GIT-REPLACE(1)

📦
version 2.56.0 · 27 versions
, in arch rolling

💅 git-replace(1) — the git manual, but make it make sense

okay bestie, sit down, hydrate, and let me tell you about git-replace from the Git Manual (yes, that Git Manual, the one and only ✨). This is the page for creating, listing and deleting refs to replace objects. iconic behavior, honestly.

🦋 NAME

git-replace — Create, list, delete refs to replace objects

🌸 SYNOPSIS

git replace [-f] <object> <replacement>
git replace [-f] --edit <object>
git replace [-f] --graft <commit> [<parent>...]
git replace [-f] --convert-graft-file
git replace -d <object>...
git replace [--format=<format>] [-l [<pattern>]]

like, six whole moods. pick your fighter 💅

💖 DESCRIPTION

So the whole thing: this command adds a replace reference in the refs/replace/ namespace. that's the vibe.

The name of the replace reference is the SHA-1 of the object that is being replaced. The content of the replace reference is the SHA-1 of the replacement object. so the ref is literally named after the old thing and points at the new thing. slay.

The replaced object and the replacement object must be of the same type. this restriction can be bypassed using -f. (yes, -f is the "i know what i'm doing" flag, and no, it is not a personality.)

Unless -f is given, the replace reference must not yet exist. no overwriting behind anyone's back, that's the rule.

There is no other restriction on the replaced and replacement objects. none. zero. Merge commits can be replaced by non-merge commits and vice versa. the chaos is legal. 🙈

Replacement references will be used by default by all Git commands except those doing reachability traversal (prune, pack transfer and fsck). those three are like "not me, i'm busy".

It is possible to disable the use of replacement references for any command using the --no-replace-objects option just after git. big "off switch" energy.

For example if commit foo has been replaced by commit bar:

$ git --no-replace-objects cat-file commit foo

shows information about commit foo, while:

$ git cat-file commit foo

shows information about commit bar. same command, different reality. main character energy 🌈

The GIT_NO_REPLACE_OBJECTS environment variable can be set to achieve the same effect as the --no-replace-objects option. env var girlies, this one's for you 🫶

✨ OPTIONS ✨

  • -f, --force — If an existing replace ref for the same object exists, it will be overwritten (instead of failing). literally "i'm not asking".
  • -d, --delete — Delete existing replace refs for the given objects. bye bestie 👋
  • --edit <object> — Edit an object's content interactively. The existing content for <object> is pretty-printed into a temporary file, an editor is launched on the file, and the result is parsed to create a new object of the same type as <object>. A replacement ref is then created to replace <object> with the newly created object. See git-var(1) for details about how the editor will be chosen. it's giving "open up, we're editing".
  • --raw — When editing, provide the raw object contents rather than pretty-printed ones. Currently this only affects trees, which will be shown in their binary form. This is harder to work with, but can help when repairing a tree that is so corrupted it cannot be pretty-printed. Note that you may need to configure your editor to cleanly read and write binary data. ⚠️ binary chaos mode, proceed with love.
  • --graft <commit> [<parent>...] — Create a graft commit. A new commit is created with the same content as <commit> except that its parents will be [<parent>...] instead of <commit>'s parents. A replacement ref is then created to replace <commit> with the newly created commit. Use --convert-graft-file to convert a $GIT_DIR/info/grafts file and use replace refs instead. glow-up for your commit parents 💅
  • --convert-graft-file — Creates graft commits for all entries in $GIT_DIR/info/grafts and deletes that file upon success. The purpose is to help users with transitioning off of the now-deprecated graft file. yes bestie the graft file is deprecated, we're moving on, growth is beautiful 🌱
  • -l <pattern>, --list <pattern> — List replace refs for objects that match the given pattern (or all if no pattern is given). Typing git replace without arguments, also lists all replace refs. zero-arg git replace = surprise listing. we love a low-effort king.
  • --format=<format> — When listing, use the specified <format>, which can be one of short, medium and long. When omitted, the format defaults to short. pick your aesthetic 🎀

🧚 FORMATS

The following formats are available:

  • short: <replaced-sha1>
  • medium: <replaced-sha1> → <replacement-sha1>
  • long: <replaced-sha1> (<replaced-type>) → <replacement-sha1> (<replacement-type>)

short is the "just the essentials" girlie, medium adds the arrow moment, and long is the full lore drop with types. ate. 👑

🍓 CREATING REPLACEMENT OBJECTS

git-hash-object(1), git-rebase(1), and git-filter-repo[1], among other git commands, can be used to create replacement objects from existing objects. The --edit option can also be used with git replace to create a replacement object by editing an existing object. so many doors, all valid 💖

If you want to replace many blobs, trees or commits that are part of a string of commits, you may just want to create a replacement string of commits and then only replace the commit at the tip of the target string of commits with the commit at the tip of the replacement string of commits. ngl this is the smart-girl shortcut, don't do it 400 times individually.

💀 BUGS

Comparing blobs or trees that have been replaced with those that replace them will not work properly. And using git reset --hard to go back to a replaced commit will move the branch to the replacement commit instead of the replaced commit. like bestie it tries, but it does not.

There may be other problems when using git rev-list related to pending objects. ok so just be aware. 🙈

🔥 CAVEATS

The existence of replace objects or commit grafts turns off reading or writing to the commit-graph, which can cause performance issues. See git-commit-graph(1). so yes it's hot but it costs you speed — trade-offs are real, no cap.

🌈 SEE ALSO

git-hash-object(1) git-rebase(1) git-tag(1) git-branch(1) git-commit(1) git-var(1) git(1) git-filter-repo[1]

the whole friend group, honestly.

👑 GIT

Part of the git(1) suite

📝 NOTES

  1. git-filter-repo https://github.com/newren/git-filter-repo

so yeah, that's the page 💜 go replace something responsibly, back up your refs, and remember: with great replace-ref power comes the --no-replace-objects escape hatch.

this cutie was brought to you by Git 2.56.0, dated 2026-09-27 — go forth and slay, bestie 🎀✨

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