reflog

Git · Reference cheat sheet

📋 Overview

The reflog records when HEAD and branch tips moved locally (commit, checkout, reset, rebase). Use it to recover “lost” commits after reset/amend/rebase. Reflogs are local and expire (default ~90 days).

🔧 Core concepts

• Entries — HEAD@\{n\}, main@\{yesterday\}, timestamps.
• Scope — per-ref reflogs (git reflog show main) + HEAD reflog.
• Recover — find SHA → checkout / branch / reset to it.
• Expire — gc / reflog expire prune old entries.
• Not pushed — remotes don’t have your reflog.

💡 Examples

git reflog
git reflog show main
git reflog --date=iso

# Recover after hard reset
git reset --hard HEAD@{1}
# or
git branch recover-me abcdef1

# After failed rebase
git reflog | head
git reset --hard HEAD@{5}

# Relative time
git show main@{2.days.ago}

git reflog expire --expire=30.days --all
git gc --prune=now

⚠️ Pitfalls

• Expired / GC’d objects can’t be recovered — act sooner than later.
• Reflog doesn’t help on another machine — push recovery branches if needed.
• @\{u\} is upstream, not reflog — different syntax.
• Don’t confuse reflog index HEAD@\{1\} with commit parent HEAD~1.
• Sensitive SHAs in reflog remain until expiry — consider security on shared disks.

🔗 Related

• reset.md
• amend.md
• rebase.md
• log.md
• stash.md
• branch.md