Every Git command

.cpanel.yml A file that tells a cPanel host which deployment steps to run after a push.
.env file A file that holds private keys and settings, which should never be committed.
.gitignore A file listing patterns for files and folders Git should leave untracked.
ahead and behind How many commits your branch has that the remote lacks, and the other way round.
branch A movable label for a line of work, so changes can grow apart from main.
CNAME file A file on GitHub Pages that names the custom domain your site should use.
commit A saved snapshot of your project with a message, an author and a unique id.
conflict markers The <<<<<<<, ======= and >>>>>>> lines Git adds to show both sides of a conflict.
detached HEAD A state where HEAD points at a commit rather than a branch, so new work can drift away.
fast-forward A merge where Git simply moves the branch label ahead because nothing diverged.
git add -A Stage all changes in the whole repository, including deleted files.
git add -f Stage a file even though a .gitignore pattern would normally skip it.
git add -u Stage changes to files Git already tracks, leaving new files alone.
git add . Stage every new and changed file in this folder and the folders below it.
git add <file> Put a file's current changes into the staging area, ready for the next commit.
git branch List your local branches and mark the one you are on.
git branch -a List local branches along with the remote-tracking ones such as origin/main.
git branch -d Delete a branch whose work has already been merged somewhere safe.
git branch -D Force-delete a branch even if its commits have not been merged.
git branch -m Rename a branch, for example to fix a typo in its name.
git branch <name> Create a new branch at the current commit without switching to it.
git checkout -- <file> The older way to discard edits to a file, still seen in many guides.
git checkout -b The older way to create a branch and switch to it at the same time.
git checkout <branch> The older command for moving to another branch, still widely used.
git clean -f Delete untracked files from your folder for good.
git clean -fd Delete untracked files and untracked folders, which cannot be undone.
git clean -n Preview which untracked files git clean would delete, without deleting anything.
git clone Download a full copy of a remote repository, history and all, into a new folder.
git commit --amend Replace your last commit with a corrected one that includes what is staged now.
git commit --amend --no-edit Add staged changes to your last commit and keep its message as it was.
git commit --amend -m Give your most recent commit a new message without making a new commit.
git commit -am Stage changes to tracked files and commit them in one step.
git commit -m Save everything in the staging area as a new commit with the message you give.
git config user.email Set the email address that Git records alongside your commits.
git config user.name Set the name that Git writes into each commit you make.
git diff Show the lines you have changed in your files but not staged yet.
git diff --staged Show the changes that are staged and will go into the next commit.
git diff <a> <b> Compare two commits or branches and show every line that differs between them.
git fetch Download new commits from the remote without changing your own branches.
git init Turn the current folder into a new repository so Git can start tracking it.
git log List the commits on this branch, newest first, with author, date and message.
git log --all Include commits from every branch in the log, not just the one you are on.
git log --oneline Show each commit on one line with its short id and summary.
git log -n Limit the log to the most recent few commits, for example git log -n 3.
git merge Bring the commits from another branch into the branch you are on.
git merge --abort Cancel a merge that hit conflicts and go back to how things were before.
git merge --no-ff Merge with a merge commit even when a simple fast-forward would work.
git mv Rename or move a tracked file and stage the change in one step.
git pull Fetch new commits from the remote and merge them into your current branch.
git push Send your new commits on this branch up to the remote.
git push --force Overwrite the remote branch with yours, which can wipe out other people's work.
git push -u origin <branch> Push a branch for the first time and remember the remote branch it tracks.
git reflog List every place HEAD has pointed recently, so you can find lost commits.
git remote -v List the remotes this repository knows about and their addresses.
git remote add Connect your repository to a remote, usually called origin, at a given URL.
git remote remove Disconnect a remote from your repository without touching any files.
git remote set-url Change the address a remote points to, for example after renaming a repo.
git reset --hard Move the branch back and erase uncommitted changes, which cannot be undone easily.
git reset --mixed Move the branch back and keep the changes in your files, but unstaged.
git reset --soft Move the branch back to an earlier commit and keep those changes staged.
git reset <file> Unstage a file, the same as git restore --staged in older style.
git restore --source Bring back a file exactly as it was in an older commit you name.
git restore --staged Take a file out of the staging area while keeping your edits in the file.
git restore . Discard all unstaged edits in this folder at once, so use it with care.
git restore <file> Throw away unstaged edits to a file and bring back its last saved version.
git revert Make a new commit that undoes an earlier one, leaving history intact.
git rm Delete a tracked file and stage that deletion for the next commit.
git rm --cached Stop tracking a file but leave it in your folder, often after adding it to .gitignore.
git show Display one commit's message along with the exact changes it made.
git stash Set uncommitted changes aside so you have a clean working folder for a while.
git stash apply Bring back stashed changes but keep a copy of them in the stash.
git stash list Show every set of changes you have stashed away.
git stash pop Bring back your most recently stashed changes and remove them from the stash.
git status Show which branch you are on and which files are new, changed or staged.
git status -s Print a short status with one line per file and a two-letter code.
git switch Move to another branch so your files match the commits on it.
git switch -c Create a new branch and move onto it in one command.
GitHub A website that hosts Git repositories online so you can share and back them up.
GitHub Pages A free GitHub service that publishes a repository's files as a website.
HEAD A pointer to the commit you are on now, usually the tip of your current branch.
HEAD~1 The commit just before HEAD; HEAD~2 goes back two, and so on.
main The usual name for a repository's primary branch.
merge commit A commit with two parents that joins the histories of two branches.
merge conflict What happens when two branches change the same lines and Git needs you to choose.
origin The name Git gives by default to the remote you cloned from or first added.
origin/main Your local record of where main was on the remote the last time you fetched.
pull request A request on GitHub to review a branch's changes and merge them into another branch.
rejected push Git refusing your push because the remote has commits you have not pulled yet.
remote Another copy of your repository, usually on GitHub, that you push to and pull from.
repository A project folder plus the full history of saved versions Git keeps for it.
secret scanning A GitHub check that warns you when a password or key lands in a pushed commit.
staging area The waiting room where you collect changes before saving them as a commit.
untracked file A file in your folder that Git has not been told to follow yet.
upstream branch The remote branch your local branch is linked to for plain push and pull.
working folder The files you see and edit, which may differ from the last commit.