Recovering deleted branches in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Recovering deleted branches

Delete branch

↓

Check reflog for branch commit

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Find commit hash

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Create new branch at commit

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Branch recovered

This flow shows how to find the commit of a deleted branch using reflog and recreate the branch to recover it.

Execution Sample

Git

git branch -d feature

git reflog

git branch feature <commit-hash>

Delete a branch, find its last commit from reflog, then recreate the branch at that commit.

Process Table

Step	Command	Action	Result
1	git branch -d feature	Delete branch named 'feature'	Branch 'feature' deleted
2	git reflog	Show recent HEAD changes including deleted branch commits	List of commits with hashes and messages
3	Identify commit hash for 'feature' branch	Find commit hash from reflog output	Commit hash abc123 identified
4	git branch feature abc123	Create new branch 'feature' at commit abc123	Branch 'feature' recreated at abc123
5	git branch	List branches to confirm recovery	Branch 'feature' appears in list

💡 Branch 'feature' is recovered by recreating it at the last commit found in reflog.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 4	Final
Branches	['main', 'feature']	['main']	['main', 'feature']	['main', 'feature']
Commit hash	N/A	N/A	abc123	abc123

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why do we use 'git reflog' to recover a deleted branch?

Because 'git reflog' records all recent commits and HEAD movements, including those from deleted branches, so we can find the commit hash to recreate the branch (see execution_table step 2 and 3).

What happens if you try to recreate the branch with a wrong commit hash?

The branch will point to the wrong commit, so your recovered branch won't have the expected changes. It's important to pick the correct commit hash from reflog (see execution_table step 3 and 4).

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution table, what command is used to find the commit hash of the deleted branch?

A git branch -d feature

B git reflog

C git branch feature <commit-hash>

D git checkout feature

💡 Hint

Check step 2 in the execution table where the command lists recent commits.

At which step is the branch actually recreated?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 4

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look for the step where 'git branch feature abc123' is run.

If the commit hash was not found in reflog, what would happen?

A Branch cannot be recovered using this method

B Branch can still be recreated at HEAD

C Git automatically recovers the branch

D Branch is deleted permanently but reflog shows it

💡 Hint

Refer to the concept flow and execution table steps 2 and 3 about finding the commit hash.

Concept Snapshot

Recovering deleted branches:
1. Delete branch: git branch -d <name>
2. Find last commit with: git reflog
3. Identify commit hash of deleted branch
4. Recreate branch: git branch <name> <commit-hash>
5. Confirm branch recovery with git branch

Full Transcript

To recover a deleted branch in git, first delete the branch using 'git branch -d branchname'. Then use 'git reflog' to see recent commits and find the commit hash where the branch pointed before deletion. Once you have the commit hash, recreate the branch with 'git branch branchname commit-hash'. Finally, check with 'git branch' to confirm the branch is back. This process works because reflog keeps a history of HEAD movements including deleted branches.