Git Reflog: Recover Lost Commits

What Does git reflog Do?

git reflog (reference log) records every time the tip of a branch changes in your local repository. Unlike git log, which follows the commit ancestry, reflog tracks HEAD movements — including resets, rebases, checkouts, and even commits on branches that were deleted.

Why Reflog Matters

When you run git reset --hard or delete a branch, those commits seem to vanish from git log. But Git does not immediately garbage-collect them. The reflog retains references to these "orphaned" commits for at least 90 days by default.

Viewing the Reflog

git reflog
# Output:
# a1b2c3d HEAD@{0}: reset: moving to HEAD~3
# f4e5d6a HEAD@{1}: commit: Add payment validation
# 7g8h9i0 HEAD@{2}: commit: Update user model

Recovering a Lost Commit

# Find the commit hash in reflog
git reflog

# Create a new branch pointing to the lost commit
git branch recovered-work f4e5d6a

# Or reset your current branch to that commit
git reset --hard f4e5d6a

Recovering a Deleted Branch

# Find where the branch tip was
git reflog | grep "checkout: moving from feature-x"

# Recreate the branch
git branch feature-x <hash>

Undoing a Bad Rebase

If a rebase goes wrong, find the pre-rebase state in the reflog and reset to it:

git reflog
# Find the entry just before the rebase started
git reset --hard HEAD@{5}

Limitations

Reflog is local only — it is not shared with remotes or collaborators. It is also subject to garbage collection via git gc. For critical recovery, act promptly. Think of reflog as your local undo history: powerful, but not a substitute for proper backups.