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Learn Git with GitKraken Desktop | Beginner Guide & Workflow

Last updated: January 2026

This Getting Started Guide introduces GitKraken Desktop with a basic workflow—cloning a repository, making changes, and merging them.

Learn Git with GitKraken

In this series, you’ll learn Git concepts and how to apply them using GitKraken Desktop.

Watch our Git tutorial series for beginners.

Explore how version control fits into a DevOps workflow by reading our DevOps Tools Report.

GitKraken Tutorials

Need help getting started with the product interface? Watch these video tutorials.

Video tutorials for using GitKraken Desktop.

Understanding Local Repositories

Most Git actions in GitKraken Desktop occur in the local repository, meaning changes are made on your machine.

Local branches are indicated in the graph with the icon.

Git is fast because all changes occur locally, not over a network. Even if a remote server fails, your team retains full copies of the project.

.git Folder

This folder contains all the metadata and commit history. If deleted, Git operations like switching branches or pulling remotes won’t work.

Working Directory

This is your active file state. When switching branches or pulling updates, Git modifies your working directory to match the current branch.

Learn more about Git repositories.

Example Workflow

Follow this workflow to make your first commit in GitKraken Desktop.

Create a Branch

Right-click main in the Commit Graph and choose Create branch here. Name it develop—a branch for ongoing development.

Right-clicking the main branch in GitKraken Desktop to create a new branch at a specific commit, reinforcing how Git branching can point to any commit. — Right-click main to create a new branch.

Modify a File

Edit README.md to reflect your project. You can open this file directly from the Commit Graph.

Clicking a file name in the GitKraken Desktop commit panel to open it for editing, illustrating how Git users can inspect or modify historical files directly from any commit. — Click a filename to access the Edit button.

Stage and Commit

After editing, select the //WIP node to view unstaged changes. Stage all with the green button.

Viewing unstaged file changes from the WIP node in GitKraken Desktop, illustrating how users can access and stage modified files directly from the commit graph for efficient commit preparation. — Click the WIP node to view and stage changes.

Then enter a commit message and click .

Learn more about staging and committing.

Merge to Main

When develop is ahead of main, you can merge:

Commit graph showing the develop branch with one additional commit compared to main, visualizing how GitKraken Desktop helps users understand branch divergence and progress at a glance. — Develop is ahead by 1 commit.

To merge, drag develop onto main in the graph and choose Merge.

Dragging the develop branch onto main in GitKraken Desktop to trigger merge options, illustrating how visual interactions simplify common Git operations like branch merges. — Drag develop onto main to merge branches.

Learn more in Branching and Merging.

Summary

This basic workflow sets the foundation for more advanced topics like pushing and pulling and GitFlow.

Watch how a commit is made using GitKraken Desktop:

Walkthrough of creating a commit in GitKraken Desktop.

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