Rewrite Commit

How to Rewrite Commit

git commit --amend lets you modify the most recent commit instead of creating a new one. Useful for fixing typos, forgotten files, or improving commit messages before pushing.

Amend Flow

    flowchart TD
    A[Last Commit] --> B{Need to fix?}
    B -->|Message typo| C[git commit --amend -m new_message]
    B -->|Missing file| D[git add file + git commit --amend --no-edit]
    C --> E[New commit replaces old one]
    D --> E
  

Common Use Cases

Fix a typo in the last commit message

git commit --amend -m "fix: correct null pointer exception in auth service"

Add a forgotten file to the last commit

git add forgotten_file.js
git commit --amend --no-edit

--no-edit keeps the original commit message unchanged.

Update both code and message

git add .
git commit --amend -m "feat: add input validation for user registration form"

Important Warning

If you must amend a pushed commit:

git push --force-with-lease

--force-with-lease is safer than --force since it fails if someone else pushed new changes.