Git: Reflog

Use git reflog to inspect the local history of updates to references such as HEAD and branch tips. It can help you find commits after a reset, rebase, amended commit, or accidental branch deletion. Unlike git log, reflog records reference movements, not just the commit ancestry.

Read Reflog Entries

a1b2c3d HEAD@{0}: reset: moving to HEAD~1
b2c3d4e HEAD@{1}: commit: Add feature tests
a1b2c3d HEAD@{2}: commit: Add feature

Entries are listed newest first. Each line contains a commit hash, a reflog selector, and the action that moved the reference to that commit. In this example, HEAD@{0} is the latest recorded position, while HEAD@{1} points to the commit before the reset. Reflog numbers count reference updates, not parent commits: HEAD@{1} is not necessarily the same as HEAD~1.

Recover a Commit After a Reset, Rebase, or Amend

Find the desired commit in the reflog, inspect it, and create a branch to keep it reachable. For the reset example above:

git reflog
git show 'HEAD@{1}'
git branch recovered-work 'HEAD@{1}'

Creating the branch does not change your current branch, staged changes, or working files. Commit or stash any uncommitted changes before switching to it:

git switch recovered-work

For your own recovery, replace 'HEAD@{1}' with the selector or commit hash you verified. Selectors can change as new actions add reflog entries, so use the recorded commit hash if you perform other operations before creating the recovery branch.

Recover a Deleted Branch

Deleting a branch also deletes its branch reflog, but its tip may still appear in the HEAD reflog if you previously checked it out, or in another surviving reflog. Search the available entries and inspect a candidate commit:

git reflog show --all
git show <commit-hash>
git branch restored-feature <commit-hash>

Replace <commit-hash> with the actual hash of the old branch tip. The new branch preserves that commit and its ancestors without resetting your current branch.