Git Fetch Commands

Overview

The git fetch command downloads objects and refs from another repository. This command is essential for updating your local repository with the latest changes from a remote repository without merging them into your local branch. This document covers the basic and advanced usage of git fetch.

Basic Fetch

git fetch

Fetches updates from the default remote repository (usually origin).

git fetch

Example

git fetch

This command fetches updates from the origin remote repository without merging them into your local branch.

git fetch <remote>

Fetches updates from a specific remote repository.

git fetch <remote>

Example

git fetch origin

This command fetches updates from the origin remote repository.

Fetching Specific Branches

git fetch <remote> <branch>

Fetches updates from a specific branch of a remote repository.

git fetch <remote> <branch>

Example

git fetch origin main

This command fetches updates from the main branch of the origin remote repository.

Fetching All Branches

git fetch --all

Fetches updates from all configured remotes and their branches.

git fetch --all

Example

git fetch --all

This command fetches updates from all remote repositories and their branches configured in your local repository.

Pruning Deleted Branches

git fetch --prune

Prunes (removes) tracking references that no longer exist on the remote.

git fetch --prune

Example

git fetch --prune

This command removes any tracking branches that have been deleted on the remote repository.

Fetching Tags

git fetch --tags

Fetches all tags from the remote repository.

git fetch --tags

Example

git fetch --tags

This command fetches all tags from the remote repository.

Fetching with Depth

git fetch --depth <depth>

Fetches only the specified number of commits from the remote repository.

git fetch --depth <depth>

Example

git fetch --depth 1

This command fetches only the latest commit from the remote repository.

Specifying Refspecs

git fetch <remote> <refspec>

Fetches a specific refspec from a remote repository.

git fetch <remote> <refspec>

Example

git fetch origin refs/heads/main:refs/remotes/origin/main

This command fetches the main branch from the origin remote and updates the corresponding remote-tracking branch in your local repository.

Fetching All Remote Branches

git fetch <remote> +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/<remote>/*

Fetches all branches from a remote repository and updates the corresponding remote-tracking branches.

git fetch <remote> +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/<remote>/*

Example

git fetch origin +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*

This command fetches all branches from the origin remote and updates the corresponding remote-tracking branches in your local repository.

Fetch and Merge

git fetch and git merge

Fetches changes from a remote repository and merges them into the current branch in two separate steps.

git fetch <remote>
git merge <remote>/<branch>

Example

git fetch origin
git merge origin/main

This sequence of commands fetches changes from the main branch of the origin remote and merges them into the current branch.

Summary

The git fetch command is a powerful tool for updating your local repository with the latest changes from a remote repository without merging them immediately. This allows you to review changes before integrating them into your work. For more detailed information on each command, refer to the official Git documentation.