Complete GitButler Virtual Branch

Virtual branch ready → snapshot → merge to main → cleanup → return.

<when_to_use>

• Virtual branch work is complete and ready to ship
• Tests pass and code is reviewed (if required)
• Ready to merge changes into main branch
• Need to clean up completed branches

NOT for: ongoing work, branches needing more development, stacks (complete bottom-to-top)

</when_to_use>

TL;DR

Using CLI (preferred): but oplog snapshot -> but push <branch> -> but pr new <branch> -> merge PR on GitHub -> but branch delete <branch>

Direct merge: but oplog snapshot -> git checkout main -> git pull -> git merge --no-ff refs/gitbutler/<branch> -> git push -> but branch delete <branch> -> git checkout gitbutler/workspace

Manual PR workflow: git push origin refs/gitbutler/<branch>:refs/heads/<branch> -> gh pr create -> merge PR -> cleanup

See detailed workflows below.

Pre-Integration Checklist

Run through before any integration:

Check	Command	Expected
GitButler running	but --version	Version output
Work committed	but status	Committed changes, no unassigned files
Tests passing	bun test (or project equivalent)	All green
Base updated	but pull	Up to date with main
Snapshot created	but oplog snapshot -m "Before integrating..."	Snapshot ID returned

Integration Workflows

A. Using CLI (Preferred)

# 1. Verify branch state
but status
but show feature-auth

# 2. Create snapshot
but oplog snapshot --message "Before publishing feature-auth"

# 3. Authenticate with forge (one-time)
but config forge auth

# 4. Push branch and create PR
but push feature-auth
but pr new feature-auth

# 5. Review and merge PR on GitHub

# 6. Update local and clean up
but pull
but branch delete feature-auth

Benefits:

• Full CLI workflow, no GUI needed
• Correct base branch set automatically for stacks
• Stays in GitButler workspace throughout

B. Direct Merge to Main

# 1. Verify branch state
but status
but show feature-auth

# 2. Create snapshot
but oplog snapshot --message "Before integrating feature-auth"

# 3. Switch to main
git checkout main

# 4. Update main
git pull origin main

# 5. Merge with --no-ff (preserves history)
git merge --no-ff refs/gitbutler/feature-auth -m "feat: add user authentication"

# 6. Push
git push origin main

# 7. Clean up
but branch delete feature-auth
git checkout gitbutler/workspace

C. Manual Pull Request Workflow

# 1. Push branch to remote
git push origin refs/gitbutler/feature-auth:refs/heads/feature-auth

# 2. Create PR
gh pr create --base main --head feature-auth \
  --title "feat: add user authentication" \
  --body "Description..."

# 3. Wait for review and approval

# 4. Merge PR (via GitHub UI or CLI)
gh pr merge feature-auth --squash

# 5. Update main and clean up
git checkout main
git pull origin main
but branch delete feature-auth
git checkout gitbutler/workspace

D. Stacked Branches (Bottom-Up)

# Must merge in order: base → dependent → final

# 1. Merge base branch first
git checkout main && git pull
git merge --no-ff refs/gitbutler/feature-base -m "feat: base feature"
git push origin main
but branch delete feature-base
git checkout gitbutler/workspace

# 2. Update remaining branches
but pull

# 3. Merge next level
git checkout main && git pull
git merge --no-ff refs/gitbutler/feature-api -m "feat: API feature"
git push origin main
but branch delete feature-api
git checkout gitbutler/workspace

# 4. Repeat for remaining stack levels

For comprehensive stacked branch management, load the gitbutler-stacks skill.

Error Recovery

Merge Conflicts

# View conflicted files
git status

# Resolve conflicts manually

# Stage resolved files
git add src/auth.ts

# Complete merge
git commit

# Verify and push
git push origin main

# Clean up
but branch delete feature-auth
git checkout gitbutler/workspace

Push Rejected (Main Moved Ahead)

git pull origin main
# Resolve any conflicts if main diverged
git push origin main

Undo Integration (Not Pushed Yet)

git reset --hard HEAD~1
git checkout gitbutler/workspace

Undo Integration (Already Pushed)

git revert -m 1 HEAD
git push origin main

Post-Integration Cleanup

# Delete integrated virtual branch
but branch delete feature-auth

# Clean up remote branch (if created for PR)
git push origin --delete feature-auth

# Verify workspace is clean
but status  # Should show remaining active branches only
but status  # Branch should be gone

ALWAYS:

• Create snapshot before integration: but oplog snapshot --message "..."
• Use --no-ff flag to preserve branch history
• Return to workspace after git operations: git checkout gitbutler/workspace
• Run tests before integrating
• Complete stacked branches bottom-to-top

NEVER:

• Merge without snapshot backup
• Skip updating main first (git pull)
• Forget to return to gitbutler/workspace
• Merge middle of stack before base
• Force push to main without explicit confirmation

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Solution
Merge conflicts	Diverged from main	Resolve conflicts, stage, commit
Push rejected	Main moved ahead	git pull, resolve, push
Branch not found	Wrong ref path	Use refs/gitbutler/<name>
Can't return to workspace	Integration branch issue	git checkout gitbutler/workspace

Emergency Recovery

# If integration went wrong
but oplog
but undo  # Restores pre-integration state

# If stuck after git operations
git checkout gitbutler/workspace

Best Practices

Keep branches small:

• Small branches = easier merges
• Aim for single responsibility per branch

Update base regularly:

but pull

Test before integrating:

• Always run full test suite before merging

Meaningful merge commits:

# Good: Describes what and why
git merge --no-ff feature-auth -m "feat: add JWT-based user authentication"

# Bad: Generic message
git merge --no-ff feature-auth -m "Merge branch"

Related Skills

• gitbutler-virtual-branches — Core GitButler workflows
• gitbutler-stacks — Stacked branches

Reference Files

• gitbutler-virtual-branches/references/reference.md — CLI reference and troubleshooting

External

• GitButler GitHub Integration