GH-REPO-SYNC(1)

💅 gh-repo-sync — bestie, let's talk about syncing repos ✨

Okay so real talk, this is the gh repo sync era and honestly? Iconic. It's a page from the GitHub CLI manual (GitHub CLI manual, section 1, if you're keeping score 🎀), and it's literally just about making one repository match another. No cap.

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

gh repo sync [<destination-repository>] [flags]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

So the whole vibe here is: you've got a destination repo and you've got a source repo, and syncing pulls the source's default branch over so that the matching branch on the destination ends up equal to it. Like, they're twins now. Matching. Periodt. 💅

The default behaviour is a fast forward update — clean, cute, no drama. But if you specify the --force flag, then the two branches get synced using a hard reset instead. Yes girl, a hard reset. We're not asking permission anymore. 🔥

If you don't give an argument at all, the local repository is selected as the destination repository. Comfy. Convenient. Lowkey the way I always do it.

And the source repository? By default it's the parent of the destination repository. But you can override that with the --source flag, iykyk. 💖

✨ OPTIONS ✨

• -b, --branch <string> — the branch you want to sync (default is the default branch, obviously 🎀)
• --force — hard resets the branch on the destination repository so it matches the source repository. The dramatic option. Use with intention, bestie 💀
• -s, --source <string> — the source repository 🫶

👑 EXIT CODES 👑

• 0: Successful execution — you ate, no crumbs 🍓
• 1: Error — something went sideways 😭
• 2: Command canceled — you hit Ctrl+C or whatever, it happens 🙈
• 4: Authentication required — you need to log in, ngl

NOTE: Specific commands may have additional exit codes. Refer to the command's help for more information. ✨

🌈 EXAMPLE 🌈

Okay here's where it gets good, the actual examples, the main character moments:

# Sync local repository from remote parent
$ gh repo sync

# Sync local repository from remote parent on specific branch
$ gh repo sync --branch v1

# Sync remote fork from its parent
$ gh repo sync owner/cli-fork

# Sync remote repository from another remote repository
$ gh repo sync owner/repo --source owner2/repo2

Literally so clean. Four little commands and you're done. Obsessed. 💜

🧚 SEE ALSO 🧚

• gh-repo(1) — the parent page, the mothership, go say hi 🌸

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And that's the whole thing, bestie! 🎀 This little gem is from the GitHub CLI, version v2.102.0, dated Oct 2026 — so when you're out there force-resetting branches, know that it's the GH-REPO-SYNC(1) page that taught you everything. Slay safe out there 💖✨🦋