Resolving Merge Conflicts

A merge conflict happens when two branches change the same part of a file differently and Git can't decide which version to keep. You resolve conflicts by editing the file and choosing what the final content should be.

When Do Conflicts Happen?

Conflicts occur when:

• Two branches edited the same lines in the same file.
• One branch deleted a file that the other branch modified.

Git can't automatically decide which change is correct, so it marks the conflict in the file and waits for you to resolve it.

Identifying Conflicts

When a merge produces conflicts, Git outputs:

Auto-merging filename.txt
CONFLICT (content): Merge conflict in filename.txt
Automatic merge failed; fix conflicts and then commit the result.

Check which files have conflicts:

git status

Files listed under Unmerged paths need resolving.

Reading Conflict Markers

Open a conflicted file and you'll see:

<<<<<<< HEAD
This is the version from your current branch.
=======
This is the version from the branch being merged in.
>>>>>>> feature/user-login

• <<<<<<< HEAD — start of your changes.
• ======= — separator.
• >>>>>>> feature/user-login — start of the incoming changes.

Resolving the Conflict

1. Open the conflicted file in your editor.

2. Decide which version to keep, or write a combined version. Remove all three conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>).

3. Save the file.

4. Stage the resolved file:

git add filename.txt

5. Commit to complete the merge:

git commit -m "Merge feature/user-login — resolve conflict in filename.txt"

Abort the Merge

If you want to cancel the merge entirely and go back to the state before it started:

git merge --abort

tip

Most code editors (VS Code, IntelliJ, Vim with plugins) highlight conflict markers and let you accept one side with a single click. Use these tools to speed up conflict resolution.

Write clear commit messages when resolving conflicts so future readers understand what was merged and why.

Common Mistakes

Leaving conflict markers in the file — if you forget to remove <<<<<<<, =======, or >>>>>>>, your code will be broken. Always search the file for these markers before staging.

Staging without reading the result — don't just delete one side of the conflict without reading both. Conflicts often need a thoughtful combination of both changes.

Committing in the middle of a conflict — git status will show Unmerged paths until all conflicts are resolved. Git won't let you push while conflicts remain unresolved.

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Next Steps: Deleting and Renaming Branches