What is the difference between git revert and git reset?

revert creates a new commit that undoes the changes (history stays intact). reset removes commits from history. Use revert on a shared branch, reset only locally.

Can I revert a revert?

Yes! A revert is just a normal commit. You can run git revert on the revert commit to re-apply the original changes.

What should I do if the revert causes conflicts?

Resolve the conflicts just like a merge: open the conflicting files, choose which changes to keep, run git add then git revert --continue. Or abort with git revert --abort.

How do I cancel a revert before committing?

If you used --no-commit, run git revert --abort to undo everything. If the commit was already made, you can revert the revert or use git reset --soft HEAD~1.

Why prefer revert over reset on a shared branch?

Because revert doesn't rewrite history. Other developers can pull normally. A reset would require a push --force which breaks everyone else's history.

Git revert: undo a commit cleanly

git revert creates a new commit that undoes the changes from a previous commit. History stays intact, perfect for teamwork.

Practice git revert Git Glossary

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Safe

What is git revert?

git revert creates a new commit that does the exact opposite of an existing commit. Additions become deletions and vice versa.

It's like pressing Ctrl+Z but keeping a record of the undo. Everyone can see what was done and undone.

Unlike git reset, revert never rewrites history. It's the recommended method for undoing changes on a shared branch.

Git revert syntax

git revert HEAD

Undo the last commit

git revert <hash>

Undo a specific commit

git revert HEAD~3..HEAD --no-commit

Undo multiple commits without committing

Git revert in practice

Undo a single commit or a series of commits.

Revert a commit

gitquest — revert

# Undo the last commit cleanly

$git log --oneline -3

e4f5g6h feat: add dark mode

c3d4e5f fix: fix the form

a1b2c3d feat: homepage

$git revert e4f5g6h

[main f6g7h8i] Revert "feat: add dark mode"

3 files changed, 0 insertions(+), 45 deletions(-)

# History is intact, a new commit undoes the changes

Revert multiple commits

gitquest — revert range

# Undo multiple commits at once

$git revert HEAD~3..HEAD --no-commit

Changes applied (not committed)

$git status

modified: index.html

modified: style.css

$git commit -m "revert: undo the last 3 commits"

[main a2b3c4d] revert: undo the last 3 commits

git revert vs git reset

`git revert`

Creates a new undo commit. History stays intact. Safe for shared branches.

Use when: the branch is shared with the team

`git reset`

Removes commits from history. Rewrites history. Can break others' work.

Use when: you're working alone on your local branch

Common mistakes with git revert

Reverting the wrong commit

Check the hash with git log --oneline before reverting. If you make a mistake, you can revert the revert.

Not handling conflicts

A revert can generate conflicts if the code has evolved since the original commit. Resolve them just like a regular merge conflict.

Using reset instead of revert

On a shared branch, reset requires a push --force which desynchronizes the entire team. Always use revert in this case.

Part of the Undo Changes in Git guide

Related commands

git reset

Undo by rewriting history

git log

Find the commit to undo

git cherry-pick

Apply a specific commit

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