Guides

How to Resolve Git Merge Conflicts Step by Step

By Ravindra Bagale, DevOps trainer · LinkedIn · Published: 28 October 2026 · Last updated: 28 October 2026

Resolve Git merge conflicts by reading markers, editing the true lines, git add, commit, then verify with log and graph.

Language: English · मराठी · हिंदी

Why merge conflicts happen

When two people edit the same line on main and a feature branch — common at Flipkart and Infosys — Git pauses the merge and asks you to choose.

Why: Same lines changed on two branches. What: Git inserts conflict markers and stops the merge. How: Reproduce, read markers, pick truth, finish commit.

Example 1: Start a lab repo

Type this:

mkdir -p /tmp/merge-lab && cd /tmp/merge-lab && git init -b main && git config user.email lab@example.com && git config user.name Lab && printf '%s\n' 'color=red' > app.cfg && git add app.cfg && git commit -m 'base config'

You will see:

[main (root-commit) ...] base config

What it means: A tiny repo with one config file — same pattern as a Flipkart service config.

Example 2: Make a feature branch change

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && git checkout -b feature/color && printf '%s\n' 'color=blue' > app.cfg && git add app.cfg && git commit -m 'feature wants blue'

You will see:

[feature/color ...] feature wants blue

What it means: Feature branch changed color to blue.

Example 3: Change main differently

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && git checkout main && printf '%s\n' 'color=green' > app.cfg && git add app.cfg && git commit -m 'main wants green'

You will see:

[main ...] main wants green

What it means: Main changed the same line — conflict is guaranteed on merge.

Concept 1: See the markers

Markers wrap both versions so you can compare.

Why: You must see both sides before deleting anything. What: <<<<<<< HEAD, =======, >>>>>>> branch. How: Open the file and status UU paths.

Example 4: Merge and see conflict

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && git merge feature/color || true && sed -n '1,20p' app.cfg

You will see:

<<<<<<< HEAD
color=green
=======
color=blue
>>>>>>> feature/color

What it means: Markers show both sides. HEAD is your current branch (main).

Example 5: List unmerged paths

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && git status --short

You will see:

UU app.cfg

What it means: UU means both sides modified — still unresolved.

Concept 2: Choose or combine

Use --ours, --theirs, or a hand-written third result.

Why: Blind keep-ours can drop a needed bugfix. What: checkout --ours/--theirs or edit by hand. How: Agree in standup when product meaning matters.

Example 6: Keep main (ours) with checkout

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && git checkout --ours app.cfg && cat app.cfg

You will see:

color=green

What it means: --ours keeps the current branch version during a merge.

Example 7: Or keep feature (theirs)

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && git checkout --theirs app.cfg && cat app.cfg

You will see:

color=blue

What it means: --theirs keeps the branch you merged in. Pick one truth for the team.

Example 8: Hand-edit a combined result

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && printf '%s\n' 'color=teal' 'note=agreed-in-standup' > app.cfg && cat app.cfg

You will see:

color=teal
note=agreed-in-standup

What it means: Often the real fix is a third value the team agreed — not blind ours/theirs.

Concept 3: Finish and verify

add, commit, then prove with log and status.

Why: An unfinished merge blocks other work. What: git add, git commit, git log --graph. How: Abort only when you are lost and want a clean slate.

Example 9: Mark resolved and commit

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && git add app.cfg && git commit -m 'merge feature/color: teal after standup' && git status

You will see:

On branch main
nothing to commit, working tree clean

What it means: add + commit finishes the merge. Status must be clean.

Example 10: Verify with log graph

Type this:

cd /tmp/merge-lab && git log --oneline --graph --decorate -n 5

You will see:

*   ... merge feature/color: teal after standup
|\
| * ... feature wants blue
* | ... main wants green

What it means: Graph proves both histories joined. Say this in Accenture interviews.

Example 11: Abort a bad merge mid-way

Type this:

cd /tmp/demo-abort 2>/dev/null; mkdir -p /tmp/demo-abort && cd /tmp/demo-abort && git init -b main >/dev/null && git config user.email a@example.com && git config user.name A && printf 'x\n' > f && git add f && git commit -m b >/dev/null && git checkout -b o && printf 'y\n' > f && git commit -am o >/dev/null && git checkout main && printf 'z\n' > f && git commit -am m >/dev/null && git merge o || true; git merge --abort && git status --short

You will see:

(clean or empty short status)

What it means: git merge --abort returns you to pre-merge state when confused.

Example 12: Conflict card to memorize

Type this:

printf '%s\n' '1 see markers 2 edit truth 3 git add 4 git commit 5 git log --graph'

You will see:

1 see markers 2 edit truth 3 git add 4 git commit 5 git log --graph

What it means: Use this card on every Netflix-style service PR conflict.

Conflict card (memorize)

1. Read <<<<<<< ======= >>>>>>>
2. Edit the true lines (delete markers)
3. git add FILE
4. git commit (merge message)
5. git log --oneline --graph

Suppose: Infosys payment config

Two teams change the same timeout. Standup agrees 30s. Hand-edit, add, commit.

Suppose: TCS feature PR

You merged too early. git merge --abort, rebase or re-merge after talking.

Check yourself (quiz)

Markers → edit truth → add → commit → log --graph. Never leave UU files. Did you understand? Let us try it once more.