git rebase --autosquash: Apply fixup! Commits

git rebase --autosquash recognizes commits whose messages start with "fixup!" or "squash!" and reorders them under the commit they reference, ready to fold in.

Paired with git commit --fixup, autosquash turns history cleanup into one command. With GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR set to true it runs unattended, which is what makes it usable in a CI cleanup step.

What it does

When you make a commit with git commit --fixup=<sha>, its message is "fixup! <original subject>". git rebase -i --autosquash reads those markers, moves each fixup/squash commit directly after its target, and marks it for folding, so the rebase plan is correct without manual editing.

Common usage

Terminal

git commit --fixup=abc1234
git commit --squash=abc1234   # also opens the editor to merge messages
# unattended (no editor) in a script
GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR=true git rebase -i --autosquash abc1234~1
# make autosquash the default
git config rebase.autosquash true

Options

Flag / config	What it does
--autosquash	Auto-reorder fixup!/squash! commits in an interactive rebase
--no-autosquash	Disable even when rebase.autosquash is set
commit --fixup=<rev>	Create a fixup! commit targeting <rev>
commit --squash=<rev>	Create a squash! commit targeting <rev>
rebase.autosquash (config)	Enable autosquash by default for -i
GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR=true	Accept the generated plan without an editor

In CI

autosquash only takes effect with interactive rebase (-i). To run it without a human, set GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR=true so the todo list is accepted as generated. As with any rebase, the result has new SHAs and needs --force-with-lease to push, which protected-branch rules may reject.

Common errors in CI

"hint: Waiting for your editor to close the file" means -i opened an editor in a non-interactive shell and hung; set GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR=true. fixup! commits left unsquashed in the final history mean autosquash was not enabled or the subject did not match the target commit. Conflicts still require --continue/--abort.