git add

The "add" command marks changes to be included in the next commit.

It adds changes to Git's "Staging Area", the contents of which can then be wrapped up in a new revision with the "git commit" command.

Important Options

<file-path>

Specifies the files you want to add to the Staging Area. Note that you can both enter multiple file paths as well as paths to directories (the latter will then add all modifications in this directory to the Staging Area).

--all

Adds all modifications to the Staging Area. This includes changed files, deleted files, and new files - anywhere inside the project directory.

-u

Adds all changes to existing files to the Staging Area. This includes changed files and deleted files - but not new files that aren't currently tracked by Git.

Usage Examples

You can provide one or multiple paths and thereby add changes in these files to the Staging Area:

git add index.html error.html

These changes will then be part of the next commit.

In case you want all current modifications in your project to be added to the Staging Area (including deletions and new files), you can simply use "--all" or "-A":

git add --all

Learn More

• Check out the chapter Working on Your Project in our free online book
• Find the full command description in the Git documentation
• More frequently asked questions about Git & version control