Learn Git Branching

What it is

Learn Git Branching is a Git visualiser, sandbox and set of lessons in one web page. Every command you type animates a picture of the commit tree: commits appear, branch labels move, HEAD detaches, rebased commits are copied onto a new base. It runs entirely in your browser with no signup, and it is open source under the MIT licence, with about 34k GitHub stars as of September 2026. It has been translated into many languages.

It has two modes:

• Levels: type levels to open lessons grouped into "worlds". The main sequence covers commits, branches, merging, rebasing, moving around with HEAD and relative references, reversing changes with reset and revert, cherry-picking, interactive rebase and more advanced topics. A separate remote sequence covers clone, fetch, pull, push, tracking branches and diverging history.
• Sandbox: experiment freely with any sequence of commands, use undo or reset, and even simulate a remote.

Levels also track how many commands you used, compared with the reference solution, which adds a small puzzle element.

Why the visualisation is the whole point

Git's difficulty is almost entirely in the mental model. Once you can see that a branch is just a pointer to a commit and that a rebase replays commits onto a new base, most commands become obvious. Reading that sentence does not achieve it; watching it happen on a graph you are manipulating does.

Where to focus

• Rebase and interactive rebase, because they are the commands people avoid out of fear.
• The remote levels. Much of the confusion in real teams is about the relationship between your local branch, your remote-tracking branch and the actual remote. These levels explain it more clearly than most written guides.
• Relative refs (HEAD~2, main^), which make many everyday tasks faster.

How long it takes and how to use it

Working through the main and remote sequences takes a few focused sessions for most learners. Try each level before looking at the solution. Afterwards, repeat a few of the operations in a real repository on your machine, since the tool simulates Git rather than running it, and a few details differ.

Weak spots

It focuses on the commit graph. It does not teach the staging area, resolving merge conflicts, .gitignore, or everyday workflows like pull requests. Pair it with Pro Git or a practical Git course for those, and keep a recovery guide such as Oh Shit, Git bookmarked.

Common questions

Is it for complete beginners? Yes, the first levels start from zero, though knowing why version control exists helps.

Does it use real Git? No, it simulates Git's behaviour in JavaScript, which is why it can animate everything.

Best for: students and developers who use Git daily but do not really understand branches, rebasing or remotes.