Tip
Also called branch tip.
In plain English
A branchA branch is a named line of snapshots, so a new idea can grow beside the shared line. tip is the commitA commit records a project state in Git, plus history information such as the parent commit, the author, and a message. a branch currently points to. New commits move the tip forward; saving a file without committing does not.
Example
You edit and save a heading three times, then make one commitA commit records a project state in Git, plus history information such as the parent commit, the author, and a message.. The branchA branch is a named line of snapshots, so a new idea can grow beside the shared line. moved forward by one commit. The three file saves did not create three GitGit is a version-control tool that records changes to files and helps people combine work over time. checkpoints.
Why it matters
GitGit is a version-control tool that records changes to files and helps people combine work over time. calls the commitA commit records a project state in Git, plus history information such as the parent commit, the author, and a message. at the end of a branchA branch is a named line of snapshots, so a new idea can grow beside the shared line. its tip. The branch name is a reference that points at that commit. When you make a new commit on the branch, the reference moves and the new commit becomes the tip.
In everyday project talk, asking for the tip means asking which recorded commitA commit records a project state in Git, plus history information such as the parent commit, the author, and a message. the branchA branch is a named line of snapshots, so a new idea can grow beside the shared line. points to right now. A commit idA SHA is the identifier Git gives one commit, so people can name that exact recorded snapshot. answers that. It does not show uncommitted work, and it does not say which version a website is serving.
Common confusion
The tip is a recorded commitA commit records a project state in Git, plus history information such as the parent commit, the author, and a message., not an unsaved draftA draft is work that is not finalized yet. and not a deployTo deploy is to make a version of software available where it can run or be served, such as a preview, a test system, or production.. Rebasing or resetting can move a branchA branch is a named line of snapshots, so a new idea can grow beside the shared line. reference in other ways, so the tip is not always the last commit you remember making.
Sources
Updated October 1, 2026.