How to Create & Push Git Branch: Complete Guide

To create and push a remote Git branch from a local branch, you can use the git push -u origin <branchname> command which creates the remote branch and sets up tracking in one step, or you can create the branch locally first with git checkout -b <branchname>, then push with git push origin <branchname>, and finally set tracking with git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/<branchname> <branchname>.

Contents

• Understanding Local and Remote Branches
• Step-by-Step Process
• Alternative Methods and Options
• Setting Upstream Tracking
• Common Scenarios
• GUI Alternatives
• Troubleshooting

Understanding Local and Remote Branches

In Git, local branches exist only on your local machine, while remote branches are hosted on remote repositories like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. When you create a new branch locally, it doesn’t automatically appear on the remote repository - you need to explicitly push it there to share it with collaborators or access it from other machines.

As the official Git documentation explains, “Your local branches aren’t automatically synchronized to the remotes you write to — you have to explicitly push the branches you want to share.” This fundamental concept is crucial for understanding why you need specific commands to create remote branches from local ones.

Step-by-Step Process

Method 1: Create and Push in One Step (Recommended)

The most efficient way to create and push a remote branch from a local one is to use the -u or --set-upstream option with the git push command:

# Create a new local branch and switch to it
git checkout -b feature-branch

# Make your changes, add files, and commit
git add .
git commit -m "Add new feature"

# Push to remote and set up tracking
git push -u origin feature-branch

This single command accomplishes three things:

1. Creates the feature-branch on the remote repository
2. Pushes your local commits to the remote branch
3. Sets up tracking so subsequent git push and git pull commands work without specifying the remote and branch

Method 2: Separate Creation and Push Steps

If you prefer to create the branch and push it separately:

# Create new local branch
git checkout -b new-feature

# Make changes and commit
git add .
git commit -m "Implement new feature"

# Push without setting upstream yet
git push origin new-feature

# Set up tracking manually
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/new-feature new-feature

Alternative Methods and Options

Using --set-upstream Instead of -u

The long-form version of the -u option is --set-upstream:

git push --set-upstream origin feature-branch

Both commands produce the same result, but -u is more commonly used in practice.

Using HEAD Reference

You can use HEAD instead of specifying the branch name explicitly:

git push -u origin HEAD

This is particularly useful when you want to avoid typing out the branch name, especially for long or complex branch names.

Force Pushing

If you need to overwrite the remote branch with your local version (use with caution):

git push -u origin feature-branch --force

Warning: Force pushing will overwrite the remote branch and can cause conflicts for collaborators. Only use this when you’re certain you want to replace the remote branch entirely.

Setting Upstream Tracking

Why Upstream Tracking Matters

Upstream tracking establishes a relationship between your local branch and its corresponding remote branch. This relationship enables several convenient behaviors:

• git pull without arguments automatically pulls from the tracked remote branch
• git push without arguments automatically pushes to the tracked remote branch
• git status shows the relationship between local and remote branches

Checking Current Upstream Settings

To see which branches are tracking which remote branches:

git branch -vv

This will show output like:

* feature-branch abc1234 [origin/feature-branch: ahead 1] Add new feature

Changing or Removing Upstream

To change the upstream for an existing branch:

git branch --set-upstream-to=new-origin/new-feature feature-branch

To remove upstream tracking:

git branch --unset-upstream feature-branch

Common Scenarios

Creating a Feature Branch from Main

# Switch to main and ensure it's up to date
git checkout main
git pull origin main

# Create feature branch from main
git checkout -b feature-authentication

# Work on your feature
git add .
git commit -m "Add authentication system"

# Push to remote and set up tracking
git push -u origin feature-authentication

Creating a Bug Fix Branch

# Create from a specific commit if needed
git checkout -b fix-login-bug abc1234

# Make your fix
git add .
git commit -m "Fix login validation error"

# Push with descriptive name
git push -u origin fix-login-bug

Working with Multiple Remotes

If you have multiple remotes configured:

# Push to a different remote
git push -u upstream my-feature-branch

# Check which remotes are configured
git remote -v

GUI Alternatives

Git Tower (GUI)

As mentioned in the research, Git Tower provides a drag-and-drop interface:

“In the sidebar, simply drag the local branch you want to publish and then drop it onto the respective remote (probably ‘origin’)!”

Lazygit (Terminal UI)

For those who prefer terminal-based GUI tools:

“In the CLI, I would git checkout -b branch, edit, add, and commit, until finally doing a git push -u origin branch.”

GitHub Desktop

1. Click the current branch name in the bottom left
2. Type the new branch name and click “Create branch”
3. Click “Publish branch” to push it to GitHub

Troubleshooting

“Branch already exists” Error

If you get an error about the branch already existing:

# Force push if you're sure you want to overwrite
git push -u origin feature-branch --force

# Or fetch the latest and rebase
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
git push -u origin feature-branch

Permission Denied Errors

If you can’t push to the remote repository:

1. Check that you have write access to the repository
2. Verify your remote URL is correct:
   bash

   git remote -v
   

3. If using SSH, ensure your SSH keys are properly set up

Tracking Relationship Issues

If your push doesn’t set up tracking properly:

# Manually set the upstream
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/your-branch your-branch

Upstream Already Exists

If the remote branch already exists but you want to set up tracking:

# Use --set-upstream-to when the remote branch exists
git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/existing-branch local-branch

As Graphite.dev explains, “Use git push -u when you want to create a new remote branch, and use git branch --set-upstream-to when the remote branch already exists.”

Conclusion

Creating and pushing remote Git branches from local branches is a fundamental skill for collaborative development. The key takeaways are:

1. Use git push -u origin <branchname> for the most efficient approach that creates the remote branch and sets tracking in one command
2. Understand upstream tracking to make your Git workflow more efficient with automatic push/pull destinations
3. Choose the right method based on whether the remote branch already exists or needs to be created
4. Consider GUI tools like Git Tower or GitHub Desktop for visual branch management
5. Handle conflicts and permissions properly when working with team repositories

Mastering these techniques will help you collaborate more effectively and manage your Git branches with confidence. For more detailed information, refer to the official Git documentation on remote branches and tracking relationships.

Sources

1. How do I push a new local branch to a remote Git repository and track it too? - Stack Overflow
2. Git - Remote Branches - Official Documentation
3. Setting an upstream in Git - Graphite.dev
4. How to Push a Local Branch to a Remote Repository in Git - GeeksforGeeks
5. How to Create a Remote Branch in Git - Git Tower
6. How To Set Upstream Branch on Git – devconnected
7. Git push new local branch to remote - TheServerSide