Git Workflow Patterns

Best practices for Git version control, branching strategies, and collaborative development.

When to Activate

• Setting up Git workflow for a new project
• Deciding on branching strategy (GitFlow, trunk-based, GitHub flow)
• Writing commit messages and PR descriptions
• Resolving merge conflicts
• Managing releases and version tags
• Onboarding new team members to Git practices

Branching Strategies

GitHub Flow (Simple, Recommended for Most)

Best for continuous deployment and small-to-medium teams.

main (protected, always deployable)
  │
  ├── feature/user-auth      → PR → merge to main
  ├── feature/payment-flow   → PR → merge to main
  └── fix/login-bug          → PR → merge to main

Rules:

• main is always deployable
• Create feature branches from main
• Open Pull Request when ready for review
• After approval and CI passes, merge to main
• Deploy immediately after merge

Trunk-Based Development (High-Velocity Teams)

Best for teams with strong CI/CD and feature flags.

main (trunk)
  │
  ├── short-lived feature (1-2 days max)
  ├── short-lived feature
  └── short-lived feature

Rules:

• Everyone commits to main or very short-lived branches
• Feature flags hide incomplete work
• CI must pass before merge
• Deploy multiple times per day

GitFlow (Complex, Release-Cycle Driven)

Best for scheduled releases and enterprise projects.

main (production releases)
  │
  └── develop (integration branch)
        │
        ├── feature/user-auth
        ├── feature/payment
        │
        ├── release/1.0.0    → merge to main and develop
        │
        └── hotfix/critical  → merge to main and develop

Rules:

• main contains production-ready code only
• develop is the integration branch
• Feature branches from develop, merge back to develop
• Release branches from develop, merge to main and develop
• Hotfix branches from main, merge to both main and develop

When to Use Which

Commit Messages

Conventional Commits Format

<type>(<scope>): <subject>

[optional body]

[optional footer(s)]

Types

Good vs Bad Examples

# BAD: Vague, no context
git commit -m "fixed stuff"
git commit -m "updates"
git commit -m "WIP"

# GOOD: Clear, specific, explains why
git commit -m "fix(api): retry requests on 503 Service Unavailable

The external API occasionally returns 503 errors during peak hours.
Added exponential backoff retry logic with max 3 attempts.

Closes #123"

Commit Message Template

Create .gitmessage in repo root:

# <type>(<scope>): <subject>
# # Types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, test, chore, perf, ci, revert
# Scope: api, ui, db, auth, etc.
# Subject: imperative mood, no period, max 50 chars
#
# [optional body] - explain why, not what
# [optional footer] - Breaking changes, closes #issue

Enable with: git config commit.template .gitmessage

Merge vs Rebase

Merge (Preserves History)

# Creates a merge commit
git checkout main
git merge feature/user-auth

# Result:
# *   merge commit
# |\
# | * feature commits
# |/
# * main commits

Use when:

• Merging feature branches into main
• You want to preserve exact history
• Multiple people worked on the branch

…