What is Git?
Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes to files and coordinates work among multiple developers. It is the standard tool for managing source code in web development, enabling branching, merging, and collaboration through platforms like GitHub and GitLab.
How Does Git Work?
Git stores a complete history of every file change in a repository. Developers create branches to work on features independently, then merge them back into the main codebase. Key operations include commit (save changes), push (upload to remote), pull (download changes), and merge (combine branches). Git's distributed nature means every developer has a full copy of the project history.
In modern hosting workflows, Git is central to deployment. Many platforms deploy automatically when code is pushed to a specific branch — push to main and your site updates within minutes. Git-based deployment through platforms like GitHub Pages, Netlify, and Vercel has made continuous deployment accessible to individual developers and small teams.