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GIT109 - Rewriting Git History

Learn how to rewrite Git history using amend, rebase, and stash to keep your commit history clean and organized.

Sometimes you need to modify commit history to keep your project clean and organized.
Git provides powerful tools for editing, reordering, and temporarily saving changes.
In this chapter, we cover three important techniques: amend, rebase, and stash.

1. Using git commit --amend

The amend command lets you modify the most recent commit.
You can use it to fix commit messages or include forgotten changes.

Fixing a commit message

git commit --amend -m "New and improved commit message"

Adding missing changes to the last commit

Stage your changes:

git add filename.js

Then amend:

git commit --amend

This replaces the previous commit with a new one.

Important: Never amend commits that were already pushed to a shared remote repository.
It rewrites history and can cause problems for teammates.

2. Using git rebase (Interactive Rebase)

Rebase allows you to clean up your commit history by editing, deleting, or reordering commits.
Interactive rebase is especially powerful for maintaining a clean project history.

Start an interactive rebase for the last 3 commits

git rebase -i HEAD~3

Git will open an editor showing something like:

pick 1a2b3c4 Add login form
pick 5d6e7f8 Fix login CSS
pick 9f0a1b2 Update API endpoint

You can replace "pick" with commands like:

  • pick = keep the commit
  • reword = change commit message
  • edit = modify commit content
  • squash = combine commits
  • drop = delete commit

Example: squashing commits

Change:

pick 1a2b3c4 Add login form
pick 5d6e7f8 Fix login CSS

To:

pick 1a2b3c4 Add login form
squash 5d6e7f8 Fix login CSS

Rebase produces a single clean commit.

Completing the rebase

If Git pauses during rebase, continue with:

git rebase --continue

Abort the rebase and return to original state:

git rebase --abort

3. Using git stash

Sometimes you need to switch branches but you're not ready to commit your work.
Stash lets you save changes temporarily without committing them.

Stash your current work

git stash

Or include untracked files:

git stash -u

View stash list

git stash list

Example output:

stash@{0}: WIP on feature/cart
stash@{1}: WIP on main

Apply the latest stash

git stash apply

Apply and remove stash

git stash pop

Remove stashes manually

git stash drop stash@{0}

Remove all stashes:

git stash clear

When To Use Each Tool

Amend

  • Fix small mistakes
  • Add missing files
  • Update commit messages
  • Only safe before pushing

Rebase

  • Clean up messy history
  • Combine or reorder commits
  • Rewrite commit messages
  • Not recommended for shared public history

Stash

  • Save temporary work
  • Switch branches safely
  • Recover WIP later

Summary

In this chapter, you learned:

  • How to modify your latest commit using amend
  • How to rewrite and organize commit history using rebase
  • How to save temporary work using stash
  • When to use each history-rewriting tool

These tools help keep your repository history clean, readable, and professional.
Next, we explore helpful Git aliases and best practices to improve your daily workflow.