Git - Interactive Rebase

Open Interactive Rebase

git rebase -i HEAD~N      # rewrite last N commits
git rebase -i <hash>      # rewrite everything after this commit

An editor opens listing the commits. Change the command word on each line to control what happens.

Available Commands

Command	What it does
pick	Keep commit as-is
reword	Keep commit, edit the message
edit	Pause to amend the commit itself
squash	Merge into previous commit, combine messages
fixup	Merge into previous commit, discard this message
drop	Delete the commit entirely

Squash Last N Commits into One

git rebase -i HEAD~3
# In editor: change 2nd and 3rd "pick" lines to "squash"
# Save → write the combined commit message
git push origin your-branch --force-with-lease

Reword a Commit Message

git rebase -i HEAD~3
# Change target line from "pick" to "reword"
# Save → a new editor opens for just that message

Drop a Commit

git rebase -i HEAD~5
# Change target line from "pick" to "drop" (or delete the line entirely)

Abort if Something Goes Wrong

git rebase --abort