Git Edit Merge Commit Message

Sometimes, after merging branches in Git, you might want to edit the commit message of the merge. This could be due to various reasons, such as correcting a typo, adding more information about the merge, or simply making the commit message more descriptive.

To edit the commit message of a merge, you can use the git commit --amend command. This command allows you to modify the most recent commit, which in the case of a merge commit, is the merge itself.

Here are the steps to edit the merge commit message:

1. First, make sure you are on the branch containing the merge commit.

git checkout <branch-name>

2. Use the git log command to find the commit hash of the merge commit you want to edit.

git log

3. Once you have the commit hash, use the git commit --amend command followed by the -m flag and the updated commit message.

git commit --amend -m "Updated merge commit message"

4. Finally, push the updated commit to the remote repository using the git push --force command to overwrite the existing commit history.

git push --force

It's important to note that force pushing can be dangerous as it rewrites the Git history. Therefore, it's recommended to only do this if you are the only one working on the branch or if you have talked to your collaborators and agreed on the changes.

In summary, editing the merge commit message in Git can be as simple as using the git commit --amend command. However, always make sure to discuss with your collaborators and consider the impact of your changes before pushing to the remote repository.