A Simple Git Workflow for Small Teams

Introduction Small teams don't need GitFlow or other complex branching models. They need a workflow that's easy to understand, quick to execute, and minimizes merge headaches. Here's a practical workflow I've used with teams of 2-8 developers. The Core Idea: Main and Short-Lived Feature Branches We keep it simple with one long-lived branch ( main ) and short-lived feature branches. Every change starts from main and is merged back as soon as it's ready. git checkout main git pull git checkout -b feature/my-feature Branch Naming Convention Use a consistent prefix to keep branches organized: feature/ for new features fix/ for bug fixes chore/ for maintenance tasks Example: feature/user-authentication , fix/login-error The Workflow Step by Step 1. Start from an Up-to-Date Main Before creating a branch, make sure your local main is up to date: git checkout main git pull --rebase 2. Create a Feature Branch git checkout -b feature/awesome-feature 3. Make Small, Frequent Commits Commit early and often. Each commit should represent a logical unit of work. git add . git commit -m "Add user model with email validation" 4. Push and Open a Pull Request Even if the branch isn't finished, pushing early allows others to see your progress. git push -u origin feature/awesome-feature Then open a PR against main . Keep PRs small (under 400 lines if possible). 5. Keep Your Branch Updated If main moves forward, rebase your branch to avoid conflicts later: git checkout feature/awesome-feature git rebase main # resolve conflicts if any git push --force-with-lease --force-with-lease is safer than --force because it prevents overwriting others' work. 6. Code Review At least one other team member reviews the PR. Look for logic errors, readability, and test coverage. 7. Merge via Squash Merge When the PR is approved, use squash merge to keep main history clean: git checkout main git pull git merge --squash feature/awesome-feature git commit -m "Add awesome feature" Or use the GitHub/GitLab squ