10 Advanced Git Commands You Should Know

Hey folks! 👋

So after surviving git init, git add, and all the noob stuff on Day 1, it’s time to level up. Today, I explored some advanced Git commands, the kind that make you feel like a real dev.

Here’s a breakdown of 10 Git commands every serious coder should know.

1. git diff

This command shows the differences between your commits or files.

git diff

💬 "You edited something? Git will show you exactly what's different."

2. git log

This one gives you a detailed history of your commits — author, time, hash, message.

git log

💬 "Kinda like your browser history, but for code. No incognito mode here."

3. git clone

You can bring a GitHub repo to your local system with this:

git clone

🧠 Note: If someone made changes to the repo after you cloned, your local copy won’t have those changes unless you pull them.

4. git fork

When you fork a repo on GitHub, you’re creating a full copy of someone else's repo into your GitHub account.

Useful when:

  • You want to contribute
  • You want to customize it as your own

👨‍🍳 "Think of it like copying your friend’s biryani recipe to your own recipe book and adding extra spice 🌶️."

5. git pull

It fetches and merges changes from the remote to your local branch.

git pull origin main

💬 "If someone else made changes, this is how you get them."

6. git push

This uploads your local commits to GitHub.

git push origin main

💬 "Think of it as ‘post to Instagram’ but for code."

7. git blame

This shows who wrote each line of code.

git blame

💬 "Want to know who broke the build? Blame 'em. Literally."

8. Merge Conflicts 🥲

When two people make conflicting changes in the same file — Git will cry. And so will you.

Fix it by:

  • Reading the conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>)
  • Deciding what to keep
  • Committing the resolved file

💬 "It’s like two friends editing a group message at the same time… someone’s gonna get mad."

9. git branch

Used to create or list branches.

git branch feature-x

💬 "Work on new features without messing up your main code. Like parallel universes, but for bugs."

10. .gitignore

Used to exclude files/folders from being pushed to GitHub.

Just create a .gitignore file and list things like:

node_modules/
.env
*.log

💬 "Hide your secrets and junk before pushing your repo into the world."

Thanks for reading! Hope this post made advanced Git feel a little less scary and a lot more fun