Git Config Cheat Sheet

Git configuration — global vs local settings, essential aliases, useful defaults, conditional includes, and productivity-boosting configuration.

Last Updated: May 1, 2025

Config Levels

Level	Command	File Location	Scope
System	git config --system	/etc/gitconfig	All users on the machine
Global	git config --global	~/.gitconfig	Your user account
Local	git config --local	repo/.git/config	Current repository
Worktree	git config	repo/.git/config.worktree	Current worktree only

Essential Configuration

git config --global user.name Name

Set your name for all commits

git config --global user.email email

Set your email for all commits

git config --global core.editor code

Set editor (code, vim, nano, emacs)

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Set default branch name

git config --global pull.rebase true

Always rebase on git pull

git config --global rebase.autosquash true

Auto-squash fixup!/squash! commits

git config --global push.default current

Push current branch to same-name remote

git config --global fetch.prune true

Auto-prune deleted remote branches on fetch

Productivity Aliases

git config --global alias.co checkout

git co = git checkout

git config --global alias.br branch

git br = git branch

git config --global alias.st status

git st = git status

git config --global alias.ci commit

git ci = git commit

git config --global alias.lg 'log --oneline --graph --all'

git lg = visual history

git config --global alias.unstage 'restore --staged'

git unstage file = unstage a file

git config --global alias.last 'log -1 HEAD'

git last = show the latest commit

git config --global alias.undo 'reset --soft HEAD~1'

git undo = undo last commit

Advanced Settings

git config --global core.autocrlf input

Handle line endings (input=LF on commit)

git config --global diff.tool vscode

Set default diff tool

git config --global merge.tool vscode

Set default merge tool

git config --global merge.conflictstyle diff3

Show base version in conflict markers

git config --global rerere.enabled true

Reuse recorded conflict resolutions

git config --global commit.verbose true

Show diff in commit message editor

git config --global includeIf 'gitdir:~/work/' .gitconfig-work

Conditional config by path

git config --list --show-origin

Show all config with file origins

Pro Tip: Set `git config --global pull.rebase true` — it makes your history cleaner and prevents unnecessary merge commits from `git pull`.