Git Stash Cheat Sheet — Every Command with Examples

Stash all tracked, modified files. Working directory becomes clean.

git stash                          # Stash changes
git stash -m "work in progress"    # With a message
git stash -u                       # Include untracked files
git stash -a                       # Include untracked + ignored files
git stash --keep-index             # Stash but keep staged changes

Apply the most recent stash and remove it from the stash list.

git stash pop              # Apply latest + delete from list
git stash pop stash@{2}    # Apply specific stash + delete

If there’s a conflict, the stash is NOT dropped. Resolve conflicts, then git stash drop.

Apply a stash but keep it in the stash list (useful if you want to apply to multiple branches).

git stash apply              # Apply latest, keep in list
git stash apply stash@{1}   # Apply specific stash

git stash list                     # List all stashes
git stash show                     # Show latest stash diff summary
git stash show -p                  # Show latest stash full diff
git stash show stash@{1} -p       # Show specific stash diff
git stash drop                     # Delete latest stash
git stash drop stash@{2}          # Delete specific stash
git stash clear                    # Delete ALL stashes

Create a new branch from the stash — useful when your stash conflicts with current branch.

git stash branch my-feature        # Create branch + apply stash
git stash branch fix stash@{1}    # From specific stash

Interactively choose which changes to stash. Git shows each hunk and asks whether to stash it.

git stash --patch              # Pick which hunks to stash
git stash -p                   # Short form

Respond with y (stash this hunk), n (skip), s (split into smaller hunks), or q (quit).

Stash only specific files instead of everything.

git stash push -- src/app.js           # Stash one file
git stash push -- src/ lib/            # Stash specific directories
git stash push -m "wip api" -- src/api/  # With message

You have uncommitted changes but need to switch branches:

git stash -m "wip feature-x"
git checkout main
# do your work on main...
git checkout feature-x
git stash pop

Use apply instead of pop — it keeps the stash in the list:

git stash apply              # Apply to current branch (stash stays)
git checkout other-branch
git stash apply              # Apply same stash here too
git stash drop               # Clean up when done

Accidentally dropped a stash? It’s still in Git’s reflog for ~30 days:

git fsck --no-reflogs | grep commit    # Find dangling commits
git show <commit-hash>                  # Check if it's your stash
git stash apply <commit-hash>          # Recover it