undo-mistakes.md

Undo Mistakes in Git

Problem

You accidentally committed to the wrong branch, pushed sensitive data, or made changes you need to undo. Git has many undo mechanisms but they're confusing to distinguish.

Solution

Match the undo operation to the situation. Git mistakes are almost always recoverable.

Example

Uncommitted Changes

# Discard changes to a specific file (irreversible!)
git checkout -- filename.js
# or (modern syntax)
git restore filename.js

# Discard ALL uncommitted changes (irreversible!)
git restore .
# or
git reset --hard

# Unstage a file (keep changes in working directory)
git restore --staged filename.js
# or (older syntax)
git reset HEAD filename.js

Amending the Last Commit

# Change the commit message of the last commit
git commit --amend -m "New correct message"

# Add a forgotten file to the last commit
git add forgotten-file.js
git commit --amend --no-edit   # uses existing message

#  Don't amend commits you've already pushed to shared branches!

Undoing Recent Commits

# Undo 1 commit — keep changes STAGED
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Undo 1 commit — keep changes in WORKING DIRECTORY (unstaged)
git reset --mixed HEAD~1

# Undo 1 commit — DISCARD all changes (dangerous!)
git reset --hard HEAD~1

# Undo N commits
git reset --mixed HEAD~3

Safe Undo for Shared Branches (git revert)

# Creates a NEW commit that reverses the specified commit
# Safe! Doesn't rewrite history.
git revert a1b2c3d

# Revert a range of commits (exclusive..inclusive)
git revert HEAD~3..HEAD

Recover Lost Commits (Reflog)

# Every HEAD movement is recorded in reflog
git reflog
# HEAD@{0}: reset: moving to HEAD~1
# HEAD@{1}: commit: Add payment feature  ← your "lost" commit

# Restore the lost commit
git reset --hard HEAD@{1}
# or create a new branch from it
git checkout -b recovery HEAD@{1}

Explanation

Decision Tree

Did you push?
├── No → reset --soft/mixed/hard OR amend
└── Yes → Shared branch?
    ├── No → git push --force (with care)
    └── Yes → git revert (creates new undo commit)

reset vs revert

	reset	revert
History	Rewrites it	Adds to it
Shared branches	❌ Dangerous	✅ Safe
Undone how	Moves HEAD back	New commit

Related Tips

• Interactive Rebase
• Bisect for Debugging

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