---
topic: git-log-format
source_keys:
  - git-scm-log-docs
  - git-scm-diff-docs
---

## Named Format Presets (`--format` / `--pretty`)

| Name | Output |
|---|---|
| `oneline` | `<hash> <title>` |
| `short` | hash, author, title |
| `medium` | hash, author, date, full message (default) |
| `full` | adds committer |
| `fuller` | separate author/committer dates |
| `reference` | `<abbrev> (<title>, <date>)` — for use in commit messages |
| `email` | RFC 2822 email format |
| `raw` | full object as stored in the object database |
| `format:<str>` | custom template with placeholders |

## Custom Format Placeholders

**Commit identity:**

| Placeholder | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `%H` | full commit hash |
| `%h` | abbreviated commit hash |
| `%T` | tree hash |
| `%t` | abbreviated tree hash |
| `%P` | full parent hashes |
| `%p` | abbreviated parent hashes |

**Author:**

| Placeholder | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `%an` | author name |
| `%aN` | author name (mailmap-resolved) |
| `%ae` | author email |
| `%aE` | author email (mailmap-resolved) |
| `%ad` | author date (respects `--date=`) |
| `%ar` | author date, relative |
| `%at` | author date, UNIX timestamp |
| `%ai` | author date, ISO 8601-like |
| `%aI` | author date, strict ISO 8601 |
| `%as` | author date, short (YYYY-MM-DD) |

**Committer:**

| Placeholder | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `%cn` | committer name |
| `%ce` | committer email |
| `%cd` | committer date (respects `--date=`) |
| `%cr` | committer date, relative |
| `%ct` | committer date, UNIX timestamp |
| `%ci` | committer date, ISO 8601-like |
| `%cs` | committer date, short |

**Message:**

| Placeholder | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `%s` | subject (first line) |
| `%f` | sanitized subject (filename-safe) |
| `%b` | body (everything after blank line following subject) |
| `%B` | raw body (subject + body) |
| `%N` | commit notes |

**Refs and decorations:**

| Placeholder | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `%d` | ref names (like `--decorate`) |
| `%D` | ref names without surrounding parentheses |
| `%S` | ref name by which commit was reached (requires `--source`) |
| `%(decorate[:opts])` | custom decorated refs; options: `prefix=`, `suffix=`, `separator=`, `pointer=`, `tag=` |
| `%(describe[:opts])` | like `git describe`; options: `tags=`, `abbrev=`, `match=`, `exclude=` |

**GPG signature:**

| Placeholder | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `%G?` | status: `G`=good, `B`=bad, `U`=unknown, `X`=expired, `R`=revoked, `N`=no signature |
| `%GS` | signer name |
| `%GK` | signing key ID |

**Trailers:**
```text
%(trailers[:key=<k>][,only][,separator=<s>][,unfold][,keyonly][,valueonly])
```

**Formatting / color:**

| Placeholder | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `%n` | newline |
| `%%` | literal `%` |
| `%Cred` / `%Cgreen` / `%Cblue` / `%Creset` | terminal colors |
| `%C(<spec>)` | color per git-config spec |
| `%<(<n>[,trunc])` | right-pad field to width n |
| `%>(<n>)` | left-pad to width |

**Reflog** (requires `-g` / `--walk-reflogs`):

| Placeholder | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `%gD` | reflog selector (e.g. `refs/stash@{1}`) |
| `%gd` | shortened reflog selector |
| `%gs` | reflog subject |

## Pickaxe Search: -S and -G

**`-S<string>`** — finds commits where the **count** of `<string>` changed (i.e. the string was added or removed net). Does not match commits where the string merely appears in a diff hunk without a count change.

```bash
git log -S"my_function"
git log -S"my_function" --pickaxe-regex    # treat as POSIX ERE
git log -S"my_function" --pickaxe-all      # show all files in matching changesets
```

**`-G<regex>`** — finds commits where any added or removed **line** in the patch matches `<regex>`. Broader than `-S`: matches whenever the pattern appears in diff text regardless of count.

```bash
git log -G"frotz\(nitfol"
```

**Critical distinction:** given a diff that removes one occurrence of `foo` and adds one occurrence of `foo` (net change = 0):
- `-S"foo"` — does **not** match (count unchanged)
- `-G"foo"` — **matches** (pattern appears in patch text)

Binary files are searched by `-S`; ignored by `-G` unless `--text` is supplied.

## --diff-filter (full table)

Selects commits (in `git log`) or files (in `git diff`) by change type:

| Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `A` | Added |
| `C` | Copied |
| `D` | Deleted |
| `M` | Modified |
| `R` | Renamed |
| `T` | Type changed (regular file ↔ symlink ↔ submodule) |
| `U` | Unmerged (conflict) |
| `X` | Unknown (indicates a git bug) |
| `B` | Pairing broken |

Lowercase letters **exclude** that type:
```bash
git log --diff-filter=ad       # exclude added and deleted files
git log --diff-filter=M        # only show commits with modified files
```

`C` and `R` only appear when copy/rename detection is enabled (`-C`, `-M` flags or `diff.renames` config).

## -L — Line Range History (full syntax)

Traces the evolution of a specific range of lines or a named function through commits. Implies `--patch`.

```bash
git log -L 10,20:file.txt
git log -L /start_pattern/,/end_pattern/:file.txt
git log -L :myfunction:src/app.c
git log -L /init/,+15:config.py          # 15 lines after first match of /init/
```

Range formats:

| Format | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `<n>` | Absolute line number (1-based) |
| `/<regex>/` | First line matching regex from previous range end |
| `^/<regex>/` | First line matching regex from file start |
| `+<n>` / `-<n>` | Offset relative to `<start>` (end position only) |

Limitations: incompatible with `--raw`, `--numstat`, `--shortstat`, `--name-only`, `--name-status`, `--check`. Cannot use pathspec limiters alongside `-L`.

## Graph and Ancestry Filters

```bash
git log --first-parent            # at merges, follow only first parent (mainline evolution)
git log --merges                  # only merge commits (≥2 parents); equivalent to --min-parents=2
git log --no-merges               # only non-merge commits; equivalent to --max-parents=1
git log --ancestry-path D..M      # only commits actually on the path from D to M
git log --min-parents=<n>         # include only commits with ≥ n parents
git log --max-parents=<n>         # include only commits with ≤ n parents
```

`--ancestry-path` is significant: without it, `D..M` includes all commits reachable from M but not D — including side branches that merged into the path. With it, only commits directly between D and M are shown.

## git diff — Output Control

### --stat

```bash
git diff --stat                   # diffstat: file names + ± bar
git diff --stat=<width>,<name-width>,<count>
git diff --compact-summary        # alongside --stat: shows new/gone, +x/-x (executable), +l (symlink)
git diff --numstat                # machine-readable: <added>\t<deleted>\t<path>; - for binary
```

### --name-only / --name-status

```bash
git diff --name-only              # only filenames, one per line
git diff --name-status            # status letter + filename per line
```

`--name-status` uses the same status letters as `--diff-filter`.

### --word-diff

```bash
git diff --word-diff              # inline word-level diff with [-removed-] {+added+} markers
git diff --word-diff=color        # color only, no markers
git diff --word-diff=porcelain    # machine-readable: +/- prefixed lines, ~ for newlines
git diff --word-diff-regex=<re>   # define what counts as a "word"
```

### Whitespace Flags

| Flag | Effect |
|---|---|
| `-b` / `--ignore-space-change` | Treat any run of whitespace as equivalent; ignore trailing whitespace |
| `-w` / `--ignore-all-space` | Ignore all whitespace completely |
| `--ignore-space-at-eol` | Ignore whitespace at end-of-line only |
| `--ignore-blank-lines` | Ignore changes consisting entirely of blank lines |
| `-I<regex>` / `--ignore-matching-lines=<re>` | Ignore changes where all changed lines match regex |