Git Stash
Last updated
git stash shelves your uncommitted changes and reverts your working tree to a clean state, so you can switch branches or pull without committing half-finished work. The changes go onto a stack you can reapply later with git stash pop (apply and remove) or git stash apply (apply and keep).
Try these in the terminal playground - a real shell in your browser, nothing to install.
Syntax
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
git stash | Shelve tracked changes, clean the working tree |
git stash -u | Also stash untracked files |
git stash push -m "msg" | Stash with a descriptive message |
git stash push <file> | Stash only a specific file |
git stash list | List all stashes |
git stash pop | Reapply the latest stash and remove it |
git stash apply | Reapply the latest stash, keep it |
git stash drop | Delete the latest stash |
git stash clear | Delete all stashes |
pop vs apply
| Behavior | git stash pop | git stash apply |
|---|---|---|
| Reapplies the changes | Yes | Yes |
| Removes the stash after | Yes | No |
| Good for reusing a stash | No | Yes |
Git stash FAQ
What does git stash do?
It saves your uncommitted changes onto a stack and resets your working tree to the last commit, giving you a clean slate. Your changes aren't lost - they're shelved and can be reapplied later with
git stash pop or git stash apply. It's handy when you need to switch branches but aren't ready to commit.What's the difference between git stash pop and git stash apply?
Both reapply your most recent stash to the working tree.
git stash pop also removes that stash from the stack afterward, while git stash apply leaves it on the stack so you can apply it again elsewhere. Use pop for a one-time restore, apply when you want to reuse the stash.Does git stash include untracked files?
Not by default - a plain
git stash only shelves tracked (modified) files. Add -u (git stash -u) to include untracked files, or -a to also include ignored files. Without those flags, new files you haven't git add-ed stay in your working tree.How do I apply a specific stash?
Run
git stash list to see them numbered like stash@{0}, stash@{1}, then git stash apply stash@{1} (or pop) to reapply a particular one. Each stash also shows the branch and message it was created with, so you can tell them apart.Can I practice this online?
Yes. Open the terminal playground to run
git stash in a real shell in your browser - nothing to install. Coddy's free interactive Git course also covers managing work in progress step by step.Related resources
More Git commands
