git mv

Definition

The git mv command moves or renames a file or directory that Git already tracks, and stages the change in a single step. It is a convenience wrapper: running it is equivalent to moving the file yourself, telling Git the old path is gone with git rm, and adding the new path with git add — all at once.

Renaming a file

To rename a tracked file, give the old name and the new name:

git mv old-name.txt new-name.txt

The file is renamed on disk and the change is already staged, ready to commit. A following git status shows a clean renamed: entry.

Moving a file into a directory

Give a directory as the destination to move a file without renaming it:

git mv styles.css assets/

You can move several files into a directory in one command, as long as the destination is an existing folder.

What git mv saves you

Without git mv, the same rename takes three manual steps:

mv old-name.txt new-name.txt
git rm old-name.txt
git add new-name.txt

git mv collapses these into one and guarantees the staging area stays consistent. Note that Git does not actually store renames — it detects them by comparing file contents when you run git log or git diff. git mv simply makes the working-tree change tidy and pre-staged.

Common options

When the destination exists

By default Git refuses to overwrite an existing file. If you intend to replace it, add the force flag:

git mv -f draft.md final.md

Use this carefully, since it discards whatever was at the destination.

Practice