Branch
In plain English
A branch is a named line of snapshots, so a new idea can grow beside the shared line.
Example
Main says the site is blue. Your branch tries a green header. Main stays blue until someone merges. You can switch branches the way you switch notebooks. The files in the folder change to match the notebook you opened. A branch can have many commits. The newest one is the tip of that branch.
Why it matters
If everyone saved onto one line, a half-finished page would be the page. A branch lets that work sit beside the shared line until a person says it belongs.
The name is the old tree metaphor: the trunk stays put, a branch sticks out, and later you can bring it back.
Updated October 1, 2026.