Dividing a Git Commit

Published: 2026-08-12

The process of splitting a git commit has become remarkably straightforward. Instead of wrestling with complex rebase sequences, you can now simply utilize the following command:

git history split ${REF}

The Workflow

The operation follows a logical progression where one large commit is decomposed into two smaller ones: $\text{Commit}_{\text{original}} \rightarrow \text{Commit}_{1} + \text{Commit}_{2}$

The step-by-step process is as follows:

• The system prompts you hunk by hunk to select the specific changes to include in the initial commit.
• An editor opens to allow you to write the message for the first commit.
• An editor opens again for the second commit's message.

It truly couldn't be more intuitive.

Visualizing the Split

Implementation Example

To execute this, run the command in your terminal:

git history split HEAD~1

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A Note on Community Knowledge

P.S. If you look at Stack Overflow, the primary discussion on splitting commits still promotes the old and cumbersome approach.

There is a stark contrast between the popularity of an answer and its actual utility, as shown below:

It is a shame that the most efficient method remains largely ignored in favor of the legacy workflow.