Command Reference

git branch Tutorial

Covers how git branch lists, creates, renames, and deletes branches, and how it relates to remote-tracking branches.

The short version

git branch manages branch refs, which are names that point at commits.

Listing branches

git branch
git branch -r
git branch -a
git branch -vv

-vv is especially useful because it shows upstream tracking information and the latest commit summary.

Creating a branch

git branch feature/login

This creates the branch but does not switch to it. For that, pair it with git switch -c or use the older checkout form.

Renaming and deleting

git branch -m old-name new-name
git branch -d feature/login

Use -D only when you deliberately want a force delete.

Local vs remote-tracking refs

People often confuse main with origin/main. The first is your local branch. The second is a remote-tracking ref updated by fetch. Understanding that distinction helps explain many sync workflows.