What is the difference between git rm and rm?

rm (system command) deletes the file from disk but Git doesn't know about it. git rm deletes the file AND removes it from Git tracking. After a git rm, the deletion is staged and ready to be committed.

How do I untrack a file without deleting it?

Use git rm --cached file. The file stays on disk but Git no longer tracks it. Perfect for files added by mistake (.env, node_modules). Then add it to .gitignore.

How do I remove an entire directory?

Use the -r (recursive) flag: git rm -r directory/. To untrack without deleting: git rm -r --cached directory/.

Before committing, use git restore --staged file to put the file back in staging, then git restore file to recover it. After committing, use git revert or git checkout from the previous commit.

Why does git rm refuse to delete a modified file?

Git protects uncommitted changes. Use -f (force) to force the deletion: git rm -f file. Warning: uncommitted changes will be lost.

Git rm: remove files from the repository

git rm removes a file from the Git repository. With --cached, it untracks the file without deleting it from disk. Essential for cleaning up your project.

Practice git rm Git Glossary

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Cleanup

What is git rm?

git rm removes a file from the Git repository. Unlike a simple rm, Git records the deletion and stages it for the next commit.

The most common use case: removing a sensitive file (.env, credentials) added by mistake with git rm --cached.

Git rm syntax

git rm file

Remove from repo and from disk

git rm --cached file

Untrack but keep on disk

git rm -r directory/

Remove a directory recursively

Git rm in practice

Remove files or untrack them.

Remove a file

gitquest — git rm

# Remove a file from the repo AND from disk

$git rm old-file.txt

rm 'old-file.txt'

$git status

deleted: old-file.txt

$git commit -m "chore: remove old file"

[main a1b2c3d] chore: remove old file

Untrack (--cached)

gitquest — git rm --cached

# Untrack from Git WITHOUT deleting the file

$git rm --cached .env

rm '.env'

# The file still exists on disk

$ls .env

.env

# Untrack an entire directory

$git rm -r --cached node_modules/

rm 'node_modules/...' (files untracked)

git rm vs rm vs .gitignore

`git rm`

Removes from the Git repo and from disk. The deletion is staged.

`git rm --cached`

Removes from Git tracking but keeps the file on disk.

`.gitignore`

Prevents Git from tracking files not yet tracked. Does not affect files already tracked.

Common mistakes with git rm

Adding .env to .gitignore but forgetting git rm --cached

.gitignore does not affect files already tracked. You must first run git rm --cached .env then add .env to .gitignore.

Using rm instead of git rm

If you delete with rm, Git sees the change but does not stage it. You then need to run git add to stage the deletion.

Forgetting the file remains in history

git rm removes the file from the next commit, but it still exists in previous commits. For a secret, you need to rewrite history.

Part of the Git Advanced guide

Related commands

git clean

Remove untracked files

git mv

Rename or move a file

git restore

Restore a deleted file

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