How to Revert Git Commits with examples


Have you ever made a mistake in your Git commit and wished you could go back in time to fix it? 

You’re not alone! Reverting Git commits is a common task that can save you from hours of frustration and lost work. 

In this guide, you’ll learn how to safely and effectively revert Git commits using practical examples and step-by-step instructions. 

From understanding the basics of version control to mastering advanced techniques like cherry-picking commits, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to take control of your codebase.

Understanding Git Commit Reverts

Before you start reverting Git commits, it’s imperative to understand the process and its implications on your codebase.

Types of Git Commit Reverts

You can revert Git commits in different ways, depending on your situation.

  • Reverting a single commit:
    Undo a specific commit and create a new one that reverses the changes.
  • Reverting multiple commits:
    Undo a series of commits and create new ones that reverse the changes.
  • Resetting your branch:
    Restore your branch to a previous state, discarding all changes made after that point.
  • Cherry-picking commits:
    Selectively apply changes from previous commits to revive lost work.
  • Reverting a merge commit:
    Undo a merge commit and restore your branch to its pre-merge state.

Factors to Consider Before Reverting

Before reverting Git commits, consider the following factors:

  • Impact on collaborators: 
    Reverting commits can affect other developers working on the same codebase.
  • Potential data loss: 
    Reverting commits can lead to data loss if not done correctly.
  • Branch stability: 
    Reverting commits can destabilize your branch and lead to merge conflicts.
  • Commit history: 
    Reverting commits can alter the commit history, making it difficult to track changes.

To ensure a smooth reverting process, take the time to review your commit history, communicate with your team, and test your changes thoroughly.

 This will help you avoid potential issues and ensure that your codebase remains stable and healthy.

  • Review your commit history to identify the commits that need to be reverted.
  • Communicate with your team to ensure everyone is aware of the changes being made.
  • Test your changes thoroughly to avoid introducing new errors or bugs.

Reverting Git Commits

There’s no need to panic when you realize you’ve made a mistake in your Git commit history. 

To revert a commit, use command git revert followed by the commit id of the commit you want to remove.

Reverting a Single Commit

To revert a single commit, use the git revert command followed by the commit hash of the commit you want to revert. 
For example: 

git revert abc123

Reverting Multiple Commits

One common scenario is when you need to revert multiple commits that were made in error. 

You can do this by specifying multiple commit hashes separated by spaces. 

For example: 

git revert abc123 def456 ghi789

To revert multiple commits, you’ll need to create a new commit that reverses the changes introduced by each of the commits you want to revert.

 This can be a complex process, especially if the commits you’re reverting have dependencies or conflicts with other changes in your codebase.

git revert doesn’t remove the reverted commit from the remote repository. 

It will create a new commit with the reverted changes.

 – -no-commit Option

git revert command is used to undo some existing commits in a Git repository. 

By default, when you run git revert, it creates a new commit that undoes the changes introduced by the specified commit(s). 

However, you can use its --no-commit option to skip the automatic commit creation and instead stage the reversed changes without committing them.

Here’s an example of how to use git revert with the -no-commit option:

$ git log --oneline
c4d6b6a (HEAD -> main) Add feature X
e7f9b2d Implement feature Y
a1bc3de Initial commit

$ git revert - no-commit c4d6b6a
Reverting "Add feature X"
[revert c4d6b6a] Revert "Add feature X"

$ git status
On branch main
Changes to be committed:
 (use "git reset HEAD …" to unstage)
 reverted:
 file1.txt
 file2.txt

In this example, we first check the commit history using git log --oneline. 

Then, we run git revert --no-commit c4d6b6a to revert the commit with the hash c4d6b6a (the commit that added feature X). 

The --no-commit option prevents Git from automatically creating a new commit with the reverted changes.
After running the git revert --no-commit command, you can see that the changes are staged, but not committed yet. 

The git status command shows that the reverted files (`file1.txt` and `file2.txt`) are listed under “Changes to be committed”.

At this point, you can inspect the staged changes, make any additional modifications if needed, and then commit the reverted changes when you’re ready by running git commit -m “Revert ‘Add feature X”.

Using the -no-commit option gives you more control over the revert process and allows you to review and potentially modify the reverted changes before committing them. 

This can be useful in situations where you want to combine or split the reverted changes, or if you need to make additional changes before committing the revert.

Handling Conflicts and Merge Issues

Conflicts and merge issues can arise when reverting commits. 

If you encounter a conflict, Git will pause the revert process and allow you to resolve the issue manually. 

Use git status to identify the files with conflicts, and then edit those files to resolve the conflicts. 

Once you’ve resolved the conflicts, use git add to stage the changes and git commit to complete the revert. 

Plus, it’s necessary to communicate with your team and stakeholders when reverting commits, especially if the changes affect shared code or dependencies. 

By being transparent and proactive, you can minimize the impact of reverts and ensure a smooth development process.

Alternative Methods for Undoing Changes

You’re not limited to using git revert to undo changes in your Git repository. 

There are alternative methods that can be useful in specific situations, and we’ll explore two of them below.

Resetting Your Branch

On occasion, you may want to reset your branch to a previous state, discarding all changes made after a specific commit. 

You can do this using git reset. 

For example, if you want to reset your branch to the state it was in at commit abc123, you would run 

git reset -- hard abc123


This will move your branch pointer to abc123 and discard all changes made after that commit.

Cherry-Picking Commits

Let’s say you want to apply a specific change from a previous commit without reverting the entire commit. 

This is where git cherry-pick command is useful. 

You can use this command to apply the changes introduced by a specific commit to your current branch.

The beauty of cherry-picking lies in its flexibility. 

You can choose which commits to apply and in what order, allowing you to revive lost work or integrate changes from other branches. 

For instance, if you want to apply the changes from commit def456 to your current branch, you would run git cherry-pick def456. 

If you encounter any conflicts, you can resolve them as you would with a regular merge.

Using Git Revert with Multiple Commit Hashes

Reverting multiple commits in Git can be useful when you need to undo a series of changes that were made across multiple commits. 

To revert multiple commits, you can use the git revert command followed by the commit hashes or range of commits you want to revert. 

For instance, if you want to revert the last three commits, you can run the following command:

git revert HEAD~3..HEAD


This command will create three new commits that undo the changes made in the last three commits. 

If you want to revert a specific range of commits, you can specify their commit hashes instead. 

For example, to revert the commits with hashes abc123 and def456, you can run:

git revert abc123 def456

Git will open a text editor for you to provide a commit message for each revert commit. 

After saving and closing the editor, the revert commits will be added to your repository’s history.

It’s important to note that reverting commits creates new commits that undo the changes made in the reverted commits. 

This means that the original commits are still present in the repository’s history. 

If you want to remove the reverted commits completely, you can use the git reset command instead of git revert.

Final Words

In this article, we learned how to use git revert to undo specific commits, revert multiple commits, and even reset your branch to a previous state. 

With git cherry-pick, you can selectively apply changes from previous commits. 

By following best practices for committing code, you’ll minimize the need for reverts.