Git Commit --amend

The git commit --amend command allows you to modify the most recent commit instead of creating a new one.

When to Use

Use git commit --amend to:

• Fix typos in the commit message
• Add forgotten files to the last commit
• Modify the content of the last commit

Basic Usage

Amending the Commit Message

git commit --amend -m "New commit message"

Adding Files to the Last Commit

# Stage the forgotten files
git add forgotten-file.txt

# Amend the commit
git commit --amend --no-edit

The --no-edit flag keeps the existing commit message.

Interactive Amending

git commit --amend

This opens your default editor to modify the commit message.

Important Notes

⚠️ Warning: Only amend commits that haven't been pushed to a shared repository. Amending changes the commit hash, which can cause issues for other developers.

Examples

# Fix a typo in the last commit message
git commit --amend -m "Fix typo in login function"

# Add a file and amend without changing the message
git add missing-file.js
git commit --amend --no-edit

# Open editor to modify the commit message
git commit --amend

Next Steps

• Learn about git reset for more commit modifications
• Explore rewriting history for advanced techniques