Git List Branches: How to Show Local, Remote & All Branches (Examples)

Git list branches commands help you view local, remote, and all branches in a repository as part of working with git branch basics. Using git branch, git branch -r, and git branch -a, you can quickly check available branches and manage your workflow efficiently as part of a complete Git workflow.

Git list branches - quick cheat sheet

Git list branches

Understanding the difference between local and remote branches is the foundation of working efficiently with Git. Local branches exist in your system, while remote branches are hosted on repositories like GitHub or GitLab and are managed using git remote.

List only local branches using git branch

To view all branches available in your local repository, use:

git branch

This command lists only local branches and highlights the current branch with an asterisk (*).

List only remote branches using git branch -r

To see branches available on the remote repository (tracked locally), use:

git branch -r

This shows remote-tracking branches such as:

origin/main
origin/dev

List all branches using git branch -a

To display both local and remote branches together:

git branch -a

This is useful when you want a complete view of all available branches.

Understand origin/HEAD references

You may see entries like:

origin/HEAD -> origin/main

• origin → default remote repository name
• HEAD → pointer to the default branch on remote
• origin/main → actual default branch

This helps Git identify which branch is used by default when cloning or pulling.

List local branches in Git

Check current branch (* symbol explained)

Run:

git branch

Example output:

* main
    feature-login
    bugfix-issue1

The * symbol indicates the current active branch where you are working.

Create and verify branches

Create new branches:

git branch feature_A
git branch feature_B

Verify branches:

git branch

Now you will see:

* main
  feature_A
  feature_B

This confirms that the new branches have been successfully created and are available for use with git branch basics.

List Remote Branches in Git

Sometimes remote branches exist but are not visible locally. This usually happens because your local repository is not updated with the latest remote state, which can be resolved using git fetch.

Why git branch -r may not show all branches

The command:

git branch -r

only shows branches that are already fetched and tracked locally. Newly created branches on remote will not appear until you fetch them.

Use git fetch to sync remote branches

To update your local repository with the latest remote branches:

git fetch

After fetching, run:

git branch -r

to see updated remote branches.

Use git ls-remote to see all remote branches

To view all branches directly from the remote without fetching:

git ls-remote --heads origin

This command queries the remote repository and lists all available branches without needing git clone.

Difference between fetched vs unfetched branches

• Fetched branches → Available locally after running git fetch
• Unfetched branches → Exist on remote but not yet visible locally

To always stay updated, regularly run:

git fetch --all

Check and Verify Remote Repositories

List all remotes using git remote -v

To view configured remote repositories along with their URLs using git remote:

git remote -v

Example output:

origin  https://github.com/user/repo.git (fetch)
origin  https://github.com/user/repo.git (push)

Show remote details using git remote show origin

To get detailed information about a specific remote:

git remote show origin

This shows:

• tracked branches
• default branch
• fetch/push configuration

Identify upstream branch configuration

To check which local branch is linked to which remote branch:

git branch -vv

Example:

main  abc123 [origin/main] latest commit message

This indicates the local branch is tracking origin/main.

Check which branch tracks which remote

To explicitly set or verify tracking:

git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/main

Tracking branches allow simplified commands like git pull and git push.

git pull
git push

without specifying remote and branch every time.

Filter, Search and Format Branch Output

When working with repositories that have many branches, filtering and formatting output becomes essential to quickly find relevant information.

Search branch by name using grep

To search for a specific branch:

git branch | grep <branch-name>

Example:

git branch | grep feature

This helps locate branches matching a pattern before switching using git checkout.

Sort branches by last commit date

To list branches sorted by most recent activity:

git branch --sort=-committerdate

This is useful to identify recently updated branches before merging changes using git merge.

Show only active branches

To view only branches that are actively being worked on (recent commits):

git for-each-ref --sort=-committerdate --format='%(refname:short)' refs/heads/

This provides a cleaner and more customizable output when managing repositories with multiple branches using git rebase.

Format output using git for-each-ref

For advanced formatting:

git for-each-ref --format='%(refname:short) - %(committerdate)' refs/heads/

You can customize output to include:

• branch name
• commit date
• author
• tracking info

List Branches with Additional Details

Sometimes you need more than just branch names — such as commit details, merge status, or tracking info.

Show last commit on each branch

To display branches with their latest commit:

git branch -v

This shows:

• branch name
• last commit hash
• commit message

Show merged vs unmerged branches

To list branches already merged into the current branch:

git branch --merged

To list branches not yet merged:

git branch --no-merged

This helps in cleanup and review processes before removing branches using git delete branch.

Identify stale or unused branches

To find branches not updated recently:

git branch --sort=committerdate

Older branches appear at the top, helping identify stale branches before cleanup using git prune.

Display tracking information

To see which remote branch each local branch tracks:

git branch -vv

Example output:

feature1  abc123 [origin/feature1] commit message

Troubleshoot Missing Remote Branches

Branch exists on GitHub but not locally

If a branch is visible on GitHub but not in your local repo, it means your local repository is not synced and needs git fetch.

Fix using git fetch --all

Fetch all updates from all remotes:

git fetch --all

Then verify:

git branch -r

Clean stale references using git remote prune

To remove references to deleted remote branches:

git remote prune origin

This ensures your branch list is clean and accurate using git prune.

Handle deleted remote branches

Sometimes remote branches are deleted but still appear locally. To clean them:

git fetch --prune

or

git remote prune origin

Summary:

To effectively manage branches in Git:

• Use git branch, -r, and -a for quick listing
• Use git fetch to stay updated with remote changes
• Use git branch -vv for tracking details
• Use filtering and sorting to manage large repositories effectively along with git branch basics.
• Use prune commands to clean stale branches

Choosing the right command based on your use case improves productivity and avoids confusion.

Official Documentation

• Git Branch Documentation
• Git Remote Documentation
• Git Fetch Documentation
• Git ls-remote Documentation