🔹 Git Fetch vs Git Pull

What is Git Fetch?

git fetch gets the latest commits, branches, and tags from the remote without merging them into your current branch.

It updates your remote-tracking branches (like origin/main) but leaves your local branch unchanged.

👉 After fetch, you can review and then decide:

• git merge origin/main

• git rebase origin/main

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Git Fetch Workflow

flowchart LR
    subgraph FETCH [git fetch Workflow]
      F1([Run: git fetch]) --> F2[Contact remote repo]
      F2 --> F3[Download latest commits and branches]
      F3 --> F4[Update remote-tracking refs: origin/main]
      F4 --> F5[Local branch stays the same]
      F5 --> F6[You decide: merge or rebase manually]
    end

👉 Summary: Fetch is safe. It just downloads updates and lets you decide what to do next.

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What is Git Pull?

git pull is fetch + merge (or rebase).
It gets the latest changes and immediately updates your current branch.

git pull origin main

By default, it merges. If you configure, it can rebase (git pull --rebase).

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Git Pull Workflow

flowchart LR
    subgraph PULL [git pull Workflow]
      P1([Run: git pull]) --> P2[Contact remote repo]
      P2 --> P3[Download latest commits and branches]
      P3 --> P4[Update remote-tracking refs: origin/main]
      P4 --> P5[Auto-merge into current branch - merge or rebase]
    end

👉 Summary: Pull is faster but riskier. It immediately changes your branch, sometimes causing conflicts.

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Fetch vs Pull: Quick Table

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🎯 Final Takeaways

• Fetch → Download updates (safe, no changes yet).

• Pull → Download + update your branch right away.

💡 Tip: Many developers prefer git fetch + git rebase for a cleaner history.
Next time you see “Fork and Clone” or “Fetch vs Pull,” you’ll know exactly what’s going on 🚀