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Fetch

What is it?

git fetch downloads commits, files, and branches from a remote repository into your local repository, but it does not modify your working files.

Why do we use it?

Sometimes you want to see what changes have been made on GitHub without actually changing your own files just yet. git pull is actually a combination of two commands: git fetch (download the data) + git merge (combine it with your files). Fetch lets you look before you leap.

Basic Syntax

git fetch

Command Breakdown

Part Meaning
git fetch Downloads updates from the remote repository without merging them

Example

git fetch origin

After fetching, you can run git status and Git might tell you: "Your branch is behind 'origin/main' by 3 commits." This tells you that there is new code on GitHub waiting to be merged.

Common Mistakes

  • Expecting files to change: Beginners often run git fetch and then get confused why their code didn't update. Remember, fetch only downloads the history to the hidden .git folder. It does not touch your visible files.

Quick Summary

  • Downloads updates from GitHub but doesn't change your active files.
  • Safe way to check if there are updates on the server.
  • git pull is basically git fetch followed by git merge.