Visual Commit Graph

The commit graph is GitGUI's centerpiece — a visual representation of your entire Git history.

What You See

The commit graph displays:

• Commit dots — Each commit as a point on the graph
• Branch lines — Colored paths connecting related commits
• Branch labels — Names showing where branches point
• Merge points — Where branches come together
• HEAD indicator — Your current position

Graph Layout

┌────────┬─────────────────────────┬──────────┬─────────────┐
│ Graph  │ Commit Message          │ Author   │ Date/Time   │
├────────┼─────────────────────────┼──────────┼─────────────┤
│   ●    │ feat: add user auth     │ John     │ 2 hours ago │
│   │    │                         │          │             │
│   ●    │ fix: resolve timeout    │ Jane     │ 5 hours ago │
│  /│    │                         │          │             │
│ ● │    │ feat: new dashboard     │ John     │ Yesterday   │
│  \│    │                         │          │             │
│   ●    │ Initial commit          │ John     │ Last week   │
└────────┴─────────────────────────┴──────────┴─────────────┘

Color Coding

Each branch gets a distinct color:

• Lines of the same color belong to the same branch
• Merge commits show multiple colors converging
• The current branch is highlighted

Interacting with Commits

Single Click

Click a commit to:

• Open the commit details panel
• See all files changed in that commit
• View diffs for any file

Scroll for More

The graph loads commits incrementally:

• Initial load shows recent commits
• Scroll down to load older history
• "End of commit history" appears at the bottom

Uncommitted Changes

If you have uncommitted changes, they appear at the top:

• Shows count of staged and unstaged files
• Visually distinct from actual commits

Commit Details

When you click a commit, you see:

File List

• All files modified in the commit
• Status badges (M, A, D, R, C)
• Addition/deletion counts
• Toggle between list and folder view

Diff Viewer

• Click any file to see its changes
• Unified or split view
• Syntax highlighting
• Minimap navigation

Context Menu

Right-click a commit for options:

• Reset branch to this commit
• Copy commit hash
• View full details

Performance

GitGUI handles large repositories efficiently:

• Lazy loading — Only loads visible commits
• Virtual scrolling — Smooth scrolling through thousands of commits
• Incremental updates — Refreshes only what changed

Branch Visualization

Linear History

Simple projects show a straight line of commits.

Feature Branches

Branches appear as lines diverging and merging back.

Complex Histories

Even complicated merge patterns are rendered clearly with distinct colors.

Tips

Find a Commit

Click a branch in the sidebar to scroll to its latest commit.

Understand Merges

Follow the colored lines to see which branches were merged and when.

Track Authors

The author column helps identify who made each change.

Related

• Staging & Committing — Create new commits
• Branches & Merging — Work with branches
• Viewing Diffs — Understand file changes