GIT-STASH(1)                      Git Manual                      GIT-STASH(1)

NAME
       git-stash - Stash the changes in a dirty working directory away

SYNOPSIS
       git stash list [<log-options>]
       git stash show [-u | --include-untracked | --only-untracked] [<diff-options>] [<stash>]
       git stash drop [-q | --quiet] [<stash>]
       git stash pop [--index] [-q | --quiet] [<stash>]
       git stash apply [--index] [-q | --quiet] [--label-ours=<label>] [--label-theirs=<label>] [--label-base=<label>] [<stash>]
       git stash branch <branchname> [<stash>]
       git stash [push] [-p | --patch] [-S | --staged] [-k | --[no-]keep-index] [-q | --quiet]
                    [-u | --include-untracked] [-a | --all] [(-m | --message) <message>]
                    [--pathspec-from-file=<file> [--pathspec-file-nul]]
                    [--] [<pathspec>...]
       git stash save [-p | --patch] [-S | --staged] [-k | --[no-]keep-index] [-q | --quiet]
                  [-u | --include-untracked] [-a | --all] [<message>]
       git stash clear
       git stash create [<message>]
       git stash store [(-m | --message) <message>] [-q | --quiet] <commit>
       git stash export (--print | --to-ref <ref>) [<stash>...]
       git stash import <commit>


DESCRIPTION
       Use git stash when you want to record the current state of the working
       directory and the index, but want to go back to a clean working
       directory. The command saves your local modifications away and reverts
       the working directory to match the HEAD commit.

       The modifications stashed away by this command can be listed with git
       stash list, inspected with git stash show, and restored (potentially on
       top of a different commit) with git stash apply. Calling git stash
       without any arguments is equivalent to git stash push. A stash is by
       default listed as "WIP on <branchname> ...", but you can give a more
       descriptive message on the command line when you create one.

       The latest stash you created is stored in refs/stash; older stashes are
       found in the reflog of this reference and can be named using the usual
       reflog syntax (e.g. stash@{0} is the most recently created stash,
       stash@{1} is the one before it, stash@{2.hours.ago} is also possible).
       Stashes may also be referenced by specifying just the stash index (e.g.
       the integer <n> is equivalent to stash@{<n>}).

COMMANDS
       push [-p | --patch] [-S | --staged] [-k | --[no-]keep-index] [-u |
       --include-untracked] [ -a | --all] [-q | --quiet] [(-m|--message)
       <message>] [--pathspec-from-file=<file> [--pathspec-file-nul]] [--]
       [<pathspec>...]
           Save your local modifications to a new stash entry and roll them
           back to HEAD (in the working tree and in the index). The <message>
           part is optional and gives the description along with the stashed
           state.

           For quickly making a snapshot, you can omit "push". In this mode,
           pathspec elements are only allowed after a double hyphen -- to
           prevent a misspelled subcommand from making an unwanted stash
           entry.

       save [-p | --patch] [-S | --staged] [-k | --[no-]keep-index] [-u |
       --include-untracked] [-a | --all] [-q | --quiet] [<message>]
           This option is deprecated in favour of git stash push. It differs
           from "stash push" in that it cannot take pathspec. Instead, all
           non-option arguments are concatenated to form the stash message.

       list [<log-options>]
           List the stash entries that you currently have. Each stash entry is
           listed with its name (e.g.  stash@{0} is the latest entry,
           stash@{1} is the one before, etc.), the name of the branch that was
           current when the entry was made, and a short description of the
           commit the entry was based on.

               stash@{0}: WIP on submit: 6ebd0e2... Update git-stash documentation
               stash@{1}: On master: 9cc0589... Add git-stash

           The command takes options applicable to the git log command to
           control what is shown and how. See git-log(1).

       show [-u | --include-untracked | --only-untracked] [<diff-options>]
       [<stash>]
           Show the changes recorded in the stash entry as a diff between the
           stashed contents and the commit back when the stash entry was first
           created. By default, the command shows the diffstat, but it will
           accept any format known to git diff (e.g., git stash show -p
           stash@{1} to view the second most recent entry in patch form). If
           no <diff-option> is provided, the default behavior will be given by
           the stash.showStat, and stash.showPatch config variables. You can
           also use stash.showIncludeUntracked to set whether
           --include-untracked is enabled by default.

       pop [--index] [-q | --quiet] [<stash>]
           Remove a single stashed state from the stash list and apply it on
           top of the current working tree state, i.e., do the inverse
           operation of git stash push. The working directory must match the
           index.

           Applying the state can fail with conflicts; in this case, it is not
           removed from the stash list. You need to resolve the conflicts by
           hand and call git stash drop manually afterwards.

       apply [--index] [-q | --quiet] [<stash>]
           Like pop, but do not remove the state from the stash list. Unlike
           pop, <stash> may be any commit that looks like a commit created by
           stash push or stash create.

       branch <branchname> [<stash>]
           Creates and checks out a new branch named <branchname> starting
           from the commit at which the <stash> was originally created,
           applies the changes recorded in <stash> to the new working tree and
           index. If that succeeds, and <stash> is a reference of the form
           stash@{<revision>}, it then drops the <stash>.

           This is useful if the branch on which you ran git stash push has
           changed enough that git stash apply fails due to conflicts. Since
           the stash entry is applied on top of the commit that was HEAD at
           the time git stash was run, it restores the originally stashed
           state with no conflicts.

       clear
           Remove all the stash entries. Note that those entries will then be
           subject to pruning, and may be impossible to recover (see EXAMPLES
           below for a possible strategy).

       drop [-q | --quiet] [<stash>]
           Remove a single stash entry from the list of stash entries.

       create
           Create a stash entry (which is a regular commit object) and return
           its object name, without storing it anywhere in the ref namespace.
           This is intended to be useful for scripts. It is probably not the
           command you want to use; see "push" above.

       store
           Store a given stash created via git stash create (which is a
           dangling merge commit) in the stash ref, updating the stash reflog.
           This is intended to be useful for scripts. It is probably not the
           command you want to use; see "push" above.

       export ( --print | --to-ref <ref> ) [<stash>...]
           Export the specified stashes, or all of them if none are specified,
           to a chain of commits which can be transferred using the normal
           fetch and push mechanisms, then imported using the import
           subcommand.

       import <commit>
           Import the specified stashes from the specified commit, which must
           have been created by export, and add them to the list of stashes.
           To replace the existing stashes, use clear first.

OPTIONS
       -a, --all
           This option is only valid for push and save commands.

           All ignored and untracked files are also stashed and then cleaned
           up with git clean.

       -u, --include-untracked, --no-include-untracked
           When used with the push and save commands, all untracked files are
           also stashed and then cleaned up with git clean.

           When used with the show command, show the untracked files in the
           stash entry as part of the diff.

       --only-untracked
           This option is only valid for the show command.

           Show only the untracked files in the stash entry as part of the
           diff.

       --index
           This option is only valid for pop and apply commands.

           Tries to reinstate not only the working tree's changes, but also
           the index's ones. However, this can fail, when you have conflicts
           (which are stored in the index, where you therefore can no longer
           apply the changes as they were originally).

       --label-ours=<label>, --label-theirs=<label>, --label-base=<label>
           These options are only valid for the apply command.

           Use the given labels in conflict markers instead of the default
           "Updated upstream", "Stashed changes", and "Stash base".
           --label-base only has an effect with merge.conflictStyle=diff3.

       -k, --keep-index, --no-keep-index
           This option is only valid for push and save commands.

           All changes already added to the index are left intact.

       -p, --patch
           This option is only valid for push and save commands.

           Interactively select hunks from the diff between HEAD and the
           working tree to be stashed. The stash entry is constructed such
           that its index state is the same as the index state of your
           repository, and its worktree contains only the changes you selected
           interactively. The selected changes are then rolled back from your
           worktree. See the "Interactive Mode" section of git-add(1) to learn
           how to operate the --patch mode.

           The --patch option implies --keep-index. You can use
           --no-keep-index to override this.

       -U<n>, --unified=<n>
           Generate diffs with <n> lines of context. The number of context
           lines defaults to diff.context or 3 if the configuration variable
           is unset. (-U without <n> is silently accepted as a synonym for -p
           due to a historical accident).

       --inter-hunk-context=<n>
           Show the context between diff hunks, up to the specified <number>
           of lines, thereby fusing hunks that are close to each other.
           Defaults to diff.interHunkContext or 0 if the config option is
           unset.

       -S, --staged
           This option is only valid for push and save commands.

           Stash only the changes that are currently staged. This is similar
           to basic git commit except the state is committed to the stash
           instead of current branch.

           The --patch option has priority over this one.

       --pathspec-from-file=<file>
           This option is only valid for push command.

           Pathspec is passed in <file> instead of commandline args. If <file>
           is exactly - then standard input is used. Pathspec elements are
           separated by LF or CR/LF. Pathspec elements can be quoted as
           explained for the configuration variable core.quotePath (see git-
           config(1)). See also --pathspec-file-nul and global
           --literal-pathspecs.

       --pathspec-file-nul
           This option is only valid for push command.

           Only meaningful with --pathspec-from-file. Pathspec elements are
           separated with NUL character and all other characters are taken
           literally (including newlines and quotes).

       -q, --quiet
           This option is only valid for apply, drop, pop, push, save, store
           commands.

           Quiet, suppress feedback messages.

       --print
           This option is only valid for the export command.

           Create the chain of commits representing the exported stashes
           without storing it anywhere in the ref namespace and print the
           object ID to standard output. This is designed for scripts.

       --to-ref
           This option is only valid for the export command.

           Create the chain of commits representing the exported stashes and
           store it to the specified ref.

       --
           This option is only valid for push command.

           Separates pathspec from options for disambiguation purposes.

       <pathspec>...
           This option is only valid for push command.

           The new stash entry records the modified states only for the files
           that match the pathspec. The index entries and working tree files
           are then rolled back to the state in HEAD only for these files,
           too, leaving files that do not match the pathspec intact.

           For more details, see the pathspec entry in gitglossary(7).

       <stash>
           This option is only valid for apply, branch, drop, pop, show, and
           export commands.

           A reference of the form stash@{<revision>}. When no <stash> is
           given, the latest stash is assumed (that is, stash@{0}).

DISCUSSION
       A stash entry is represented as a commit whose tree records the state
       of the working directory, and its first parent is the commit at HEAD
       when the entry was created. The tree of the second parent records the
       state of the index when the entry is made, and it is made a child of
       the HEAD commit. The ancestry graph looks like this:

                  .----W
                 /    /
           -----H----I

       where H is the HEAD commit, I is a commit that records the state of the
       index, and W is a commit that records the state of the working tree.

EXAMPLES
       Pulling into a dirty tree
           When you are in the middle of something, you learn that there are
           upstream changes that are possibly relevant to what you are doing.
           When your local changes do not conflict with the changes in the
           upstream, a simple git pull will let you move forward.

           However, there are cases in which your local changes do conflict
           with the upstream changes, and git pull refuses to overwrite your
           changes. In such a case, you can stash your changes away, perform a
           pull, and then unstash, like this:

               $ git pull
                ...
               file foobar not up to date, cannot merge.
               $ git stash
               $ git pull
               $ git stash pop


       Interrupted workflow
           When you are in the middle of something, your boss comes in and
           demands that you fix something immediately. Traditionally, you
           would make a commit to a temporary branch to store your changes
           away, and return to your original branch to make the emergency fix,
           like this:

               # ... hack hack hack ...
               $ git switch -c my_wip
               $ git commit -a -m "WIP"
               $ git switch master
               $ edit emergency fix
               $ git commit -a -m "Fix in a hurry"
               $ git switch my_wip
               $ git reset --soft HEAD^
               # ... continue hacking ...

           You can use git stash to simplify the above, like this:

               # ... hack hack hack ...
               $ git stash
               $ edit emergency fix
               $ git commit -a -m "Fix in a hurry"
               $ git stash pop
               # ... continue hacking ...


       Testing partial commits
           You can use git stash push --keep-index when you want to make two
           or more commits out of the changes in the work tree, and you want
           to test each change before committing:

               # ... hack hack hack ...
               $ git add --patch foo            # add just first part to the index
               $ git stash push --keep-index    # save all other changes to the stash
               $ edit/build/test first part
               $ git commit -m 'First part'     # commit fully tested change
               $ git stash pop                  # prepare to work on all other changes
               # ... repeat above five steps until one commit remains ...
               $ edit/build/test remaining parts
               $ git commit foo -m 'Remaining parts'


       Saving unrelated changes for future use
           When you are in the middle of massive changes and you find some
           unrelated issue that you don't want to forget to fix, you can do
           the change(s), stage them, and use git stash push --staged to stash
           them out for future use. This is similar to committing the staged
           changes, only the commit ends-up being in the stash and not on the
           current branch.

               # ... hack hack hack ...
               $ git add --patch foo           # add unrelated changes to the index
               $ git stash push --staged       # save these changes to the stash
               # ... hack hack hack, finish current changes ...
               $ git commit -m 'Massive'       # commit fully tested changes
               $ git switch fixup-branch       # switch to another branch
               $ git stash pop                 # to finish work on the saved changes


       Recovering stash entries that were cleared/dropped erroneously
           If you mistakenly drop or clear stash entries, they cannot be
           recovered through the normal safety mechanisms. However, you can
           try the following incantation to get a list of stash entries that
           are still in your repository, but not reachable any more:

               git fsck --unreachable |
               grep commit | cut -d\  -f3 |
               xargs git log --merges --no-walk --grep=WIP


CONFIGURATION
       Everything below this line in this section is selectively included from
       the git-config(1) documentation. The content is the same as what's
       found there:

       stash.index
           If this is set to true, git stash apply and git stash pop will
           behave as if --index was supplied. Defaults to false.

       stash.showIncludeUntracked
           If this is set to true, the git stash show command will show the
           untracked files of a stash entry. Defaults to false.

       stash.showPatch
           If this is set to true, the git stash show command without an
           option will show the stash entry in patch form. Defaults to false.

       stash.showStat
           If this is set to true, the git stash show command without an
           option will show a diffstat of the stash entry. Defaults to true.

SEE ALSO
       git-checkout(1), git-commit(1), git-reflog(1), git-reset(1), git-
       switch(1)

GIT
       Part of the git(1) suite

Git 2.55.0                        2026-06-29                      GIT-STASH(1)