Home › Basics › git status

git status

Description:
Display the state of the working directory and staging area. Shows which files are modified, staged, untracked, or deleted.

Syntax:

git status
git status -s
git status --short

Examples:

# Full status output
git status

# Short format (condensed output)
git status -s

# Show branch and tracking info
git status -sb

Detailed Explanation:

• Three states: Files can be untracked, modified (unstaged), or staged
• Branch info: Shows current branch and commits ahead/behind remote
• Safe command: This only reads information; it never changes anything
• Helpful hints: Provides suggestions for next steps (e.g., how to stage or unstage files)

Common Errors:

• fatal: not a git repository → Solution: You're not in a Git repository; run git init or cd into one
• No errors typically occur with git status – it's a read-only command

Pro Tips:

• Use git status -s for a cleaner, more compact view
• Run git status frequently to understand your repository state
• Output legend: ?? = untracked, M = modified, A = added, D = deleted
• git status is your friend – use it before and after most Git commands

Related Commands:

• git add – Stage changes shown in status
• git diff – See detailed changes
• git log – View commit history
• git commit – Commit staged changes

---