mintlify__docs/git/stash.mdx

---
title: git stash
description: Stash the changes in a dirty working directory away
---

Temporarily save changes without committing.

## Syntax

```bash
git stash [options] [<command>]
```

## Description

`git stash` saves your uncommitted changes (staged and unstaged) and reverts your working directory to match the HEAD commit. You can reapply stashed changes later.

## Common usage

Stash current changes:

```bash
git stash
```

Stash with a message:

```bash
git stash push -m "Work in progress on feature X"
```

Reapply stashed changes:

```bash
git stash pop
```

## Subcommands

### push

Save changes to stash:

```bash
git stash push -m "message"
```

### pop

Apply and remove most recent stash:

```bash
git stash pop
```

### apply

Apply stash without removing it:

```bash
git stash apply
```

### list

List all stashes:

```bash
git stash list
```

### show

Show changes in a stash:

```bash
git stash show
```

### drop

Delete a specific stash:

```bash
git stash drop stash@{0}
```

### clear

Delete all stashes:

```bash
git stash clear
```

## Options

<ParamField path="-u, --include-untracked" type="flag">
  Include untracked files in stash
  
  ```bash
  git stash -u
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-a, --all" type="flag">
  Include ignored files in stash
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-m, --message" type="string">
  Add description to stash
  
  ```bash
  git stash push -m "Description"
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="-p, --patch" type="flag">
  Interactively select changes to stash
</ParamField>

## Examples

### Basic stash

```bash
# Stash changes
git stash

# Do something else
git checkout other-branch

# Return and reapply
git checkout original-branch
git stash pop
```

### Stash with message

```bash
git stash push -m "Half-finished authentication feature"
```

### List stashes

```bash
git stash list
```

Output:
```
stash@{0}: On main: Half-finished authentication
stash@{1}: WIP on feature: Added validation
stash@{2}: On develop: Updated dependencies
```

### Apply specific stash

```bash
git stash apply stash@{1}
```

### View stash contents

```bash
# Summary
git stash show

# Full diff
git stash show -p

# Specific stash
git stash show stash@{1}
```

### Stash specific files

```bash
git stash push -m "message" path/to/file.txt
```

### Stash including untracked files

```bash
git stash -u
```

## Common workflows

### Switch branches with uncommitted work

```bash
git stash
git checkout other-branch
# Work on other branch
git checkout original-branch
git stash pop
```

### Save WIP before pulling

```bash
git stash
git pull
git stash pop
```

### Temporarily test something

```bash
# Save current work
git stash

# Test something clean
git checkout test-branch

# Restore work
git stash pop
```

### Multiple stashes

```bash
# Create multiple stashes
git stash push -m "Feature A work"
git stash push -m "Feature B work"

# List them
git stash list

# Apply specific one
git stash apply stash@{1}
```

## Stash vs Commit

### Use stash when:

- Changes are incomplete
- Quickly switch contexts
- Not ready to commit
- Testing something temporarily

### Use commit when:

- Changes are complete
- Want to preserve in history
- Ready to share with team
- Creating a logical checkpoint

## Advanced usage

### Create branch from stash

```bash
git stash branch new-branch-name stash@{0}
```

Creates a new branch and applies the stash.

### Interactive stash

```bash
git stash -p
```

Choose which changes to stash interactively.

### Stash only staged changes

```bash
git stash --staged
```

### Keep index when popping

```bash
git stash pop --index
```

Restores both working directory and staging area.

## Handling conflicts

If `git stash pop` causes conflicts:

```bash
# Fix conflicts in editor
git add resolved-file.txt

# Stash is not automatically dropped
# Drop it manually after resolving
git stash drop
```

## Best practices

- Use descriptive messages with `-m`
- Don't keep stashes for long periods
- Clean up old stashes regularly
- Use `git stash list` to track stashes
- Prefer commits over stashes for important work
- Apply stash with `apply` first to test, then `drop` if successful

## Viewing stash details

### List with dates

```bash
git stash list --date=local
```

### Show files in stash

```bash
git stash show --name-only
```

### Full diff of stash

```bash
git stash show -p stash@{0}
```

## Cleaning up stashes

### Drop specific stash

```bash
git stash drop stash@{1}
```

### Clear all stashes

```bash
git stash clear
```

<Warning>
`git stash clear` permanently deletes all stashes. Use with caution.
</Warning>

## Recovering dropped stash

Stashes are retained for a while even after dropping:

```bash
# Find lost stash
git fsck --no-reflog | grep commit

# View content
git show <commit-hash>

# Recover if needed
git stash apply <commit-hash>
```

## Troubleshooting

### Stash pop causes conflicts

```bash
# Resolve conflicts
# Then drop stash manually
git stash drop
```

### Can't stash

Ensure you're in a git repository:

```bash
git status
```

### Lost stash

Check reflog:

```bash
git reflog
```

Look for stash entries and recover with hash.

## Related commands

- [git commit](/git/commit) - Permanently save changes
- [git reset](/git/reset) - Undo changes
- [git checkout](/git/checkout) - Switch branches
- [git clean](/git/clean) - Remove untracked files