The normal rhythm after the first push

Once the repository exists, you do not repeat the whole first-upload process. Most days are just: get current, make a change, test it, commit it, push it.

git status
git pull --rebase
# make your changes
git status
git add .
git diff --cached
git commit -m "Describe the change"
git push

The Git commands are mostly the same

Windows users usually run commands in PowerShell. Mac users usually run commands in Terminal. Once you are inside the project folder, the Git commands are the same almost all of the time.

cd "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\My Project"
git status
git pull --rebase

cd "/Users/yourname/Desktop/My Project"
git status
git pull --rebase

Use branches when work should stay separate

A branch is a separate line of work. This lets you experiment, fix something, or let another person work on a different area without everyone stepping on main.

git switch main
git pull --rebase
git switch -c feature/customer-dashboard
# edit and test
git add .
git commit -m "Add customer dashboard"
git push -u origin feature/customer-dashboard

Branch names should be short and boring. Good examples are feature/login-screen, fix/github-auth-message, or docs/update-readme. Boring is good here. Git already has enough personality.

A pull request is a review before merging

A pull request, often called a PR, is where GitHub shows the difference between your branch and main. It is the best place to review changes, ask questions, run checks, and decide whether the work is ready.

1. Push your branch to GitHub.
2. Open the repository page in your browser.
3. Click Compare and pull request.
4. Write a short title and plain summary of what changed.
5. Review the files changed before merging.

Conflicts are annoying, not fatal

A conflict happens when Git cannot automatically combine two edits. Usually two people changed the same line, or one person changed a file while another deleted it.

git status

Git will list the conflicted files. Open each file and look for markers like this:

<<<<<<< HEAD
your version
=======
their version
>>>>>>> branch-name

Edit the file so only the correct final version remains. Remove the marker lines. Then continue:

git add path/to/file
git status
git rebase --continue

If you were merging instead of rebasing, the last command may be:

git commit

A few useful safety commands

Git can help you back out of normal mistakes. The key is to stop and check status before trying random commands from the internet. Ask me how I know.

git restore --staged path/to/file

git restore path/to/file

git stash push -m "work in progress"
git stash list
git stash pop

git diff
git diff --cached

Use tags when a version matters

A commit is a checkpoint. A tag is a label on a specific checkpoint. Tags are useful for releases, client handoffs, conference builds, and anything you may need to find again later.

git switch main
git pull --rebase
git tag v1.0.0
git push origin v1.0.0

A common version style is v1.0.0. The first number is for major changes, the second is for normal improvements, and the third is for fixes. You do not have to become a versioning scholar. Just be consistent.

On GitHub, you can also create a Release from a tag and attach a ZIP, PDF, installer, or other downloadable files.

Make sure you are pushing as the right person

If you have a personal GitHub account and a company organization, be careful which account is authenticated. This matters most when pushing to private repositories.

gh auth status
gh auth switch

Your Git author name and email are not the same thing as your GitHub login. These commands control the name shown on commits from this folder:

git config user.name "Your Name"
git config user.email "your-email@example.com"

On a company repository, access is controlled by GitHub permissions. If a push fails with a permissions message, check that the repository exists, that you are signed into the correct account, and that your account has Write access.

Review before changing visibility

Before making a private repository public, check the files and the history. Removing a secret from the current file does not remove it from older commits. If a password, token, private key, or customer export was ever committed, rotate the credential before publishing.

git log --oneline
git status

Also check your README, license, screenshots, sample data, and issue history. Public means public. Give yourself one extra coffee and one extra review before clicking that button.

Give the agent boundaries before it touches Git

An AI coding agent can be extremely helpful with Git, but the owner should stay in control of commits, pushes, releases, and credentials. Put an AGENTS.md file in the project root so the agent knows the rules.

1. Ask the agent to read AGENTS.md, README.md, and git status.
2. Tell it whether it may create a branch.
3. Have it show the changed files before committing.
4. Run the project checks before pushing.
5. Only push or open a pull request when you clearly ask it to.