Reviving Deleted Branches- A Step-by-Step Guide to Restoring Lost History on GitHub
How to Restore Deleted Branches in GitHub
Managing branches in a GitHub repository is an essential part of software development. However, mistakes can happen, and sometimes, you might accidentally delete a branch that contains valuable code or data. The good news is that GitHub provides a way to restore deleted branches, ensuring that your project remains intact. In this article, we will guide you through the process of restoring deleted branches in GitHub.
Understanding Branch Deletion
Before diving into the restoration process, it’s important to understand how branches are deleted in GitHub. When you delete a branch, GitHub does not immediately remove it from the repository. Instead, it retains the branch’s data for a short period, allowing you to restore it if needed. The retention period for deleted branches varies, but it is generally around 90 days.
Restoring a Deleted Branch
To restore a deleted branch in GitHub, follow these steps:
1. Log in to your GitHub account and navigate to the repository containing the deleted branch.
2. Click on the “Branches” tab on the repository’s sidebar.
3. Look for the “Deleted branches” section at the bottom of the page. If the deleted branch is not listed here, it might have been deleted before the retention period expired, and you will not be able to restore it.
4. Click on the “Show deleted branches” link to expand the list of deleted branches.
5. Locate the deleted branch you want to restore and click on its name.
6. You will see a “Restore branch” button on the right side of the page. Click on it to restore the branch to your repository.
Restoring the Deleted Branch Locally
After restoring the deleted branch in GitHub, you need to update your local repository to include the restored branch. Follow these steps:
1. Open your terminal or command prompt.
2. Navigate to the local directory containing your GitHub repository.
3. Run the following command to fetch the latest changes from GitHub:
“`
git fetch origin
“`
4. Check out the restored branch using the following command:
“`
git checkout
“`
Replace `
Additional Tips
– If you cannot find the deleted branch in the “Deleted branches” section, it may have been deleted before the retention period. In this case, you can try searching for the branch in the repository’s history using the GitHub API or by cloning the repository locally and searching for the branch name.
– If you want to prevent accidental branch deletions in the future, you can use the `git branch -d` command with the `–force` option to permanently delete a branch, which bypasses the retention period.
Restoring deleted branches in GitHub is a straightforward process that can help you avoid losing valuable code and data. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can quickly restore your deleted branches and continue working on your project without any interruptions.
