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git-reflog

Record and recover reference movements

TLDR

Show reflog
$ git reflog
Show reflog for branch
$ git reflog [branch]
Show with timestamps
$ git reflog --date=relative
Expire old entries
$ git reflog expire --expire=[90.days] --all
Delete specific entry
$ git reflog delete HEAD@{2}

SYNOPSIS

git reflog [command] [options]

DESCRIPTION

git reflog records when refs (like HEAD and branch tips) are updated, providing a safety net for recovering lost commits. After accidental resets, rebases, or branch deletions, the reflog shows where refs previously pointed, allowing recovery of otherwise unreachable commits.Entries expire after a configurable period: reachable entries after 90 days (`gc.reflogExpire`), unreachable ones after 30 days (`gc.reflogExpireUnreachable`). The reflog is local only and is not shared between repositories.

PARAMETERS

show REF

Show reflog for ref (default).
expire
Prune old reflog entries.
delete
Delete specific entries.
--all
Process all refs.
--expire TIME
Expire older than time.
--date FORMAT
Date format.
-n NUM
Limit entries shown.
--help
Display help information.

INSTALL

sudo apt install git
sudo dnf install git
sudo pacman -S git
sudo apk add git
sudo zypper install git
brew install git
nix profile install nixpkgs#git

CAVEATS

Local only, not pushed. Entries expire (90 days reachable, 30 days unreachable, by default). Won't help after gc removes the underlying objects.

HISTORY

git reflog is a core Git safety feature, providing local history of ref movements to enable recovery from destructive operations.

SEE ALSO

git-log(1), git-reset(1), git-gc(1)

RESOURCES

Source code · Homepage · Documentation