Have you ever made a commit in Git and realized you forgot to include a file or made a typo in the commit message? git commit --amend is a powerful command that lets you fix mistakes in your most recent commit.

What Does git commit --amend Do?

The --amend flag allows you to:

• Edit the last commit message
• Add new changes to the last commit
• Combine staged changes with the previous commit

This is especially useful before pushing changes to a remote repository, as it helps keep your commit history clean.

Basic Usage & Examples

1. Changing the Last Commit Message

If you made a typo in your commit message, you can fix it with:

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

2. Adding Forgotten Files to the Last Commit

Suppose you made a commit but forgot to include a file:

git add forgotten_file.txt
git commit --amend --no-edit  # Keeps the original message

The --no-edit flag ensures the commit message remains unchanged.

3. Modifying Both Commit Message & Content

If you want to update both the commit message and include new changes:

git add new_changes.txt
git commit --amend -m "Updated feature with new changes"

Tips and Tricks

1. Amending Merge Commits (Carefully!)

• Normally, --amend works on regular commits, but you can amend a merge commit (from git merge).

• However, this can get messy because merge commits have multiple parents.

• How?
  

git merge feature-branch --no-commit  # Pause before committing
    git commit --amend -m "Better merge message"

• ⚠ Warning: Rewriting merge commits can break branch history.

2. Amending Without Changing Timestamp

• By default, --amend updates the commit timestamp.

• To keep the original timestamp (useful for CI/CD or audits):
  

git commit --amend --no-edit --date="$(git log -1 --format=%aD)"

• Or set a custom date:

git commit --amend --date="2023-01-01T12:00:00"

3. Amending the Root Commit (First Commit in Repo)

• The very first commit (git init) can also be amended!

• But since it has no parent, you'll need git rebase -i --root for deeper edits.

4. Secret: Amend with --reset-author

• If you want to reset the author to your current Git config (e.g., after cloning a repo with someone else's commits):

 git commit --amend --reset-author

5. Staging Fixups Without Losing Work

• Suppose you staged changes but realize they belong in the last commit:

git commit --amend --no-edit  # Absorbs staged changes

• Pro Tip: Combine with git add -p to stage partial changes.

6. Undoing an Amend

• Oops! Amended the wrong commit? Recover it via:

    git reflog                  # Find the pre-amend commit hash
    git reset --hard HEAD@{1}   # Restore to the old state

When Not to Use --amend

• On commits shared with others (unless you coordinate force-pushes).

• If you've already pushed to a public branch (use git revert instead).

Conclusion

git commit --amend is a lifesaver for fixing small mistakes before sharing your work. Whether you need to update a commit message, include missing files, or correct authorship, this command helps maintain a clean Git history.

Final Pro Tip

Combine --amend with git rebase -i for interactive commit editing:

git rebase -i HEAD~5  # Then mark commits with 'edit'
git commit --amend    # Make changes during rebase
git rebase --continue

Up Next in the Series: git filter-branch – Rewrite Git history (caution: destructive)

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