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git fetch

By · Reviewed & last updated · Part of Git Tutorial

git fetch downloads new commits, branches, and tags from a remote but does not touch your working tree or your local branches. It updates the remote-tracking refs (origin/main, origin/feature-x) so you can compare, inspect, or merge later. Knowing fetch vs. pull is the single fastest way to look like you know git.

Fetch, inspect, then choose how to integrate

EXAMPLE
# 1) Plain fetch from the default remote (origin), all branches and tags
git fetch

# 2) Fetch a specific remote
git fetch upstream

# 3) Prune deleted remote branches from your local view
git fetch --prune
git fetch -p origin

# After fetching, the new history lives under remotes/origin/*
git log --oneline --decorate --graph origin/main ^main
git log HEAD..origin/main      # what's on origin/main but not on me
git log origin/main..HEAD      # what's on me but not on origin/main

# 4) Diff your branch against the freshly fetched remote
git diff origin/main...HEAD

# 5) Integrate — your choice, no surprises:
git merge --ff-only origin/main    # safe fast-forward only
git rebase origin/main             # replay your work on top
git reset --hard origin/main       # ⚠️ throws away local commits (own them first)

# 6) Fetch a single branch by name (less data over the wire)
git fetch origin feature-checkout:refs/remotes/origin/feature-checkout

# 7) Pull = fetch + merge (or +rebase if you set pull.rebase true)
git config --global pull.rebase true
git config --global fetch.prune true

Why it matters

Get into the habit of `git fetch -p` first thing each day. It is read-only and reveals what teammates pushed overnight without committing you to any merge or rebase yet, so you can pick the right integration strategy per branch.

Tip: Tweak the snippet with Try it Yourself », then sit the quiz at the bottom of the page.

Example

Example
git fetch              # update remote refs, don't merge
git fetch --prune      # drop stale remote branches
Try it Yourself »

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