How to Force Git Pull to Overwrite Local Changes in Git

When working with Git, it’s common to need the most up-to-date version of a project from the remote repository. The command that helps us retrieve and integrate changes from a remote repository into our local branch is git pull. However, there are times when we want to force a git pull, overriding any local changes we’ve made.

In this guide, we’ll understand what git pull is and how it works, the ideal scenarios for forcing it, the different methods for forcing it, and some best practices to follow while doing so.

Let’s start the discussion with a brief overview of the git pull command.

What is git pull?

The git pull command allows us to update our local repository with changes from a remote repository. By default, git pull performs two actions:

• Fetch: It fetches the latest changes from the remote branch.
• Merge: It merges those fetched changes into our current branch.

If there are no conflicts between our local changes and the remote changes, git pull is straightforward and doesn’t require any special actions.

Let’s say we’re working on a project and want to update our local branch from the remote branch. In this case, we can run this command in the terminal:

git pull origin main

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This command fetches the changes from the main branch of the remote origin and merges them into our local main branch. If there are no local changes, this will be a smooth process. However, if we have local changes that conflict with the remote, we may need to perform the operation forcefully.

Next, we’ll discover the ideal scenarios where we can force the git pull command.

When to force git pull

We can ideally force git pull in situations such as:

• We have local changes we no longer wish to keep.
• Our local repository is out of sync with the remote, and we need to overwrite our local changes.
• We want to update our local branch with the remote changes without considering any local modifications.

While forcing a git pull is a useful tool, it can be dangerous, as it may result in losing uncommitted changes. It’s important to understand how to proceed carefully.

With the ideal scenarios covered, let’s go through the step-by-step process of forcing git pull using the git reset --hard command in the next section.

How to force git pull using git reset --hard

One of the most effective ways to force git pull and ensure our local branch is an exact match with the remote branch is by using the git reset --hard command. This approach is ideal when we want to completely discard the local changes, whether they are uncommitted modifications or divergent commits.

Let’s assume our local main branch has gone out of sync with origin/main, and we want to start fresh without preserving any local changes. To accomplish that, we can follow these steps:

Step 1: Fetch the latest changes

Start by fetching the latest changes from the remote repository using this command in the terminal:

git fetch origin

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This command updates our remote-tracking branches (like origin/main) without modifying our working directory or current branch. Notably, it doesn’t merge or rebase anything—it simply downloads the latest commits from the remote repository and stores them in the local repository.

Step 2: Reset the local branch to match the remote branch

Next, use the git reset --hard command to reset the current local branch to match the corresponding remote-tracking branch:

git reset --hard origin/main

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This command:

• Moves the HEAD pointer and the current branch pointer to origin/main.
• Updates the working directory to match the state of the remote branch.
• Discards all local commits and changes that haven’t been pushed to the remote.

Note: The git reset --hard command will permanently remove any uncommitted and unpushed changes. Make sure you either commit or back them up if needed.

This approach is useful when:

• Our local branch has diverged due to experimental changes.
• We’re dealing with merge conflicts we don’t want to resolve.
• We simply want to reset to the remote state and start clean.

Next, we’ll discuss how to force git pull using the git stash command.

How to force git pull using git stash

If we don’t want to lose our local changes entirely but still need to force a git pull, git stash can be useful. The git stash command allows us to temporarily save our local changes, apply a force git pull, and then reapply our stashed changes.

Let’s say we’re in the middle of coding a feature, but realize our branch is outdated. So, we want to pull the changes from the remote, but we also don’t want to commit our unfinished work. To accomplish that, we can follow these steps:

Step 1: Stash the local changes

Start by saving the uncommitted changes in the current branch by running this command in the terminal:

git stash

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This command:

• Saves all modifications in our working directory and staging area.
• Returns our branch to a clean state that matches the last commit.
• Does not affect committed changes—only uncommitted ones.

Step 2: Perform the pull from the remote

With our working directory clean, we can now safely pull changes from the remote branch without any risk of conflict:

git pull origin main

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Step 3: Reapply the stashed changes

Once the pull is complete and our local branch is updated, we can reapply the saved changes using this command:

git stash pop

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This command:

• Reapplies the most recent stash entry to our working directory.
• Removes the stash from the stash list after applying.

If the popped changes don’t overlap with the changes from the remote pull, then everything will be fine. If it does, then it will result in a merge conflict. In that case, we need to manually resolve it before we can proceed.

This approach is useful when:

• We’re working on local edits but need to sync with the latest changes in the remote branch.
• We want to avoid merge conflicts during the pull process.
• We’re not ready to commit our changes, but also don’t want to lose them.

We’re now done covering the different methods for forcing git pull. In the next section, we’ll navigate through a list of best practices that we can apply while forcing the git pull command.

Best practices for forcing git pull

While forcing git pull can be useful, it’s important to follow these best practices to ensure we don’t accidentally lose our work:

• Commit the local changes: Always commit the local changes before forcing git pull, even if we don’t plan to keep them. This gives us a backup in case we need to retrieve them later.
• Use git stash for safety: If we’re not sure whether we want to discard the local changes, we can use git stash to save the changes before proceeding with a forced git pull.
• Understand the consequences: Forcing a git pull (especially with git reset --hard) can overwrite local changes permanently. Hence, we need to make sure we’re okay with that before proceeding.
• Work in feature branches: If we’re working on a feature, we can ideally do all our changes in a dedicated branch. This makes it easier to manage local changes without affecting the main branch.

Conclusion

Forcing a git pull is a powerful technique, but should be used with caution. It’s critical to ensure we have saved or committed our changes before proceeding, as forcing a git pull can overwrite our local work. By following the best practices discussed in this tutorial, we can keep our repository up to date without risking loss of important changes.

If you want to learn more about the git pull command, check out the Learn Git: Branching and Collaboration course on Codecademy.

Frequently asked questions

1. Why is it called git pull?

The term git pull refers to the action of “pulling” changes from the remote repository into your local repository. It fetches and integrates changes from the remote, effectively pulling the latest updates to your local branch.

2. What’s the difference between git pull and git push?

• The git pull command fetches changes from the remote repository and incorporates those changes into your local branch.
• The git push command uploads your local commits to the remote repository, making your changes available to others.

3. What’s the difference between git pull and git clone?

• git pull updates your local repository with changes from the remote repository.
• git clone creates a new copy of the remote repository on your local machine, often used when first starting to work with a repository.