How to Undo Almost Anything in Git

Git is Forgiving

One of Git's strengths is how hard it makes it to lose data. Almost every operation can be undone — if you know which command to use.

Fix the Last Commit

Wrong message? Use amend to edit it:

git commit --amend -m "Correct message"

Forgot a file? Stage it, then amend:

git add forgotten-file.ts
git commit --amend --no-edit

Unstage a File

Accidentally ran git add . and want to unstage?

git restore --staged file.ts
# or the classic way:
git reset HEAD file.ts

Discard Local Changes

Revert a file back to the last committed state:

git restore file.ts
# or:
git checkout -- file.ts

Undo a Commit (Local)

If the commit hasn't been pushed yet, use reset:

# Keep changes staged:
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Keep changes in working directory (unstage):
git reset --mixed HEAD~1

# Discard changes entirely:
git reset --hard HEAD~1

Undo a Commit (Pushed)

For commits already pushed, use revert — it creates a new commit that reverses the changes:

git revert HEAD

Recover a Deleted Branch

The reflog records every HEAD movement:

git reflog
# Find the commit hash, then:
git branch recovered-branch <hash>

Golden Rule

Never rebase or force-push commits that others have based work on. Use revert instead — it's safer and preserves collaboration history.