---
topic: fetch
source_keys:
  - git-scm-fetch-docs
  - context7-git-htmldocs
---

# Fetching

Fetch **with no refspec** updates remote-tracking branches (`refs/remotes/<name>/*`) and leaves every local branch alone.

That safety comes from the default refspec, not from `fetch` itself. Give it an explicit one and it writes to local branches: verified on Git 2.39.5, `git fetch origin main:probe` fast-forwarded the local `probe` branch, and a `+` prefix force-updates the destination, discarding whatever commits it held. Treat any `fetch` carrying a `<src>:<dst>` refspec as a branch update, not a read.

- **One remote**: `git fetch <remote>` — all branches
- **One branch**: `git fetch <remote> <branch>` — the result lands in `FETCH_HEAD`, not a tracking ref
- **All remotes**: `git fetch --all`
- **Prune properly**: `git fetch --all --prune --prune-tags` cleans stale branches *and* tags
- **Auto-prune**: `git config --global fetch.prune true` (or `remote.<name>.prune` to scope it to one remote), and `fetch.pruneTags true` for tags

## Shallow and partial fetch

```bash
git fetch --depth=<n>             # deepen history, or create a shallow clone
git fetch --unshallow             # convert a shallow clone to full history
git fetch --update-shallow        # allow the fetch to update the shallow boundary
git fetch --refmap='' <remote> <branch>  # fetch without updating any tracking ref (FETCH_HEAD only)
```

## Default fetch refspec

The default is `+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/<name>/*`. The leading `+` forces the update — remote-tracking branches always mirror the remote exactly and offer no protection for local history.