checkout Git Command Guide

The git checkout command is used to switch branches or restore working tree files. It updates files in the working tree to match the version in the index or the specified tree, and can also update HEAD to set the specified branch as the current branch.

git checkout Syntax:

git checkout [-q] [-f] [-m] [<branch>]
git checkout [-q] [-f] [-m] [[-b|-B|--orphan] <new-branch>] [<start-point>]
git checkout [-f] <tree-ish> [--] <pathspec>...
git checkout (-p|--patch) [<tree-ish>] [--] [<pathspec>...]

Options:

Option	Description
-q, —quiet	Suppress feedback messages
-f, —force	Force checkout, ignore untracked files
-m	Allow merging working tree changes
-b	Create and checkout new branch
-B	Reset existing branch and checkout
—detach	Detach HEAD at specified commit
—ours, —theirs	Checkout stage #2 (ours) or #3 (theirs) for merges
—conflict=	Specify merge conflict resolution style
-p, —patch	Interactively select hunks to checkout
—progress	Show progress status
—orphan	Create orphan branch
—track	Set up branch tracking (implied with -b)
—no-track	Don’t set up branch tracking

Parameters:

Parameter	Description
[]	Branch to switch to (default: current if empty)
[]	Starting point for new branch
[]	Tree/commit to checkout files from
[…]	Files/paths to checkout

git checkout Command Samples:

Switch to a branch

git checkout develop

Switch to the develop branch and update working tree.

Create and switch to new branch

git checkout -b feature/new-feature

Create and switch to a new branch called feature/new-feature.

Force checkout, discard changes

git checkout -f main

Force switch to main branch, discarding all local changes and untracked files.

Checkout specific files from another branch

git checkout origin/main -- README.md

Checkout README.md file from origin/main branch.

Create orphan branch (new root commit)

git checkout --orphan new-project

Create new orphan branch for completely different project history.

Detach HEAD at specific commit

git checkout --detach HEAD~5

Detach HEAD at 5 commits back from current position.

Interactive hunk selection

git checkout -p HEAD~1 -- file.txt

Interactively choose which hunks to checkout from HEAD~1 for file.txt.

Resolve merge conflicts checking out our version

git checkout --ours conflicted-file.txt

Checkout our version (stage 2) of conflicted-file.txt.

Reset existing branch

git checkout -B feature/in-progress HEAD~10

Reset feature/in-progress branch to 10 commits back and switch to it.

How do I switch to an existing branch?

To switch to an existing branch, run:

git checkout <branch-name>

How can I create a new branch and switch to it?

To create a new branch and switch to it, use:

git checkout -b <new-branch-name>

How do I discard local changes and go back to last commit?

To discard local changes and reset working tree, use:

git checkout -f HEAD

How can I checkout a specific file from another branch?

To checkout a specific file from another branch, run:

git checkout <branch> -- path/to/file

What’s the difference between git switch and git checkout?

git switch focuses only on branch switching while git checkout has broader functionality including file and conflict resolution. git switch is more intuitive for branch operations.

How do I resolve merge conflicts by choosing sides?

To resolve conflicts by choosingvin our side, use:

git checkout --ours <file>
git checkout --theirs <file>

How can I inspect a historical commit without switching?

To inspect a historical commit without switching branches, use:

git checkout --detach <commit-hash>

Applications of the git checkout command

Switching between branches during development
Creating feature branches for new work
Restoring individual files from other commits
Resolving merge conflicts by choosing sides
Inspecting historical versions of files
Temporarily checking out tags or commits for inspection