Git Workflows¶

Learn how Claude Code integrates with Git for version control.

What You'll Learn¶

Checking status and history
Creating commits
Working with branches
Creating pull requests
Code review assistance

Checking Status¶

Current State¶

> What's the git status?

Claude runs git status and explains: - Which files are modified - Which are staged - Which are untracked

View Changes¶

> Show me what I've changed

> What's the diff for src/auth.js?

> Show me all unstaged changes

History¶

> Show me the last 10 commits

> What changed in the last commit?

> Find commits that touched the User model

Creating Commits¶

Basic Commit¶

> Commit my changes with an appropriate message

Claude will: 1. Check git status 2. Review the changes 3. Suggest a commit message 4. Ask for confirmation

Specific Files¶

> Commit only the changes to auth.js

With a Message¶

> Commit these changes with message "Fix login validation bug"

Staged vs Unstaged¶

> Stage the test files and commit them separately

Commit Message Guidelines¶

Claude follows these conventions:

type(scope): brief description

Longer explanation if needed.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code
Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>

Types¶

Type	Use
feat	New feature
fix	Bug fix
docs	Documentation
refactor	Code restructure
test	Adding tests
chore	Maintenance

Examples¶

feat(auth): add password reset flow

fix(api): handle null user in getProfile

refactor(utils): simplify date formatting logic

Working with Branches¶

Create a Branch¶

> Create a branch called feature/user-settings

Switch Branches¶

> Switch to the main branch

> Go back to the branch I was on

Branch Status¶

> What branch am I on?

> How many commits ahead of main am I?

> Show me all branches

Merge¶

> Merge main into my current branch

Creating Pull Requests¶

Claude can create PRs using the GitHub CLI (gh):

> Create a pull request for my changes

Claude will: 1. Check your branch status 2. Review all commits 3. Generate a summary 4. Create the PR with a description

With Details¶

> Create a PR with title "Add user settings page"

Template¶

Claude generates PRs in this format:

## Summary
- What the PR does
- Key changes

## Test plan
- [ ] How to test
- [ ] Edge cases checked

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Code Review¶

Review a PR¶

> Review PR #123

Claude examines: - Changed files - Logic correctness - Potential issues - Style consistency

Review Specific Concerns¶

> Review the security implications of PR #45

> Does PR #78 have good test coverage?

Respond to Review Comments¶

> Address the review comments on my PR

Claude reads comments and suggests fixes.

Handling Conflicts¶

Identify Conflicts¶

> I tried to merge but got conflicts. Help me resolve them.

Resolve Conflicts¶

> In auth.js, keep both the new validation and the error handling

Verify Resolution¶

> Check that my conflict resolution makes sense

Git Investigation¶

Find When Something Changed¶

> When was the login function last modified?

> Who wrote the User model?

> What commit introduced this bug?

Understand History¶

> Summarize what changed in the auth module over the last month

Compare Versions¶

> What's different between v1.0 and v2.0?

Workflow Examples¶

Feature Development¶

> Create a branch for adding dark mode

> [work on feature...]

> Commit my changes

> [more work...]

> Commit again

> Create a PR to main

Bug Fix¶

> Create a branch called fix/login-error

> [implement fix...]

> Commit with message "Fix: handle null user in login flow"

> Create a PR

Keeping Up to Date¶

> Fetch the latest from origin

> Am I behind main?

> Rebase my changes on top of main

Safety Features¶

Claude Code has built-in safety measures:

Won't Force Push to Main¶

> Push --force to main

Claude will refuse or warn strongly.

Verifies Before Destructive Operations¶

> Reset to the previous commit

Claude confirms what will be lost.

Preserves Authorship¶

When amending commits, Claude checks that it's not modifying others' work.

Try It Yourself¶

Exercise: Git Workflow Practice¶

Initialize a new repo:

mkdir git-practice && cd git-practice
git init
claude

Create initial files:

> Create a simple Python calculator and README

Make the first commit:
```
> Commit these files
```

Create a feature branch:

> Create a branch for adding a square root function

Implement and commit:

> Add a square root function to calculator.py

> Commit this change

Check your history:
```
> Show me the commit log
```

Exercise: Simulated PR Review¶

Ask Claude to create a file with subtle bugs
Commit it
Ask Claude to review the changes as if it were a PR
Fix issues based on the review
Create a new commit

What's Next?¶

Learn about writing and running tests in 04-testing.

Summary: - Claude can check status, create commits, and manage branches - Commit messages follow conventional format - PRs are created with summaries and test plans - Claude helps with code review and conflict resolution - Safety features prevent dangerous git operations

Learning Resources¶

Featured Video¶

GitHub: GitHub for Beginners Series (Official GitHub channel)

Git integration with AI assistants - commits, branches, PRs, and code review workflows.

Additional Resources¶

Type	Resource	Description
🎬 Video	Git & GitHub Tutorial	Complete git workflow guide
📚 Official Docs	GitHub Integration	Claude Code GitHub documentation
📖 Tutorial	GitHub AI Integration	AI-Git workflow patterns
🎓 Free Course	GitHub Copilot Tutorials	Official free tutorials
💼 Commercial	Git Complete Course	Comprehensive git mastery