Complete Guide: Push Git Branch with Tracking

To push a new local branch to a remote Git repository and set up tracking, you can use either git checkout -b to create the branch from your current branch, then push with the -u flag to establish tracking. Alternatively, you can create the branch and push it in separate commands, setting up tracking afterward.

Contents

• Creating and Pushing a New Local Branch
• Setting Up Branch Tracking
• Common Workflows and Examples
• Troubleshooting Tracking Issues
• Best Practices

Creating and Pushing a New Local Branch

Method 1: Using git checkout -b to Create Branch

The most straightforward way to create a new local branch from your current branch is:

git checkout -b feature-branch

This creates a new branch called feature-branch and switches to it, with the new branch starting from the current commit of your current branch.

Method 2: Creating Branch from Another Specific Branch

If you want to create a branch from a different branch than your current one:

git checkout -b feature-branch main

This creates feature-branch from the main branch, regardless of which branch you’re currently on.

Method 3: Using git branch Command

You can also create a branch without switching to it:

git branch feature-branch

Then switch to it with:

git checkout feature-branch

Setting Up Branch Tracking

Method 1: Push with -u Flag (Recommended)

The easiest way to push and set up tracking simultaneously is to use the -u (or --set-upstream) flag with git push:

git push -u origin feature-branch

This command:

• Pushes your feature-branch to the remote origin repository
• Sets up tracking so that future git pull and git push commands work automatically
• Creates a remote branch with the same name as your local branch

Method 2: Push First, Then Set Tracking

If you’ve already pushed your branch but haven’t set up tracking:

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

Or using the alternative syntax:

git push origin feature-branch
git branch -u origin/feature-branch

Method 3: Create Tracking Branch from Remote

If you have a remote branch that you want to create a local tracking branch for:

git checkout --track origin/feature-branch

This creates a local branch with the same name as the remote branch and sets up tracking automatically.

Common Workflows and Examples

Basic Workflow: Create, Commit, Push, Track

Here’s a complete workflow for creating a new feature branch and setting up tracking:

# Create and switch to new branch from current branch
git checkout -b new-feature

# Make some changes and commit them
git add .
git commit -m "Add new feature"

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

Creating Branch from Different Remote Branch

# Create local branch from remote branch
git checkout -b local-branch origin/remote-branch

# Push and set up tracking
git push -u origin local-branch

Creating Branch with Different Remote Name

If you want your local branch to have a different name than the remote branch:

# Create and push with explicit remote branch name
git checkout -b local-name
git push -u origin local-name:remote-name

This creates a remote branch called remote-name that tracks your local local-name branch.

Troubleshooting Tracking Issues

Error: “The current branch has no upstream branch”

If you get this error when trying to git pull or git push, it means your local branch isn’t set up to track a remote branch. Fix it with:

git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/your-branch-name

Error: “There is no tracking information for the current branch”

This typically occurs when you’ve committed changes on a branch that doesn’t have a remote counterpart. Use:

git push --set-upstream origin your-branch-name

Unsetting Tracking

If you need to remove tracking from a branch:

git branch --unset-upstream

Best Practices

1. Use meaningful branch names that describe the purpose or feature
2. Always set up tracking when creating new remote branches to avoid confusion
3. Use git push -u when first pushing a branch to establish tracking
4. Regularly sync with remote using git pull to keep your branch up to date
5. Delete remote branches when they’re no longer needed: git push origin --delete branch-name

Remember that Git’s remote branches aren’t automatically synchronized - you have to explicitly push the branches you want to share. The -u flag makes this process seamless by establishing the tracking relationship automatically.

Sources

1. How do I push a new local branch to a remote Git repository and track it too? - Stack Overflow
2. How to Push and Track a New Local Branch to a Remote Repository in Git - W3Docs
3. Git - Remote Branches - Official Documentation
4. How can I tell a local branch to track a remote branch? - Git Tower
5. git checkout a Remote Branch - Git Tower
6. Git checkout remote branch in one line - Shisho Cloud

Conclusion

Creating and pushing local branches with proper tracking is essential for effective Git collaboration. The key takeaways are:

• Use git checkout -b branch-name to create a new branch from your current branch
• Use git push -u origin branch-name to push and set up tracking in one command
• For existing branches, use git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/branch-name to establish tracking
• Branch tracking enables seamless git pull and git push operations
• Always use meaningful branch names and clean up branches when they’re no longer needed

By following these practices, you’ll maintain a clean, organized repository structure and avoid common Git collaboration issues.