout
- Resources
Adding ?w=1 to any diff URL will remove any changes only in whitespace, enabling you to see only the code that has changed.
https://github.com/user/repo/pull/1/files?w=1
Adding ?ts=4 to a diff or file URL will display tab characters as 4 spaces wide instead of the default 8. The number after ts can be adjusted to suit your preference.
Here is a Go source file before adding ?ts=4:
...and this is after adding ?ts=4:
To view all commits on a repo by author add ?author={user} to the URL.
https://github.com/rails/rails/commits/master?author=dhh
When cloning a repository the .git can be left off the end.
git clone https://github.com/user/repoIf you go to the repo's Branches page:
https://github.com/{user}/{repo}/branches
...you would see a list of all branches which are not merged into the main branch.
To use GitHub to compare branches, change the URL to look like this:
https://github.com/{user}/{repo}/compare/{range}
where {range} = master...4-1-stable
For example:
https://github.com/rails/rails/compare/master...4-1-stable
{range} can be changed to things like:
https://github.com/rails/rails/compare/master@{1.day.ago}...master
https://github.com/rails/rails/compare/master@{2014-10-04}...master
Here, dates are in the format YYYY-MM-DD
Branches can also be compared in diff and patch views:
https://github.com/rails/rails/compare/master...4-1-stable.diff
https://github.com/rails/rails/compare/master...4-1-stable.patch
To use GitHub to compare branches across forked repositories:
https://github.com/{user}/{repo}/compare/{foreign-user}:{branch}...{own-branch}
For example:
https://github.com/rails/rails/compare/byroot:master...master
Gists are an easy way to work with small bits of code without creating a fully fledged repository.
Add .pibb to the end of any Gist URL in order to get the HTML-only version suitable for embedding.
Gists can be treated as a repository so they can be cloned like any other:
git clone https://gist.github.com/gist-idGit.io is a simple URL shortener for GitHub.
You can also use it via pure HTTP using Curl:
curl -i http://git.io -F "url=https://github.com/..."When on a repository page, keyboard shortcuts allow you to navigate easily.
- Pressing
twill bring up a file explorer. - Pressing
wwill bring up the branch selector. - Pressing
swill focus the search field for the current repository. - Pressing
lwill edit labels on existing Issues. - Pressing
ywhen looking at a file will freeze the page you are looking at.
To see all of the shortcuts for the current page press ?:
Either adding, e.g., #L52 to the end of a code file URL or simply clicking the line number will highlight that line number.
It also works with ranges, e.g., #L53-L60, to select ranges, hold shift and click two lines:
https://github.com/rails/rails/blob/master/activemodel/lib/active_model.rb#L53-L60
If a particular commit fixes an issue, any of the keywords fix/fixes/fixed, close/closes/closed or resolve/resolves/resolved, followed by the issue number, will close the issue once it is committed to the repository's default branch.
git commit -m "Fix screwup, fixes #12"This closes the issue and references the closing commit.
If you want to link to another issue in the same repository, simply type hash # then the issue number, and it will be auto-linked.
To link to an issue in another repository, {user}/{repo}#ISSUE_NUMBER, e.g., tiimgreen/toc#12.
Pull Requests and Issues can now be locked by owners or collaborators of the repo.
This means that users who are not collaborators on the project will no longer be able to comment.
If set up correctly, every time you receive a Pull Request, CI services will build that Pull Request just like it would every time you make a new commit.
Both issues and pull requests allow filtering in the user interface.
For the Rails repo: is:issue label:activerecord
But, you can also find all issues that are NOT labeled activerecord:
is:issue -label:activerecord
Additionally, this also works for pull requests:
is:pr -label:activerecord
Github has tabs for displaying open or closed issues and pull requests but you can also see merged pull requests. Just put the following in the filter:
is:merged
Finally, github now allows you to filter by the Status API's status:
status:success
For example, to syntax highlight Ruby code in your Markdown files write:
```ruby
require 'tabbit'
table = Tabbit.new('Name', 'Email')
table.add_row('Tim Green', 'tiimgreen@gmail.com')
puts table.to_s
```GitHub uses Linguist to perform language detection and syntax highlighting.
Emojis can be added to Pull Requests, Issues, commit messages, repository descriptions, etc. using :name_of_emoji:.
The top 5 used Emojis on GitHub are:
:shipit::sparkles::-1::+1::clap:
Images and GIFs can be added to comments, READMEs etc.:
All images are cached on GitHub, so if your host goes down, the image will remain available.
There are multiple ways of embedding images in Wiki pages. There's also a syntax that allows things like specifying the height or width of the image:
[[ http://www.sheawong.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/keephatin.gif | height = 100px ]]Which produces:
When on a comment thread and you want to quote something someone previously said, highlight the text and press r, this will copy it into your text box in the block-quote format.
After taking a screenshot and adding it to the clipboard, you can simply paste (cmd-v / ctrl-v) the image into the comment section and it will be auto-uploaded to github.
When creating a repository, GitHub gives you the option of adding in a pre-made license:
You can also add them to existing repositories by creating a new file through the web interface. When the name LICENSE is typed in you will get an option to use a template:
In Issues and Pull requests check boxes can be added with the following syntax (notice the space):
- [ ] Be awesome
- [ ] Prepare dinner
- [ ] Research recipe
- [ ] Buy ingredients
- [ ] Cook recipe
- [ ] Sleep
When they are clicked, they will be updated in the pure Markdown:
- [x] Be awesome
- [ ] Prepare dinner
- [x] Research recipe
- [x] Buy ingredients
- [ ] Cook recipe
- [ ] Sleep
In full Markdown documents read-only checklists can now be added:
- [ ] Mercury
- [x] Venus
- [x] Earth
- [x] Moon
- [x] Mars
- [ ] Deimos
- [ ] Phobos
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Moon
- Mars
- Deimos
- Phobos
Relative links are recommended in your Markdown files when linking to internal content.
[Link to a header](#awesome-section)
[Link to a file](docs/readme)Absolute links have to be updated whenever the URL changes. Using relative links makes your documentation easily stand on its own.
Many blogging websites, like Jekyll with GitHub Pages, depend on some YAML-formatted metadata at the beginning of your post. GitHub will render this metadata as a horizontal table, for easier reading.
GitHub supports rendering tabular data in the form of .csv (comma-separated) and .tsv (tab-separated) files.
GitHub supports rendering PDF:
After a pull request is merged, you may find it does not help anything or it was a bad decision to merge.
You can revert it by clicking the Revert button on the right side of a commit in the pull request page.
Commits and pull requests, including rendered documents supported by GitHub (e.g., Markdown), feature source and rendered views.
Click the "rendered" button to see the changes as they'll appear in the rendered document.
Any time you view a commit or pull request on GitHub that includes geodata, GitHub will render a visual representation of what was changed.
Using the unfold button in the gutter of a diff, you can reveal additional lines of context with a click.
You can get the diff of a Pull Request by adding a .diff or .patch extension to the end of the URL. For example:
https://github.com/tiimgreen/github-cheat-sheet/pull/15
https://github.com/tiimgreen/github-cheat-sheet/pull/15.diff
https://github.com/tiimgreen/github-cheat-sheet/pull/15.patch
GitHub can display several common image formats, including PNG, JPG, GIF, and PSD. In addition, there are several ways to compare differences between versions of those image formats.
GitHub supports adding 3 different files which help users contribute to your project.
Adding a CONTRIBUTING or CONTRIBUTING.md file will add a link to your file when a contributor creates an Issue or opens a Pull Request.
You can define a template for all new issues opened in your project. The content of this file will pre-populate the new issue box.
You can define a template for all new pull requests opened in your project. The content of this file will pre-populate the text area when users create pull requests.
GitHub's icons (Octicons) have now been open sourced.
If you are a student you will be eligible for the GitHub Student Developer Pack. This gives you free credit, free trials and early access to software.
You can get a list of public ssh keys in plain text format by visiting:
https://github.com/{user}.keys
You can get a user's profile image by visiting:
https://github.com/{user}.png
You can enable templating on your repository which allows anyone to copy the directory structure and files.
Changing to a template repository will give a new URL endpoint which can be shared and instantly allows users to use your repository as a template.
Spin up a cloud-hosted VS Code environment instantly from any repository. Accessible via the Code button.
Automate workflows with CI/CD pipelines. Define workflows in .github/workflows/:
name: CI
on: [push]
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- run: npm testAutomatically detect and update outdated dependencies. Enable in Settings or add .github/dependabot.yml:
version: 2
updates:
- package-ecosystem: "npm"
directory: "/"
schedule:
interval: "weekly"Enable community discussions separate from issues. Great for Q&A, show-and-tell, and general conversation.
Define a CODEOWNERS file to automatically assign reviewers for specific files or directories:
# CODEOWNERS
*.js @frontend-team
/docs/ @docs-team
Require reviews, status checks, and signed commits before merging into important branches like main.
Host static websites directly from your repository. Enable in Settings → Pages.
AI-powered code completion and chat assistant built into the GitHub ecosystem.
Support open-source maintainers directly through GitHub's sponsorship program.
Save frequently used responses for Issues and PRs. Access via the saved replies button in the comment toolbar.
Add footnotes in GitHub Flavored Markdown:
Here's a sentence with a footnote.[^1]
[^1]: This is the footnote.Create styled callout boxes:
> [!NOTE]
> Useful information for users.
> [!WARNING]
> Important warning message.
> [!TIP]
> Helpful tip or best practice.Render diagrams from text using Mermaid syntax:
```mermaid
graph TD;
A-->B;
A-->C;
B-->D;
C-->D;
```GitHub renders .geojson and .topojson files as interactive maps.
View and interact with 3D models in .stl files directly in the browser.
GitHub's official command-line tool:
gh repo create
gh pr create
gh issue list
gh run viewManage repositories, review code, and merge PRs from iOS and Android devices.
Pin up to 6 repositories to your GitHub profile for easy access.
Create a repository matching your username to display a special README on your profile page.
Your code is preserved in the Arctic World Archive for future generations.
When you delete a lot of files using /bin/rm you can use the following command to remove them from the working tree and from the index:
git rm $(git ls-files -d)For example:
git status
# On branch master
# Changes not staged for commit:
# deleted: a
# deleted: c
git rm $(git ls-files -d)
# rm 'a'
# rm 'c'To move to the previous branch in Git:
git checkout -
# Switched to branch 'master'
git checkout -
# Switched to branch 'next'Git Stripspace:
- Strips trailing whitespace
- Collapses newlines
- Adds newline to end of file
git stripspace < README.mdPull Requests are special branches on the GitHub repository which can be retrieved locally:
git fetch origin refs/pull/[PR-Number]/headAcquire all Pull Request branches as local remote branches by refspec:
git fetch origin '+refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*'Or configure your .git/config to fetch Pull Requests automatically:
[remote "origin"]
fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
url = git@github.com:user/repo.git
fetch = +refs/pull/*/head:refs/remotes/origin/pr/*Commits can be pushed with no code changes by adding --allow-empty:
git commit -m "Big-ass commit" --allow-emptyUseful for:
- Annotating the start of a new bulk of work or a new feature.
- Documenting when you make changes to the project that aren't code related.
- Communicating with people using your repository.
- The first commit of a repository:
git commit -m "Initial commit" --allow-empty.
Running:
git statusproduces:
By adding -sb:
git status -sbthis is produced:
Running:
git log --all --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(auto)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset' --abbrev-commit --date=relativeproduces:
A Git query allows you to search all your previous commit messages and find the most recent one matching the query.
git show :/querywhere query (case-sensitive) is the term you want to search:
git show :/typo
Press q to quit.
Git Grep will return a list of lines matching a pattern.
git grep aliaseswill show all the files containing the string aliases.
Press q to quit.
You can also use multiple flags for more advanced search:
-eThe next parameter is the pattern (e.g., regex)--and,--orand--notCombine multiple patterns.
git grep -e pattern --and -e anotherpatternRunning:
git branch --mergedwill give you a list of all branches that have been merged into your current branch.
Conversely:
git branch --no-mergedwill give you a list of branches that have not been merged.
If there is something wrong with a previous commit, for example abcde:
git commit --fixup=abcde
git rebase abcde^ --autosquash -iUse the Git instaweb command to instantly browse your working repository in gitweb.
git instawebopens:
Find the commit that introduced a bug using binary search:
git bisect start
git bisect bad # current commit is bad
git bisect good abc1234 # this commit was good
# Git checks out a middle commit — test it, then:
git bisect good # or git bisect bad
# Repeat until the offending commit is found
git bisect reset # clean upTemporarily save uncommitted changes:
git stash # stash current changes
git stash list # list all stashes
git stash pop # restore and remove latest stash
git stash apply stash@{2} # restore a specific stash
git stash drop stash@{1} # delete a specific stashRewrite commit history interactively:
git rebase -i HEAD~5Options include: pick, reword, edit, squash, fixup, drop.
Apply a specific commit to the current branch:
git cherry-pick abc1234Recover lost commits and branches:
git reflog # show all HEAD positions
git reset --hard HEAD@{3} # restore to a previous stateWork on multiple branches simultaneously:
git worktree add ../feature-branch feature-branch
git worktree list # list all worktrees
git worktree remove ../feature-branchSee who last modified each line:
git blame file.py
git blame -L 10,20 file.py # blame a specific rangeInclude other repositories within your project:
git submodule add https://github.com/user/lib.git
git submodule update --init --recursiveCreate shortcuts in ~/.gitconfig:
[alias]
co = checkout
br = branch
st = status -sb
lg = log --oneline --graph --decorate
ac = !git add -A && git commit -m
undo = reset --soft HEAD~1
cleanup = "!git branch --merged | grep -v '\\*' | xargs git branch -d"Some useful aliases:
| Alias | Command | What to Type |
|---|---|---|
git cm |
git commit |
git config --global alias.cm commit |
git co |
git checkout |
git config --global alias.co checkout |
git ac |
git add . -A git commit |
git config --global alias.ac '!git add -A && git commit' |
git st |
git status -sb |
git config --global alias.st 'status -sb' |
git tags |
git tag -l |
git config --global alias.tags 'tag -l' |
git branches |
git branch -a |
git config --global alias.branches 'branch -a' |
git cleanup |
clean up merged branches | git config --global alias.cleanup "!git branch --merged | grep -v '*' | xargs git branch -d" |
git remotes |
git remote -v |
git config --global alias.remotes 'remote -v' |
Git gives suggestions for misspelled commands. Auto-correct can be enabled like this (with a 1.5 second delay):
git config --global help.autocorrect 15So now the command git comit will be auto-corrected to git commit:
WARNING: You called a Git command named 'comit', which does not exist.
Continuing under the assumption that you meant 'commit'
in 1.5 seconds automatically...
To add more color to your Git output:
git config --global color.ui 1Get a summary of commits per author:
git shortlog -sn # sorted by number of commits
git shortlog -sn --no-merges # exclude merge commitsCreate a zip/tar of your repo without .git directory:
git archive --format=zip -o project.zip HEAD
git archive --format=tar main | gzip > project.tar.gzRemove untracked files:
git clean -n # dry run
git clean -f # remove untracked files
git clean -fd # remove untracked files and directories
git clean -fX # remove only ignored filesSee word-level changes within lines:
git diff --word-diff
git diff --word-diff=color # colored word diffClone without downloading all blobs (useful for large repos):
git clone --filter=blob:none https://github.com/user/large-repo.gitCheckout only specific directories:
git clone --sparse https://github.com/user/repo.git
cd repo
git sparse-checkout add docs/ src/utils/| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| GitHub Docs | https://docs.github.com |
| GitHub Blog | https://github.blog |
| GitHub Explore | https://github.com/explore |
| GitHub Training | https://training.github.com |
| GitHub Community | https://github.community |
| Git Official Site | https://git-scm.com |
| Pro Git Book | https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2 |
| Learn Git Branching | https://learngitbranching.js.org |
| Git Ignore Templates | https://github.com/github/gitignore |
| GitHub CLI | https://cli.github.com |
| GitHub Status | https://www.githubstatus.com |
| GitHub Changelog | https://github.blog/changelog |