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What a merge records
git merge integrates another commit or branch into the branch you currently have checked out. The result depends on whether the histories have diverged.
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Fast-forward merge: move the pointer
If the incoming branch tip is already a descendant of the current tip, Git can advance the current branch pointer to that commit. No new merge commit is needed, so the log does not record a separate branch junction. The Git project’s git-merge documentation describes --ff as updating the branch pointer when a fast-forward is possible.
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True merge: record the junction
If both branches have new commits, Git combines their work in a merge commit. That commit has both histories as parents, preserving the fact that the two lines of work came together. Use this when the integration point itself matters in the project’s history. A fast-forward does not create that record; --no-ff can request a merge commit even when a fast-forward would otherwise be possible. Check the documentation for your installed Git version for option details.
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What rebase changes
git rebase takes commits from your working branch and replays their changes on top of a chosen base. The replayed commits are new commits in the revised sequence; they are not the old commits simply moved intact. Since each commit belongs to a particular place in its history, changing its parent produces a different commit.
This usually gives the branch a linear-looking log: the branch’s work appears after the new base rather than meeting it in a visible merge commit. The Pro Git chapter on rebasing explains that rebasing replays changes in order, while merging integrates branch endpoints.
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Why identical files do not mean identical histories
Two workflows can produce the same final file snapshot while producing different commit graphs. After a merge, the graph may show a merge commit with two parents. After a rebase, the replayed commits commonly appear as a straight sequence on the new base. The files at the tip can match even though the commits’ identities and ancestry do not.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThat is why a matching working tree—or a screenshot of the final files—cannot tell you whether a change was merged or rebased. To inspect the ancestry, look at the commit graph as well as the files.
How to choose between merge and rebase
Choose based on what the history needs to communicate and whether anyone else already depends on the commits.
- Preserve the integration point: Use a true merge when it is useful to see where branch work joined. A regular merge may fast-forward if possible; it will not necessarily create a junction unless the histories diverged or you request a merge commit.
- Prefer a linear-looking log: Rebase can put private branch work after an updated base, making the sequence easier to read as a line of commits.
- Protect shared history: Avoid rewriting commits others may have fetched or built upon unless the team has agreed on how to handle it. Git’s push documentation warns that force-pushing can discard history others have fetched; the git-pull documentation cautions that rewriting published history can be dangerous.
A practical default is to rebase private, local work when a linear history helps, and to merge when preserving explicit integration topology is valuable. This is a workflow choice, not a universal Git rule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens when there is a conflict
Either operation can stop when Git cannot reconcile changes automatically. With a merge, resolve the affected files and use the documented continuation workflow, or abort the merge to return to the pre-merge state. During a rebase, Git pauses when it cannot apply a replayed change cleanly; resolve the conflict and continue, or use the rebase workflow’s skip or abort option when appropriate.
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