Tips

Last updated: April 2025

Here’s the TLDR of the best features in GitKraken Desktop.

1. Set up Profiles

If you have personal projects you wish to separate from work repos–or if you need to connect to multiple instances of GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.–then set up Profiles.

Each profile stores different app preferences and Git config information, which makes it easier to switch context.

2. Use the Command Palette

Work like the pros, and use the Command Palette to quickly access GitKraken Desktop actions.

As you type, the Command Palette will find the most relevant commands, allowing you to perform many actions without clicking. Here are a few examples:

Core:

• Redo
• Undo

File:

• Create File + filename
• Delete File + filename
• Open File + filename
• View File + filename
• Edit File + filename
• Discard all changes
• Stage all changes
• Unstage all changes

3. Keyboard Shortcuts

For fast fingers, check out our keyboard shortcuts. These will help you blitz through the app.

4. Cherry Pick Multiple Commits

To cherry pick multiple commits, you can select multiple commits by holding down the Cmd/Ctrl or Shift key and clicking on the desired commits. Then, right-click on one of the selected commits and choose the “Cherry pick X commits” option.

From here, you can decide to reorder, squash, drop, or rename commits before completing the cherry pick. Learn more about Interactive Cherry Pick

6. Integrate with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps

GitKraken Desktop allows you to authenticate with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps (previously VSTS), which will help you find repos when cloning or adding your remotes.

Availability of integrations can vary based on your GitKraken subscription.

• Community plan users are limited to public repos only for GitHub.com, GitLab.com, and Bitbucket Cloud
• Azure DevOps Cloud integration requires a GitKraken subscription
• All Self-Hosted server integrations require an Advanced subscription tiers or higher

Benefits

• Create repositories on GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket/Azure DevOps including .gitignore and license
• Save authentication into profiles
• Clone from remote repo list
• Add remotes
• Create and view pull requests

7. Hide and Solo branches

Tailor the Commit Graph to display the branches you need. Hide branches temporarily, or solo 1 branch focus it in the app.

Hide

Hides the selected branch from the graph.

To hide a branch, mouse over that branch, and you will see the eye icon appear to the left of the branch name; click this to hide. Or perform this task by right-clicking the branch and selecting `Hide`.

Hidden branches will now have a gray eye icon. Clicking this will restore that repo to the graph.

Solo

Soloing a branch will hide all other branches which have not been soloed, showing only soloed branches.

To solo a branch, right-click the branch and select `Solo`. This initiates Solo Mode, with soloed branches highlighted in orange and with a solid orange icon to the left of the branch name.

Solo/unsolo additional branches by clicking on the semi-opaque icon to the left of that branch’s name.

Consider hiding/soloing entire remotes if you only need about two remotes, and then hiding everything else.

8. File History and File Blame

File History and File Blame information display in the same view.

To access either option, first click on a commit in the graph. Then right click a file to access File History or File Blame.

File History shows that file’s commit history on the left.

Use the top toggle button to switch between Diff View, which shows the selected commit’s changes to the file, and the File View, which shows the file’s state at that commit, including the blame info.

9. GitKraken Desktop Terminal

The GitKraken Desktop terminal is a fully-featured terminal emulator that allows you to run Git commands directly from the app.
Click the Terminal button in the toolbar.

To open the current repo folder in an external terminal, go to File Open Terminal or use the keyboard shortcuts opt + T (Mac) / alt + T (Windows + Linux).

You can set your default terminal from Preferences External Tools.

10. Resize the Graph

It’s simple, but easy to miss. Hover over any of the colored lines to drag and drop the graph.

Resize and marvel at the colors of the rainbow.