When working with Git, it’s common to make commits you later want to revise, combine, or completely remove. Whether it’s a mistake, a temporary change, or an unwanted history entry, knowing how to delete a local commit in Git gives you more control over your codebase.
In this blog, we’ll walk through different ways to delete a local commit safely and effectively—whether it’s the most recent commit or several commits back.
🧠 Before You Begin: Local vs Remote
This guide focuses on local commits—those not yet pushed to a remote repository like GitHub. Once commits are pushed and shared, deleting them becomes more complex and can affect your team.
⚠️ Important: Use caution when modifying commit history, especially on shared branches.
🛠️ Scenario 1: Delete the Most Recent Commit (Unpushed)
If you just made a commit and want to undo it:
Option A: Keep the changes in your working directory
Use --soft reset:
git reset --soft HEAD~1
✅ This deletes the commit but keeps your changes staged (ready to commit again).
Option B: Keep the changes but unstage them
Use --mixed reset:
git reset --mixed HEAD~1
✅ This removes the commit and unstages the changes, putting them back in your working directory.
Option C: Discard the commit and all changes
Use --hard reset:
git reset --hard HEAD~1
⚠️ This permanently deletes the commit and the code changes.
🛠️ Scenario 2: Delete Multiple Recent Commits
To remove, for example, the last 3 commits:
git reset --hard HEAD~3
Or keep the changes but remove the commits:
git reset --soft HEAD~3
You can adjust the number after HEAD~ depending on how many commits you want to delete.
🛠️ Scenario 3: Delete a Specific Commit (Not the Latest)
Use rebase in interactive mode:
git rebase -i HEAD~N
Replace N with the number of recent commits you want to view. You’ll see something like:
pick 123abc Commit message 1
pick 456def Commit message 2
pick 789ghi Commit message 3
To delete a commit:
- Change
picktodropnext to the commit you want to remove. - Save and close the editor.
💡 Use
rebaseonly when you’re confident, as it rewrites history.
🛡️ Recover a Deleted Commit (Optional Safety Tip)
If you accidentally delete a commit, you might still recover it (as long as it hasn’t been garbage collected):
git reflog
Find the commit’s reference, then reset back to it:
git reset --hard <commit-hash>
✅ Summary
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Undo last commit (keep changes staged) | git reset --soft HEAD~1 |
| Undo last commit (keep changes unstaged) | git reset --mixed HEAD~1 |
| Undo last commit (discard changes) | git reset --hard HEAD~1 |
| Delete specific commit | git rebase -i HEAD~N |
| Recover a deleted commit | git reflog + git reset |
📌 Best Practices
- Never use
--hardreset unless you’re absolutely sure. - Use branches while experimenting to protect main history.
- Avoid rewriting history on public/shared branches.
- Always commit and push meaningful, clean changes.
Deleting local commits is a powerful technique when used wisely. Whether you’re refining your history or removing mistakes, Git gives you the tools to shape your commit history the way you need.
