When working in a collaborative environment, it’s common for multiple branches to be created and updated by different team members. To stay in sync with the latest changes, it’s important to know how to fetch all branches in Git.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to fetch every branch from your remote repository using the Git command-line interface.
What Does “Fetch” Mean in Git?
In Git, the fetch command downloads updates from the remote repository—including branches, tags, and commit history—without merging them into your current branch. It keeps your local repository up to date with the remote state, allowing you to review or check out changes before integrating them.
Think of it as “checking for updates” without applying them.
Step 1: Fetch All Branches from Remote
To fetch all branches from your remote (typically named origin), use the following command:
git fetch --all
Or simply:
git fetch origin
What This Does:
- Updates your local view of all remote branches
- Does not create local tracking branches automatically
- Does not merge any changes into your current branch
Step 2: View All Remote Branches
After fetching, you can view all remote branches with:
git branch -r
To view both local and remote branches together:
git branch -a
This will show:
- Local branches (e.g.,
main) - Remote-tracking branches (e.g.,
remotes/origin/feature-x)
Step 3: Check Out a Remote Branch Locally
To work with a branch that only exists remotely, check it out locally:
git checkout -b local-branch-name origin/remote-branch-name
Example:
git checkout -b feature-login origin/feature-login
This creates a new local branch that tracks the corresponding remote branch.
Optional: Automatically Track All Remote Branches
While Git doesn’t automatically create local branches for every remote one, you can script it if needed:
for remote in $(git branch -r | grep -v '\->'); do
git branch --track "${remote#origin/}" "$remote" 2>/dev/null
done
⚠️ Use this with caution—this will create local branches for all remote branches, which may not always be necessary.
Summary of Key Commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
git fetch --all | Fetch all updates from all remotes |
git fetch origin | Fetch all updates from the origin remote |
git branch -r | List remote-tracking branches |
git branch -a | List all local and remote branches |
git checkout -b local-branch origin/remote-branch | Create and track a local branch from a remote one |
Conclusion
Fetching all branches in Git is a best practice to ensure you’re working with the latest code, especially in team environments. It gives you full visibility of the remote repository without making any changes to your local working state.
Whether you’re preparing to merge, review someone else’s work, or just stay updated, git fetch is your go-to command. Master it, and you’ll be better equipped to collaborate and manage code effectively.
