git reflog: Usage, Options & Common CI Errors

git reflog is your safety net: a local log of every move HEAD has made.

When a reset or rebase loses commits, reflog still knows the old SHAs so you can get them back.

What it does

git reflog shows the history of where HEAD (and other refs) have pointed, including states no longer reachable from any branch. It is local-only and not pushed.

Common usage

Terminal

git reflog
git reflog show main
# recover a lost commit:
git reset --hard HEAD@{2}
git checkout -b rescue <sha-from-reflog>

Options

Item	What it does
show <ref>	Show the reflog for a specific ref
HEAD@{n}	The state of HEAD n moves ago
expire	Prune old reflog entries
--date=iso	Show absolute timestamps

Common errors in CI

CI checkouts are usually fresh clones with little or no reflog, so reflog-based recovery is a local-developer tool, not a CI one. Note that git gc and reflog expiry (default 90 days) eventually drop unreachable entries.

Related guides

git reset: Usage, Options & Common CI Errorsgit reset moves HEAD and optionally the index and working tree. Reference for --soft, --mixed, --hard, and ho… git rebase: Usage, Options & Common CI Errorsgit rebase replays commits onto a new base to keep history linear. Reference for -i, --onto, --continue, --ab… git fsck: Usage, Options & Common CI Errorsgit fsck verifies object-database integrity and finds dangling or corrupt objects. Reference for --full, --lo… git gc: Usage, Options & Common CI Errorsgit gc compresses and prunes the object database to keep the repo fast and small. Reference for --aggressive,…