Editing commit messages with rebase in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Editing commit messages with rebase

Start: Identify commits to edit

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Run: git rebase -i <commit>

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Editor opens with commit list

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Change 'pick' to 'reword' for target commit

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Save and close editor

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Editor opens for commit message

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Edit commit message

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Save and close editor

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Rebase continues and finishes

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Updated commit message applied

This flow shows how to start an interactive rebase, mark commits for message editing, update the message, and complete the rebase.

Execution Sample

Git

git rebase -i HEAD~3
# change 'pick' to 'reword' on second commit
# save and exit
# edit commit message
# save and exit

This sequence edits the message of the second most recent commit in the last 3 commits.

Process Table

Step	Action	Editor Content	User Input	Result
1	Run 'git rebase -i HEAD~3'	List of 3 commits with 'pick' commands	Change 'pick' to 'reword' on second commit	Marks second commit for message edit
2	Save and close editor	N/A	N/A	Rebase starts, opens editor for commit message
3	Edit commit message	Original commit message of second commit	Modify message text	Commit message updated
4	Save and close editor	N/A	N/A	Rebase continues applying commits
5	Rebase finishes	N/A	N/A	Commit messages updated, rebase complete

💡 Rebase completes after all commits are applied with updated messages

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 3	Final
Commit List	3 commits with original messages	Second commit marked 'reword'	Second commit message edited	Commit list with updated second commit message

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we change 'pick' to 'reword' instead of editing the commit message directly?

Changing 'pick' to 'reword' tells git to pause and let you edit the commit message during rebase, as shown in execution_table step 1 and 3.

What happens if you save the editor without changing the commit message?

The commit message remains unchanged and rebase continues, as seen in execution_table step 4 and 5.

Can you edit multiple commit messages in one rebase?

Yes, by marking multiple commits with 'reword' in the editor at step 1, git will open the editor for each commit message in turn.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what is the user input at step 1?

A Change 'pick' to 'reword' on the second commit

B Edit the commit message directly

C Run 'git commit --amend'

D Abort the rebase

💡 Hint

See execution_table row 1 under 'User Input'

At which step does the commit message actually get changed?

A Step 1

B Step 4

C Step 3

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Check execution_table 'Action' and 'Result' columns for when message editing happens

If you want to edit two commit messages, how would the execution table change?

A You must run rebase twice

B Step 1 would show two commits marked 'reword' and steps 3 and 4 repeat for each

C Only one commit can be edited per rebase

D The commit messages are edited automatically without user input

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about editing multiple commits

Concept Snapshot

git rebase -i <commit>  # start interactive rebase
Change 'pick' to 'reword' for commits to edit
Save and exit editor
Edit commit messages when prompted
Save and exit to continue rebase
Rebase finishes with updated messages

Full Transcript

To edit commit messages with git rebase, you start an interactive rebase with 'git rebase -i' and specify how many commits back to edit. In the editor that opens, you change 'pick' to 'reword' for the commits whose messages you want to change. After saving and closing, git will pause and open an editor for each commit marked 'reword' so you can edit its message. Save and close each message editor to continue the rebase. When all commits are applied, the rebase finishes with updated commit messages.