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GIT110 - Git Tips & Best Practices

Improve your Git workflow with helpful tips, useful aliases, and professional best practices for clean and efficient version control.

By now, you know how Git works and how to use its essential commands.
In this final chapter, we explore practical tips, useful shortcuts, and professional best practices that help you write cleaner commits and work more efficiently.

1. Use Descriptive Commit Messages

A good commit message explains why changes were made, not just what was changed.

Examples of bad messages:

  • "fix"
  • "update"

Examples of good messages:

  • "Fix null pointer error in login controller"
  • "Improve checkout performance by caching API response"

Follow the conventional format:

type: subject
 
optional body with more detail

Common types:

  • feat = new feature
  • fix = bug fix
  • refactor = code restructuring
  • docs = documentation
  • style = formatting changes only

2. Use Git Aliases to Save Time

Aliases help shorten long Git commands.
Set them globally:

git config --global alias.co checkout
git config --global alias.br branch
git config --global alias.cm "commit -m"
git config --global alias.st status
git config --global alias.lg "log --oneline --graph --all"

Use them like this:

git co main
git br
git cm "Add product card component"
git lg

3. Keep Branches Short-Lived

Short-lived branches help reduce merge conflicts.

Guidelines:

  • Keep branches focused on a single task
  • Merge early and often
  • Avoid letting branches diverge too long

4. Pull Before You Push

Always make sure you have the latest changes before pushing:

git pull
git push

This prevents unnecessary merge conflicts.

5. Use .gitignore to Avoid Unwanted Files

Add a .gitignore file to your project root:

node_modules/
dist/
.env
.DS_Store

This keeps your repository clean and avoids committing temporary or sensitive files.

6. Avoid Committing Large Files

Large files slow down repository history.
Use Git LFS (Large File Storage) when necessary:

git lfs install
git lfs track "*.psd"

7. Write Clean Commit History

Good commit history makes debugging and onboarding much easier.

Tips:

  • Use interactive rebase to clean messy commits
  • Squash unnecessary commits
  • Avoid mixing unrelated changes in a single commit

8. Review Changes Before Committing

Always review your staged changes:

git diff --staged

This prevents accidentally committing debug code or unnecessary files.

9. Use Tags for Releases

Tagging makes it easy to mark stable release versions:

git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Initial release"
git push origin v1.0.0

10. Use Branch Protection Rules

On platforms like GitHub or GitLab, enable rules such as:

  • Require pull request reviews
  • Disallow force pushes
  • Require tests to pass

This helps maintain a stable main branch.

Summary

In this chapter, you learned:

  • How to write clear commit messages
  • How to create helpful Git aliases
  • Best practices for branching and merging
  • How to avoid common Git mistakes
  • How to maintain a clean and professional commit history

Congratulations — you’ve completed the Git for Beginners series.
These skills form the basis of strong version control practices and prepare you for the next series: Advanced Git Techniques.