Git Explained: Commits, Pushes, and Why You Need Them

Git = Game Save Points

You know how you save before a boss fight? If you die, you restart from the save point.

Git is exactly that. Save points for your code.

“I changed something and everything broke” → With Git, you revert in 3 seconds.

4 Concepts. That’s All.

1. Repository (Repo)

Your project folder. When you tell Git “track this folder,” it becomes a repository.

2. Commit

Creating a save point. “Everything works, let me save this.”

git add .
git commit -m "Login page complete"

The message after -m is your save file name. “Login page complete”, “Fixed bug”, “Changed colors” — describe what you did.

3. Push

Uploading your local save to the internet (GitHub).

git push

Why? Two reasons:

Backup: If your laptop dies, your code survives
Portfolio: Others can see what you’ve built

4. Pull

The reverse — downloading the latest code from the internet to your computer.

git pull

Hands-On: From Zero

Step 1: Install Git

git-scm.com → download → install with all defaults.

Step 2: Create a GitHub Account

github.com → sign up. Free.

GitHub is cloud storage for Git-managed code. Think of it as Instagram for developers — a place to showcase what you’ve built.

Step 3: Your First Commit

In the terminal:

git init                        # Start tracking this folder
git add .                       # Add all files to the save list
git commit -m "First save"      # Save!

Step 4: Push to GitHub

git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/yourproject.git
git push -u origin main

You don’t need to memorize this. Tell Claude Code “push this to GitHub” and it handles everything.

With Claude Code, It’s Even Easier

You: "Push everything to GitHub"
Claude: (auto commits → pushes → done)
You: "Undo my last change"
Claude: (reverts to previous commit)

Common Mistakes

“git push isn’t working!” → 99% of the time you’re not logged into GitHub. Authenticate once, then it’s automatic.

“Something’s messed up…” → Don’t panic. Run git status to see what’s going on. Show the output to your AI and it’ll fix it.

Remember this: Git is your safety net. The more often you commit, the safer you are.

Next: How to put your app on the internet so anyone can access it.