Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/mubshrx/git-snapshot/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
git-snapshot stores three types of changes separately: staged files, unstaged files, and untracked files. You can restore only specific types using selective restore flags.
Understanding the restore flags
git-snapshot provides three flags for selective restoration:
--staged-only - Restore only staged changes--unstaged-only - Restore only unstaged changes--untracked-only - Restore only untracked files
What gets saved in each category
When you create a snapshot, files are categorized based on their git status:
Staged files - Files or hunks you’ve added with git add
git add src/app.js # entire file staged
git add -p src/utils.js # specific hunks staged
# src/helper.js has changes but hasn't been added
.gitignore)
# src/new-feature.js exists but is not tracked
Use git-snapshot show <name> to see which files are in each category before restoring.
Restoring only staged changes
Use case: You want to restore the staging area without affecting your current working directory changes.
View snapshot contents
git-snapshot show before-refactor
Snapshot: before-refactor.a1b2c3d4
Hash: a1b2c3d4
Name: before-refactor
Repo: my-project
Branch: main
Commit: e5f6g7h8
Created: 2026-01-26 14:30:52
Staged files:
src/app.js
src/components/Header.js
Unstaged files:
src/utils.js
Untracked files:
src/new-helper.js
Restore only staged files
git-snapshot restore before-refactor --staged-only
- Restore
src/app.js and src/components/Header.js to staging
- Leave current working directory changes untouched
- Not restore
src/utils.js or src/new-helper.js
Example scenario
You’re preparing a commit with carefully selected changes, but accidentally unstage everything:
# You had staged specific files
git add src/app.js src/utils.js
# Create safety snapshot
git-snapshot staged-changes
# Accidentally reset
git reset HEAD
# Oh no! Everything is unstaged
# Restore just the staging area
git-snapshot restore staged-changes --staged-only
# Your staged files are back, current work untouched
Restoring only unstaged changes
Use case: You want to restore working directory modifications without affecting what’s staged.
Create snapshot with mixed changes
# Stage some files for commit
git add src/feature.js
# Have other unstaged changes
# (src/helper.js is modified but not staged)
git-snapshot mixed-state
Make more changes
# Continue working
# Modify src/helper.js further
# Realize you want the previous version
Restore only unstaged files
git-snapshot restore mixed-state --unstaged-only
- Restore
src/helper.js to its unstaged state from snapshot
- Keep
src/feature.js staged with current changes
- Preserve the staging area completely
Example scenario
You’re working on two separate concerns - one ready to commit (staged), one still experimental (unstaged):
# Bug fix is staged and ready
git add src/auth.js
# Experimental feature is unstaged
# (src/experimental.js has changes)
git-snapshot ready-to-commit
# Try different approach to experimental feature
# ... make changes to src/experimental.js ...
# Doesn't work, want to go back
git-snapshot restore ready-to-commit --unstaged-only
# Bug fix still staged, experimental changes reverted
Restoring only untracked files
Use case: You want to restore new files that were created but not yet tracked by git.
Work with new files
# Create new files
touch src/new-module.js
touch src/new-test.js
# Snapshot includes untracked files
git-snapshot with-new-files
Delete or modify new files
# Accidentally delete
rm src/new-module.js
# Or heavily modify src/new-test.js
# and want original back
Restore only untracked files
git-snapshot restore with-new-files --untracked-only
- Restore
src/new-module.js and src/new-test.js
- Not affect any tracked files (staged or unstaged)
Example scenario
You’re creating several new files as part of a feature, snapshot them, then accidentally delete one:
# Create new feature files
touch src/feature-a.js
touch src/feature-b.js
touch src/feature-c.js
git-snapshot new-feature-files
# Stage one of them
git add src/feature-a.js
# Accidentally delete another
rm src/feature-b.js
# Restore only untracked files
git-snapshot restore new-feature-files --untracked-only
# src/feature-b.js is back
# src/feature-a.js remains staged (not affected)
Combining with git commands
Selective restore works well with standard git operations:
# Restore staging, then amend commit
git-snapshot restore checkpoint --staged-only
git commit --amend
# Restore untracked files, then add them
git-snapshot restore checkpoint --untracked-only
git add src/new-files/
# Restore unstaged, then stage selectively
git-snapshot restore checkpoint --unstaged-only
git add -p src/
When to use selective restore
Use --staged-only when:
- You need to recover specific staging configurations
- You want to restore what was ready to commit
- You’re working on current changes but need the previous staging
Use --unstaged-only when:
- You want to revert working directory changes
- You need to recover in-progress modifications
- Your staging area should remain untouched
Use --untracked-only when:
- You need to recover deleted new files
- You want to restore original versions of new files
- Your tracked files (staged/unstaged) should remain unchanged
Use full restore (no flags) when:
- You want to restore everything to the exact snapshot state
- You’re switching between complete working states
- You want a complete “undo” to a specific checkpoint
Run git-snapshot show <name> before restoring to see exactly what files are in each category and make an informed decision about which restore flag to use.