How I Mastered Git Commands Stash and Saved My Code

Have you ever been deep into coding, halfway through a messy bug fix, and suddenly realized — “Oh no, I need to switch branches!”
That’s when I discovered the magic of git commands stash.

I’ll be honest — the first time I heard about Git stash, I thought it was some advanced dev trick. But once I understood it, it changed how I worked with Git forever. If you’ve ever lost progress or made a mess while switching branches, you’re about to love this command.

Let’s dive into how I personally use the git stash command, and how you can make it your go-to lifesaver in Git.

What is Git Stash Commands?

The git commands stash is like your secret “temporary drawer” in Git — you can put your unfinished changes in there, switch branches, and then pull them back out when you’re ready.
In simple terms: it temporarily saves your uncommitted work without committing it to the repository.

When you’re in the middle of something and need to quickly jump to another task or fix, git stash steps in like a superhero.

Here’s how it feels in real life:

I was debugging a feature on the login branch, and my team pinged me about a hotfix in main.
Instead of committing half-baked code, I just ran:

git stash

Bash

That’s git stash magic — simple, safe, and effective.

How Git Commands Stash Works (The Simple Breakdown)

When you run git stash, Git takes your uncommitted changes (both staged and unstaged) and stores them in a special area.
It then reverts your working directory back to the last commit. Think of it as freezing your progress temporarily.

The command looks like this:

git stash

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To stash only specific files or changes:

git stash push -m "My unfinished feature"

Bash

You can also stash only staged files:

git stash --keep-index

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Or stash everything, including ignored files:

git stash -a

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How I Use Git Commands Stash Daily

I like to think of git stash as my pause button.
Whenever I get interrupted — maybe a teammate needs help, or I suddenly notice a bug in another branch — I just stash my current work. Here’s my go-to workflow:

Run git stash before switching branches.
Move to the branch I need to fix something on.
Do my work, commit changes.
Come back to my original branch.
Use git stash apply to get my old code back.

Command for applying stash:

git stash apply

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Or if you want to both apply and remove the stash at once:

git stash pop

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Viewing and Managing Your Git Stash List

Ever stashed multiple things and lost track of them? Been there.
Luckily, git commands stash lets you list all your saved stashes easily:

git stash list

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You’ll see something like:

stash@{0}: WIP on feature/login: added form validation
stash@{1}: WIP on main: updated readme

To apply a specific stash, use:

git stash apply stash@{1}

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And if you want to delete a stash:

git stash drop stash@{0}

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To remove all stashes at once (I usually do this at the end of a sprint):

git stash clear

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Pro tip: Always double-check before clearing! Once gone, it’s gone forever.

Real-Life Scenario: When Git Commands Stash Saved My Day

Let me share a story — because yes, git stash literally saved me once.

I was working on a big frontend update, juggling multiple components. Halfway through, my manager asked me to fix a critical production bug immediately.
I hadn’t committed my code (since it wasn’t working yet).
Without git commands stash, I would’ve either lost my progress or risked pushing broken code.

Instead, I just ran:

git stash save "unfinished ui changes"

Bash

Switched to the main branch, fixed the bug, deployed, and then came back.
Finally, I used:

git stash pop

Bash

My half-written code reappeared exactly as I left it. That’s when I realized — git stash isn’t just a command, it’s a lifesaver.

Useful Git Stash Commands You Should Know

Here’s a quick reference you can bookmark

Command	Description
`git stash`	Save uncommitted changes
`git stash list`	View all stashes
`git stash apply`	Apply latest stash without deleting
`git stash pop`	Apply and remove stash
`git stash drop`	Delete a specific stash
`git stash clear`	Delete all stashes
`git stash show`	View changes inside a stash
`git stash branch <branchname>`	Create a new branch from a stash

You can also learn more from the official Git documentation.

Best Practices for Using Git Commands Stash

Over time, I’ve developed a few personal habits that make git stash even more powerful:

🧩 Always add a message when stashing (git stash push -m "fix login bug") — it helps you identify them later.
🔍 Regularly clean old stashes to keep your workspace neat.
🛡️ Never rely on stash as a backup. It’s temporary storage, not a safety net.
🚀 Use git stash branch when you realize your stash should’ve been a new feature.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When using git commands stash, I’ve made a few rookie errors I hope you’ll skip:

Forgetting to stash changes before switching branches 😬
Stashing without a message — “stash@{3}” doesn’t tell you much later!
Applying the wrong stash accidentally.
Clearing all stashes before checking if you still need them.

Small mistakes — big headaches.

Final Thoughts:

If I could describe git commands stash in one word — it’s freedom.
Freedom to experiment, to pause, to move fast without fear of losing your work.

Whenever I teach Git to beginners, I always emphasize this:

So the next time you’re mid-code and someone yells “Urgent fix needed!”, just take a deep breath, stash your changes, and switch confidently.
Because Git stash has your back.

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