What Is Git? How to Use It, Explained for Beginners (Try It in Your Browser)

Git is one of those names you hear constantly once you start programming, yet it is famously unclear what it actually does. This article explains what Git is, why it exists, and how to use it, assuming zero prior knowledge.

And because Git is a skill you learn with your hands, every command in this article can be tried in a safe environment right in your browser. Use the "try it now" links in each section. Nothing to install.

What Is Git?

Git is a version control system: a tool that records and manages the history of changes to your files.

It tracks when, who, where, and how files changed, and lets you return to any past state whenever you need. Think of it as save points in a video game, except you can create as many as you like, wherever you like.

Git is the standard across software development worldwide. Whether solo or in a team, almost nobody writes code without it.

Why Version Control Matters

Managing files without Git tends to look like this:

report_final.docx
report_final_v2.docx
report_final_v2_fixed.docx
report_final_v2_fixed_LATEST.docx

Which one is really the latest? What changed between them? You want to go back, but to which file?

Git solves this at the root. Your file stays a single file, while its history quietly accumulates behind the scenes. "Restore yesterday's state" and "show me the difference from last week" are always one command away.

There is also a newer reason: if you write code with AI, Git is close to mandatory. Letting AI overwrite your files repeatedly guarantees a moment of "this was working a minute ago". Commit save points as you go, and a working state is always within reach.

👉 Experience why version control matters, hands-on in your browser

Git vs. GitHub

They are often confused, but they are different things.

• Git: the version control tool that runs on your computer
• GitHub: a hosting service that stores Git-managed projects on the internet

Git is the save feature; GitHub is the cloud storage for your saves. Putting your project on GitHub means your code survives a broken laptop, and it is how collaboration happens.

How to Use Git: the Basics

Day-to-day Git is a loop of just a handful of commands. Here is the flow.

1. Create a repository: git init

git init

Run git init inside your project folder and that folder comes under Git's management (it becomes a repository). You do this once per project.

👉 Type git init for real

2. Check the state: git status

git status

Shows which files changed and what is queued for the next commit. When in doubt, run git status. It is the command you will type most.

👉 Practice checking your changes

3. Create a save point: git add and git commit

git add index.html
git commit -m "Create the landing page"

Saving in Git takes two steps. First git add selects which changes to include, then git commit records them, with a message describing what you did after -m.

This two-step design (staging) is the first hill to climb in understanding Git, but once it clicks, it becomes a powerful ability: you record exactly the changes you choose, nothing more. Your files travel through three areas:

👉 Practice the add and commit flow 👉 Understand the three areas with diagrams

4. View the history: git log

git log --oneline

Lists your commits (save points). Add --oneline for a compact one-line-per-commit view.

👉 Practice reading the history

5. Upload to GitHub: git push

git push origin main

Sends your local commits to GitHub (the remote repository). Your code is now backed up in the cloud and ready to share.

👉 Practice uploading to GitHub

Mistakes Can Be Undone

The real comfort of Git is that everything is recoverable.

• Broke an edit? Restore the last committed state.
• Added the wrong file? Unstage it.
• Committed too early? Undo the commit itself.

The feeling that "Git is scary" almost always comes from not knowing how to undo. Flip that around: once you know the undo operations, Git becomes a safety net that lets you experiment as boldly as you like.

👉 Practice the undo operations

How to Learn Git

Git needs both conceptual understanding and muscle memory. The recommended path is simple: manage one small project with Git while you build it. Cycling through the five commands in this article covers about 80% of daily Git work.

That said, experimenting on your own machine can feel risky. WebTerm Learn offers a free course where you learn Git from zero in a safe, browser-based Git environment, building a portfolio site as you go.

• Git Introduction: everything in this article, taught hands-on across six chapters. No setup, start right now
• Git Introduction Drills: repetition training to get the commands into your fingers

Start with the first lesson and type git init yourself. Reading about Git and typing Git are completely different levels of understanding.