# git-branch(1) Manual Page

## NAME

git-branch - List, create, or delete branches

## SYNOPSIS

    git branch [--color[=<when>] | --no-color] [-r | -a]
    	[--list] [-v [--abbrev=<length> | --no-abbrev]]
    	[--column[=<options>] | --no-column] [--sort=<key>]
    	[(--merged | --no-merged) [<commit>]]
    	[--contains [<commit]] [--no-contains [<commit>]]
    	[--points-at <object>] [--format=<format>] [<pattern>…​]
    git branch [--set-upstream | --track | --no-track] [-l] [-f] <branchname> [<start-point>]
    git branch (--set-upstream-to=<upstream> | -u <upstream>) [<branchname>]
    git branch --unset-upstream [<branchname>]
    git branch (-m | -M) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
    git branch (-c | -C) [<oldbranch>] <newbranch>
    git branch (-d | -D) [-r] <branchname>…​
    git branch --edit-description [<branchname>]

## DESCRIPTION

If `--list` is given, or if there are no non-option arguments, existing branches are listed; the current branch will be highlighted with an asterisk. Option `-r` causes the remote-tracking branches to be listed, and option `-a` shows both local and remote branches. If a `<pattern>` is given, it is used as a shell wildcard to restrict the output to matching branches. If multiple patterns are given, a branch is shown if it matches any of the patterns. Note that when providing a `<pattern>`, you must use `--list`; otherwise the command is interpreted as branch creation.

With `--contains`, shows only the branches that contain the named commit (in other words, the branches whose tip commits are descendants of the named commit), `--no-contains` inverts it. With `--merged`, only branches merged into the named commit (i.e. the branches whose tip commits are reachable from the named commit) will be listed. With `--no-merged` only branches not merged into the named commit will be listed. If the <commit> argument is missing it defaults to `HEAD` (i.e. the tip of the current branch).

The command’s second form creates a new branch head named <branchname> which points to the current `HEAD`, or <start-point> if given.

Note that this will create the new branch, but it will not switch the working tree to it; use "git checkout <newbranch>" to switch to the new branch.

When a local branch is started off a remote-tracking branch, Git sets up the branch (specifically the `branch.<name>.remote` and `branch.<name>.merge` configuration entries) so that git pull will appropriately merge from the remote-tracking branch. This behavior may be changed via the global `branch.autoSetupMerge` configuration flag. That setting can be overridden by using the `--track` and `--no-track` options, and changed later using `git branch --set-upstream-to`.

With a `-m` or `-M` option, <oldbranch> will be renamed to <newbranch>. If <oldbranch> had a corresponding reflog, it is renamed to match <newbranch>, and a reflog entry is created to remember the branch renaming. If <newbranch> exists, -M must be used to force the rename to happen.

The `-c` and `-C` options have the exact same semantics as `-m` and `-M`, except instead of the branch being renamed it along with its config and reflog will be copied to a new name.

With a `-d` or `-D` option, `<branchname>` will be deleted. You may specify more than one branch for deletion. If the branch currently has a reflog then the reflog will also be deleted.

Use `-r` together with `-d` to delete remote-tracking branches. Note, that it only makes sense to delete remote-tracking branches if they no longer exist in the remote repository or if git fetch was configured not to fetch them again. See also the prune subcommand of git-remote(1) for a way to clean up all obsolete remote-tracking branches.

## OPTIONS

-d
--delete

  Delete a branch. The branch must be fully merged in its upstream branch, or in `HEAD` if no upstream was set with `--track` or `--set-upstream`.

-D

  Shortcut for `--delete --force`.

-l
--create-reflog

  Create the branch’s reflog. This activates recording of all changes made to the branch ref, enabling use of date based sha1 expressions such as "<branchname>@{yesterday}". Note that in non-bare repositories, reflogs are usually enabled by default by the `core.logAllRefUpdates` config option. The negated form `--no-create-reflog` only overrides an earlier `--create-reflog`, but currently does not negate the setting of `core.logAllRefUpdates`.

-f
--force

  Reset <branchname> to <startpoint>, even if <branchname> exists already. Without `-f`, git branch refuses to change an existing branch. In combination with `-d` (or `--delete`), allow deleting the branch irrespective of its merged status. In combination with `-m` (or `--move`), allow renaming the branch even if the new branch name already exists, the same applies for `-c` (or `--copy`).

-m
--move

  Move/rename a branch and the corresponding reflog.

-M

  Shortcut for `--move --force`.

-c
--copy

  Copy a branch and the corresponding reflog.

-C

  Shortcut for `--copy --force`.

--color[=<when>]

  Color branches to highlight current, local, and remote-tracking branches. The value must be always (the default), never, or auto.

--no-color

  Turn off branch colors, even when the configuration file gives the default to color output. Same as `--color=never`.

-i
--ignore-case

  Sorting and filtering branches are case insensitive.

--column[=<options>]
--no-column

  Display branch listing in columns. See configuration variable column.branch for option syntax.`--column` and `--no-column` without options are equivalent to always and never respectively.

  This option is only applicable in non-verbose mode.

-r
--remotes

  List or delete (if used with -d) the remote-tracking branches.

-a
--all

  List both remote-tracking branches and local branches.

--list

  List branches. With optional `<pattern>...`, e.g. `git branch --list 'maint-*'`, list only the branches that match the pattern(s).

  This should not be confused with `git branch -l <branchname>`, which creates a branch named `<branchname>` with a reflog. See `--create-reflog` above for details.

-v
-vv
--verbose

  When in list mode, show sha1 and commit subject line for each head, along with relationship to upstream branch (if any). If given twice, print the name of the upstream branch, as well (see also `git remote show <remote>`).

-q
--quiet

  Be more quiet when creating or deleting a branch, suppressing non-error messages.

--abbrev=<length>

  Alter the sha1’s minimum display length in the output listing. The default value is 7 and can be overridden by the `core.abbrev` config option.

--no-abbrev

  Display the full sha1s in the output listing rather than abbreviating them.

-t
--track

  When creating a new branch, set up `branch.<name>.remote` and `branch.<name>.merge` configuration entries to mark the start-point branch as "upstream" from the new branch. This configuration will tell git to show the relationship between the two branches in `git status` and `git branch -v`. Furthermore, it directs `git pull` without arguments to pull from the upstream when the new branch is checked out.

  This behavior is the default when the start point is a remote-tracking branch. Set the branch.autoSetupMerge configuration variable to `false` if you want `git checkout` and `git branch` to always behave as if `--no-track` were given. Set it to `always` if you want this behavior when the start-point is either a local or remote-tracking branch.

--no-track

  Do not set up "upstream" configuration, even if the branch.autoSetupMerge configuration variable is true.

--set-upstream

  As this option had confusing syntax, it is no longer supported. Please use `--track` or `--set-upstream-to` instead.

-u <upstream>
--set-upstream-to=<upstream>

  Set up <branchname>'s tracking information so <upstream> is considered <branchname>'s upstream branch. If no <branchname> is specified, then it defaults to the current branch.

--unset-upstream

  Remove the upstream information for <branchname>. If no branch is specified it defaults to the current branch.

--edit-description

  Open an editor and edit the text to explain what the branch is for, to be used by various other commands (e.g. `format-patch`, `request-pull`, and `merge` (if enabled)). Multi-line explanations may be used.

--contains [<commit>]

  Only list branches which contain the specified commit (HEAD if not specified). Implies `--list`.

--no-contains [<commit>]

  Only list branches which don’t contain the specified commit (HEAD if not specified). Implies `--list`.

--merged [<commit>]

  Only list branches whose tips are reachable from the specified commit (HEAD if not specified). Implies `--list`, incompatible with `--no-merged`.

--no-merged [<commit>]

  Only list branches whose tips are not reachable from the specified commit (HEAD if not specified). Implies `--list`, incompatible with `--merged`.

<branchname>

  The name of the branch to create or delete. The new branch name must pass all checks defined by git-check-ref-format(1). Some of these checks may restrict the characters allowed in a branch name.

<start-point>

  The new branch head will point to this commit. It may be given as a branch name, a commit-id, or a tag. If this option is omitted, the current HEAD will be used instead.

<oldbranch>

  The name of an existing branch to rename.

<newbranch>

  The new name for an existing branch. The same restrictions as for <branchname> apply.

--sort=<key>

  Sort based on the key given. Prefix `-` to sort in descending order of the value. You may use the --sort=<key> option multiple times, in which case the last key becomes the primary key. The keys supported are the same as those in `git for-each-ref`. Sort order defaults to sorting based on the full refname (including `refs/...` prefix). This lists detached HEAD (if present) first, then local branches and finally remote-tracking branches.

--points-at <object>

  Only list branches of the given object.

--format <format>

  A string that interpolates `%(fieldname)` from a branch ref being shown and the object it points at. The format is the same as that of git-for-each-ref(1).

## Examples

Start development from a known tag

      $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/.../linux-2.6 my2.6
      $ cd my2.6
      $ git branch my2.6.14 v2.6.14   (1)
      $ git checkout my2.6.14

  1. This step and the next one could be combined into a single step with "checkout -b my2.6.14 v2.6.14".

Delete an unneeded branch

      $ git clone git://git.kernel.org/.../git.git my.git
      $ cd my.git
      $ git branch -d -r origin/todo origin/html origin/man   (1)
      $ git branch -D test                                    (2)

  1. Delete the remote-tracking branches "todo", "html" and "man". The next fetch or pull will create them again unless you configure them not to. See git-fetch(1).

  2. Delete the "test" branch even if the "master" branch (or whichever branch is currently checked out) does not have all commits from the test branch.

## Notes

If you are creating a branch that you want to checkout immediately, it is easier to use the git checkout command with its `-b` option to create a branch and check it out with a single command.

The options `--contains`, `--no-contains`, `--merged` and `--no-merged` serve four related but different purposes:

- `--contains <commit>` is used to find all branches which will need special attention if <commit> were to be rebased or amended, since those branches contain the specified <commit>.

- `--no-contains <commit>` is the inverse of that, i.e. branches that don’t contain the specified <commit>.

- `--merged` is used to find all branches which can be safely deleted, since those branches are fully contained by HEAD.

- `--no-merged` is used to find branches which are candidates for merging into HEAD, since those branches are not fully contained by HEAD.

## SEE ALSO

git-check-ref-format(1), git-fetch(1), git-remote(1), “Understanding history: What is a branch?” in the Git User’s Manual.

## GIT

Part of the git(1) suite