Resolve Git Conflicts
Identify, resolve, and recover from merge and rebase conflicts.
When to Use
- A
git merge or git rebase reports conflicts
- A
git cherry-pick cannot apply cleanly
- A
git pull results in conflicting changes
- A
git stash pop conflicts with current working tree
Inputs
- Required: Repository with active conflicts
- Optional: Preferred resolution strategy (ours, theirs, manual)
- Optional: Context about which changes should take priority
Procedure
Step 1: Identify the Conflict Source
Determine what operation caused the conflict:
# Check current status
git status
# Look for indicators:
# "You have unmerged paths" — merge conflict
# "rebase in progress" — rebase conflict
# "cherry-pick in progress" — cherry-pick conflict
The status output tells you which files have conflicts and what operation is in progress.
Expected: git status shows files listed under "Unmerged paths" and indicates the active operation.
On failure: If git status shows a clean tree but you expected conflicts, the operation may have already been completed or aborted. Check git log for recent activity.
Step 2: Read Conflict Markers
Open each conflicting file and locate the conflict markers:
<<<<<<< HEAD
// Your current branch's version
const result = calculateWeightedMean(data, weights);
=======
// Incoming branch's version
const result = computeWeightedAverage(data, weights);
>>>>>>> feature/rename-functions
<<<<<<< HEAD to =======: Your current branch (or the branch you're rebasing onto)======= to >>>>>>>: The incoming changes (the branch being merged or the commit being applied)
Expected: Each conflicting file contains one or more blocks with <<<<<<<, =======, and >>>>>>> markers.
On failure: If no markers are found but files show as conflicting, the conflict may be a binary file or a deleted-vs-modified conflict. Check git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U for the full list.
Step 3: Choose a Resolution Strategy
Manual merge (most common): Edit the file to combine both changes logically, then remove all conflict markers.
Accept ours (keep current branch's version):
# For a single file
git checkout --ours path/to/file.R
git add path/to/file.R
# For all conflicts
git checkout --ours .
git add -A
Accept theirs (keep incoming branch's version):
# For a single file
git checkout --theirs path/to/file.R
git add path/to/file.R
# For all conflicts
git checkout --theirs .
git add -A
Expected: After resolution, the file contains the correct merged content with no remaining conflict markers.
On failure: If you chose the wrong side, re-read the conflicting version from the merge base. During a merge, git checkout -m path/to/file re-creates the conflict markers so you can try again.
Step 4: Mark Files as Resolved
After editing each conflicting file:
# Stage the resolved file
git add path/to/resolved-file.R
# Check remaining conflicts
git status
Repeat for every file listed under "Unmerged paths".
Expected: All files move from "Unmerged paths" to "Changes to be committed". No conflict markers remain in any file.
On failure: If git add fails or markers remain, re-open the file and ensure all <<<<<<<, =======, and >>>>>>> lines are removed.
Step 5: Continue the Operation
Once all conflicts are resolved:
For merge:
git commit
# Git auto-populates the merge commit message
For rebase:
git rebase --continue
# May encounter more conflicts on subsequent commits — repeat steps 2-4
For cherry-pick:
git cherry-pick --continue
For stash pop:
# Stash pop conflicts don't need a continue — just commit or reset
git add .
git commit -m "Apply stashed changes with conflict resolution"
Expected: The operation completes. git status shows a clean working tree (or moves to the next commit during rebase).
On failure: If the continue command fails, check git status for remaining unresolved files. All conflicts must be resolved before continuing.
Step 6: Abort if Needed
If resolution is too complex or you chose the wrong approach, abort safely:
# Abort merge
git merge --abort
# Abort rebase
git rebase --abort
# Abort cherry-pick
git cherry-pick --abort
Expected: Repository returns to the state before the operation started. No data loss.
On failure: If abort fails (rare), check git reflog to find the commit before the operation and git reset --hard <commit> to restore it. Use with caution — this discards uncommitted changes.
Step 7: Verify Resolution
After the operation completes:
# Verify clean working tree
git status
# Check that the merge/rebase result is correct
git log --oneline -5
git diff HEAD~1
# Run tests to confirm nothing is broken
# (language-specific: devtools::test(), npm test, cargo test, etc.)
Expected: Clean working tree, correct merge history, tests pass.
On failure: If tests fail after resolution, the merge may have introduced logical errors even though syntax conflicts are resolved. Review the diff carefully and fix.
Validation
Common Pitfalls
- Blindly accepting one side:
--ours or --theirs discards the other side entirely. Only use when you are certain one version is completely correct.
- Leaving conflict markers in code: Always search the entire file for remaining markers after editing. A partial resolution breaks the code.
- Amending during rebase: During an interactive rebase, do not
--amend unless the rebase step specifically calls for it. Use git rebase --continue instead.
- Losing work on abort:
git rebase --abort and git merge --abort discard all resolution work. Only abort if you want to start over.
- Not testing after resolution: A syntactically clean merge can still be logically wrong. Always run tests.
- Force-pushing after rebase: After rebasing a shared branch, coordinate with collaborators before force-pushing, as it rewrites history.
Related Skills
commit-changes - committing after conflict resolutionmanage-git-branches - branch workflows that lead to conflictsconfigure-git-repository - repository setup and merge strategies