How to Stash with Message in Git: Simple Guide

Use git stash push -m "your message" to save your current changes with a descriptive message. This helps you remember what you stashed later when you list or apply stashes.

Syntax

The basic syntax to stash changes with a message is:

• git stash push -m "message": Saves your current changes with a custom message.
• git stash alone saves changes without a message.

bash

git stash push -m "your message here"

Example

This example shows how to stash changes with a message and then list the stashes to see the message.

bash

git stash push -m "WIP: fixing login bug"
git stash list

Output

stash@{0}: On main: WIP: fixing login bug

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when stashing with a message include:

• Forgetting the -m flag, which results in no message saved.
• Using git stash save "message" which is a legacy command and may be deprecated.
• Not checking the stash list to confirm your message was saved.

bash

git stash save "WIP: fixing login bug"  # Legacy, avoid this

# Correct way:
git stash push -m "WIP: fixing login bug"

Quick Reference

Command	Description
git stash push -m "message"	Stash changes with a custom message
git stash list	Show all stashes with messages
git stash apply stash@{0}	Apply a specific stash by index
git stash drop stash@{0}	Remove a specific stash

Key Takeaways

Use git stash push -m "message" to save changes with a clear message.

Always check your stashes with git stash list to see messages.

Avoid using the legacy git stash save command.

Messages help you remember the purpose of each stash.

Use stash messages to organize your work when switching tasks.