help Git Command Guide

The git help command displays help information about Git commands, concepts, and configuration. It provides access to manual pages, command lists, guides, and configuration documentation through various display formats.

git help Syntax:

git help [-a|--all] [--[no-]verbose] [--[no-]external-commands] [--[no-]aliases]
git help [[-i|--info] [-m|--man] [-w|--web]] [<command>|<doc>]
git help [-g|--guides]
git help [-c|--config]
git help [--user-interfaces]
git help [--developer-interfaces]

Command Modes:

Mode	Description
General help	No args: shows synopsis and common commands
All commands	`-a/--all`: list all available commands
Specific command	`git help <command>`: help for specific command
Guides	`-g/--guides`: show Git concept guides
Config docs	`-c/--config`: configuration documentation
Interfaces	`--user-interfaces` or `--developer-interfaces`: interface documentation

Display Options:

Option	Description
`-m, --man`	Display help in man page format (default in terminals)
`-w, --web`	Display help in web browser
`-i, --info`	Display help using info browser
`--verbose`	Include verbose command descriptions
`--no-external-commands`	Exclude external commands from lists
`--no-aliases`	Exclude alias commands from lists

Parameters:

Parameter	Description
`<command>`	Name of Git command to show help for
`<doc>`	Name of Git documentation/doc to display

git help Command Samples:

Get basic Git overview and common commands

git help

Shows Git synopsis and most commonly used commands.

List all available Git commands

git help --all

Displays complete list of all available Git commands, including plumbing commands.

Show help for specific command in terminal

git help add

Displays manual page for git-add command in terminal pager.

Open command help in web browser

git help --web log

Opens git-log manual page in default web browser.

View Git configuration documentation

git help --config

Shows configuration variable documentation.

Display Git concept guides

git help --guides

Lists available Git concept guides like tutorials and workflows.

Show user interface documentation

git help --user-interfaces

Displays documentation about user interface components.

Get developer interface information

git help --developer-interfaces

Shows documentation for developer-facing interfaces and APIs.

View help without external commands

git help --all --no-external-commands

Lists only built-in Git commands, excluding external tools.

Display verbose command descriptions

git help --all --verbose

Shows commands with expanded descriptions in listing.

Quick access to common workflow guides

git help workflow

Shows Git workflow documentation if available.

Check available Git tutorials

git help tutorial

Access Git tutorial documentation.

View specific configuration examples

git help config-advice

Shows configuration best practices and examples.

Browse documentation index

git help index

Access Git documentation index if available.

Workflow documentation

git help workflows

Shows available Git workflow guides.

Git commands by category

git help everyday

Lists everyday Git commands grouped by usage category.

What’s the difference between git help and man git command?

git help automatically finds and displays the correct man page with Git’s configured pager, while ‘man’ requires manual man page location.

How do I find commands by functionality?

Use ‘git help —all’ then pipe through grep: ‘git help —all | grep -i “merge”’ to find merge-related commands.

Can git help show commands in different languages?

Git help respects LC_ALL, LANG, and other locale environment variables for displaying help in different languages when translations are available.

What’s the fastest way to check if a Git command exists?

Use ‘git help ’ - if command doesn’t exist, you’ll get an error message; if it exists, you’ll see its documentation.

How do web browser help URLs work?

Git help opens ‘https://git-scm.com/docs/git-’ in browser, providing web versions of man pages with better formatting.

Set PAGER or GIT_PAGER environment variables, or configure core.pager in git config to use preferred pager application.

What’s the difference between —user-interfaces and —developer-interfaces?

—user-interfaces shows user-facing Git documentation; —developer-interfaces shows API and internal interface documentation.

How do I see help for Git subcommands?

Use full command name: ‘git help config’ or ‘git help remote’ - help system understands Git’s subcommand structure.

Can git help integrate with IDE documentation?

Yes, many IDEs and editors use ‘git help —man’ to display formatted documentation within their interface instead of external pager.

How do I access offline help without internet?

Git help works completely offline, using locally installed man pages. No internet connection required for any help command.

What’s the performance impact of git help —all?

—all loads all available commands into memory; for performance on large Git installs, pipe through head or less: ‘git help —all | less’.

Can I create custom help documentation?

Git looks in GIT_DIR/doc directory for custom documentation; you can add your own man pages or HTML files for team-specific extensions.

How does help determine available commands?

git help scans $PATH for executables starting with ‘git-’, plus aliases and built-ins. Excludes dotfile executables by default.

What’s the relationship between git help and git —help?

git —help and git help are identical - both invoke Git’s integrated help system.

Can I see help for built-in Git commands vs external tools?

—external-commands option distinguishes between Git’s built-in commands and external tools that happen to start with ‘git-’.

How do I troubleshoot missing help documentation?

Check MANPATH environment variable, ensure git-man package installed, or use —web option which opens documentation at git-scm.com.

Can git help show syntax highlighting?

Web-based help (—web) may show syntax highlighting; terminal help depends on pager configuration and terminal capabilities.

Applications of the git help command

Command Discovery: Explore available Git functionality through categorized command lists
Learning Tool: Access tutorials and guides for mastering Git workflows and concepts
Reference System: Quick access to detailed command syntax and options
Configuration Guide: Understand Git configuration options and settings
Troubleshooting Aid: Find solutions through documentation and examples
API Exploration: Discover Git’s user and developer interface capabilities for tool integration