Resolving Git Merge Conflicts: A Practical Guide

Why Conflicts Happen

A merge conflict occurs when two branches modify the same line of a file differently. Git cannot decide which change to keep, so it asks you to choose.

Understanding Conflict Markers

When a conflict happens, Git edits the file with markers:

<<<<<<< HEAD

const timeout = 3000;

=======

const timeout = 5000;

>>>>>>> feature-branch

- `<<<<<<< HEAD` — your current branch's version

- `=======` — divides the two versions

- `>>>>>>> feature-branch` — the incoming branch's version

Resolving Step by Step

# Start the merge

git merge feature-branch

# Git reports: CONFLICT in src/config.ts

# Open the conflicted file, find the markers, edit to keep the right code

# Remove the markers and the unwanted version

# Stage the resolved file

git add src/config.ts

# Complete the merge

git commit

# Git opens the default merge commit message — save and quit

Abort a Merge

If the conflict is too complex or you changed your mind:

git merge --abort

# Returns to the state before the merge started

Merge Tools

Visual tools make conflict resolution much easier:

# Use VS Code as merge tool

git config --global merge.tool vscode

git mergetool

VS Code shows a three-pane view: yours, theirs, and the merged result. Other popular tools include Beyond Compare, Kaleidoscope, and Meld.

Strategies to Minimize Conflicts

1. **Pull frequently** — staying up to date with main reduces conflict size

2. **Communicate** — tell your team when you are working on shared files

3. **Small commits** — smaller changes are easier to merge

4. **Rebase before merge** — `git rebase main` on your feature branch catches conflicts early

Conflicts are normal — they are Git's way of protecting your work from accidental overwrites.