What are some common Git workflows (e.g., Gitflow, GitHub Flow)?
Jun 21, 2025 am 12:04 AMCommon Git workflows include Gitflow, GitHub Flow and GitLab Flow, each suitable for different development scenarios. Gitflow is suitable for projects with planned release, and is structured management through main, develop, feature, release and hotfix branches; GitHub Flow takes a single main branch as the core, emphasizing continuous delivery, and is suitable for small teams or web applications that require frequent deployment; GitLab Flow increases environment awareness based on GitHub Flow, supports multi-environment deployment and uses tags to track production status. Each process has its own advantages and disadvantages, and should be adjusted according to the team size, project type and release frequency when choosing.
Git workflows are the backbone of collaborative development, and choosing the right one can make a big difference in how smoothly your team works together. There's no single “best” workflow — it really depends on your team size, project type, and release frequency. But there are a few widely-used ones that fit most scenarios pretty well.
Gitflow: Structured for planned releases
Gitflow is probably the most well-known branching model. It's ideal for projects with scheduled releases, like desktop apps or enterprise software where you want more control over what gets released when.
Here's how it works:
-
main
(ormaster
) always holds production-ready code -
develop
is the main branch for integration of features - Feature branches are created from
develop
and merged back into it - When preparing a release, you create a
release
branch fromdevelop
- Hotfixes go through a separate
hotfix
branch that merges into bothmain
anddevelop
This structure helps keep things organized, especially if you have multiple people working on different parts of the project. However, it can feel a bit heavy for teams doing continuous deployment or small-scale projects.
GitHub Flow: Simple and flexible for continuous delivery
If you're shipping updates frequently — say, every day or even multiple times a day — GitHub Flow might be a better fit. It's much simpler than Gitflow and focuss on keeping things deployable at all times.
The core idea is this:
- One main branch (
main
ormaster
) - Every new feature, bug fix, or change starts as a feature branch
- Once done, you open a pull request and get feedback
- After review and tests pass, you merge directly into the main branch
- Deployment happens automatically or manually after merger
It's lightweight and easy to follow, especially for smaller teams or web apps where fast iteration matters. The key here is that every merge to main should be deployable , so automation like CI/CD becomes essential.
GitLab Flow: Adds environment awareness to simple branching
GitLab Flow builds on the simplicity of GitHub Flow but adds a clearer path for handling environments and tracking upstream changes. It's useful if you have multiple environments (like staging and production) or need to manage deployments across different platforms.
A couple of key ideas:
- Use a single main branch (usually
main
ormaster
) - Create short-lived feature branches based on the main
- Instead of hotfix branches, you merge directly into main after testing
- You can track production state using tags or a separate
production
branch
One thing GitLab Flow emphasizes is aligning your branches with actual deployment stages. For example, once a feature is merged and deployed to staging, that's part of the flow. Then, once it hits production, you tag it accordingly.
Each workflow has its strengths. Gitflow gives you structure but can be complex. GitHub Flow keeps things lean and works well for fast-moving teams. GitLab Flow strikes a balance by adding just enough clarity around environments.
There's also Trunk-Based Development, which is gaining popularity again, especially in large teams doing CI/CD heavily. But for most small-to-medium teams, starting with GitHub Flow or GitLab Flow usually covers 90% of use cases.
So pick one that fits your team's rhythm, and don't be afraid to tweak it as needed.
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