Version Control with Git Explained — Clone, Branch, Commit, Merge

Version Control with Git

1 min readPublished 22 Jul 2026

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Version control tracks every change to code (and config), lets teams collaborate safely and lets you undo mistakes. Git is the industry standard.

Interactive explainer

Git Workflow

Version control every technical team relies on.

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1. Clone / init

Get a repo.

A repository is a project tracked by Git. Clone an existing repo from GitHub/GitLab, or init a new one locally, to start tracking changes.

Check your understanding

1. What is a pull request?

2. What is the difference between Git and GitHub?

Keep learning

Version Control (Git)Automation AWS / Azure DevOps

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The core workflow

Repository — a project tracked by Git, hosted on GitHub/GitLab/Azure DevOps.
Clone / commit — copy a repo, then save snapshots of your changes with a message.
Branch / merge — work on a feature branch without breaking the main code, then merge it back.
Pull request (PR) — propose changes for review before they're merged — the heart of team collaboration and quality.

Git underpins modern automation and DevOps (CI/CD pipelines run from Git). Essential for any technical role.

Interview Intelligence

How this topic actually shows up in interviews — and how to demonstrate you understand it.

Why employers ask about this

Git is a baseline expectation on any technical team; not knowing it stands out negatively.

Technical questions

Explain the basic Git workflow.+

Clone, make changes, commit with a message, push a branch, open a pull request for review, then merge.

Behavioural questions

Describe collaborating on shared work.+

Show using branches and reviews to contribute without breaking others' work.

Real-world scenarios

“You need to try a risky change without breaking main.”+

Expected answer: Create a feature branch, work there, and open a pull request so it's reviewed before merging.

Practise in AI Interview™Rehearse these questions, scored.Plan with Career Coach™A personalised path to your goal.Evidence it in Career Passport™Prove this skill to employers.

Employability Intelligence

Where this knowledge takes you — the jobs, skills and certifications it feeds into.

Relevant roles

DevOps EngineerCloud EngineerSoftware Developer

Skills you're proving

GitBranchingCollaboration

Recommended certifications

Microsoft PL-900 / AZ-204AWS Developer Associate

Career progression

Programming Fundamentals → DevOps/cloud/developer roles.

What employers expect

That you can read, write and debug code/scripts and automate repetitive work.

Frequently asked questions

What is Git?

A distributed version control system that tracks changes to code and enables safe team collaboration.

What is the difference between Git and GitHub?

Git is the version control tool; GitHub (or GitLab/Azure DevOps) is a hosting platform for Git repositories.

What is a pull request?

A proposal to merge changes from one branch into another, allowing review and discussion first.

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Missiora is an AI Employability Intelligence platform. Our resources are researched and reviewed by the Missiora team to help you measure, improve and prove your career readiness.