Ever wished you could steal just one commit without dragging the entire messy branch with it?
Welcome to Git’s commit heist tool: git cherry-pick.

What actually happens?

Run:

git checkout main
git cherry-pick <commit-hash>

Git grabs the diff from <commit-hash> and replays it on main as a brand-new commit. Same content, fresh identity (new hash).

Why you need this

✅ Hotfix emergencies: pluck that one bugfix without the noise. ✅ Selective feature moves: steal just the feature you want. ✅ History hacks: clean up messy branches by cherry-picking verified commits.

💡 Pro tip: If you need more than 3 commits, merging might be smarter. Don’t over-cherry-pick like a code raccoon.

Anatomy of the output

[main 5f8d3e2] Fix typo in README
 Author: teammate <teammate@example.com>
 Date:   Fri Jul 4 17:22:46 2025 +0530

• 5f8d3e2 → brand new hash, no shady reuse.
• Message & author? Still carried over for context clarity.

Conflict mode: activate

Conflicts are inevitable. When they hit:

1. Fix markers (<<<<, ====, >>>>) in your favorite editor.

2. git add <resolved-files>

3. Continue the drama:

   git cherry-pick --continue

⚠️ WTF moment: Cherry-pick conflicts are like that one friend who says “I’ll be chill” and then flips the table.

Spooked? Reset with:

git cherry-pick --abort

Back to pre-cherry-pick bliss.

Pro tips

✅ Cherry-pick small, self-contained commits. Big ones? Big drama. ✅ Avoid merge commits unless you enjoy pain. ✅ Push right after you pick. Don’t ghost your teammates.

Quick scenario

1. Team fixes a critical bug on dev.

2. Stakeholders demand it on main right now.

3. Other commits? Unstable, unreviewed. Nope.

4. You pull the heist:

   git checkout main
   git cherry-pick abc1234

5. Customers: happy.

6. You: legend.

Interactive demo

TL;DR

• What: Steal a commit like Ocean’s Eleven.

• How:

  git cherry-pick <hash>
  

• Why: Hotfixes, targeted changes, branch surgery.

🔥 Next WTF:

“WTF is git rebase (and Why It’s Both Magic and Chaos)”