/git:conflicts

Resolve merge conflicts using modern git features.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when... Use git-ops agent instead when...

Merge or rebase produced conflicts Complex multi-branch cherry-pick across many commits

PR shows "can't merge" / "fix conflicts" Conflicts require deep business logic understanding

Config files (JSON, YAML, lockfiles) diverged Interactive rebase with squash/fixup needed

Need to accept one side wholesale (--ours /--theirs ) Architectural redesign spanning many files

Context

• Current branch: !git branch --show-current

• Git status: !git status --porcelain=v2 --branch

• Merge state: !find .git -maxdepth 1 -name 'MERGE_HEAD' -o -name 'REBASE_HEAD' -o -name 'rebase-merge' -o -name 'rebase-apply'

• Conflicted files: !git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

• Conflict style: !git config merge.conflictStyle

• Rerere enabled: !git config rerere.enabled

• Git version: !git version

Parameters

Parse these from $ARGUMENTS :

• $1 : File path (resolve single file) OR PR number (fetch and merge base branch)

• --ours : Accept current branch version for all conflicts

• --theirs : Accept incoming branch version for all conflicts

• --push : Push after resolution is committed

Execution

Execute this conflict resolution workflow:

Step 1: Assess the situation

• Check context for existing merge/rebase state (MERGE_HEAD , REBASE_HEAD , rebase-merge , rebase-apply )

• If PR number provided and no active merge state:

• Get PR details: gh pr view <number> --json headRefName,baseRefName,mergeable

• Fetch base: git fetch origin <base-branch>

• Start merge: git merge origin/<base-branch>

• If merge succeeds cleanly, report "No conflicts" and exit

• List conflicted files: git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

• If no conflicted files found, report current status and exit

Step 2: Configure zdiff3 (if not set)

Check the conflict style from context. If merge.conflictStyle is not zdiff3 :

• Set for this repo: git config merge.conflictStyle zdiff3

• Re-checkout conflicted files with zdiff3 markers: git checkout --conflict=zdiff3 -- <file> for each conflicted file

• Enable rerere if not already: git config rerere.enabled true

• Enable rerere autoupdate: git config rerere.autoupdate true (auto-stages files resolved by rerere)

This gives three-way conflict markers with the common ancestor, compacted by removing shared lines at conflict boundaries. Much easier to resolve than the default two-way markers.

Step 3: Resolve conflicts

If --ours flag: Accept current branch for all conflicted files:

git restore --ours -- <file> # for each file git add <file>

If --theirs flag: Accept incoming branch for all conflicted files:

git restore --theirs -- <file> # for each file git add <file>

Otherwise, resolve each file intelligently:

For each file from git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U :

• Read the file — with zdiff3, conflict markers look like: <<<<<<< HEAD (current branch changes) ||||||| (common ancestor) (what the code looked like before both changes) ======= (incoming changes)

branch-name

• The ||||||| section (common ancestor) shows what both sides started from — use it to understand intent

• Apply resolution strategy by file type:

File Type Strategy

package.json , plugin.json

Merge objects/arrays, take higher versions

YAML config Merge keys from both sides

CHANGELOG.md

Include entries from both sides in chronological order

README.md , docs Include content from both sides

Source code Integrate both changes preserving logic of each

Lock files (bun.lock , package-lock.json ) Delete and regenerate after resolving other files

.release-please-manifest.json

Take higher version numbers

• Edit the file to remove ALL conflict markers (<<<<<<< , ||||||| , ======= , >>>>>>> ) and combine changes

• Stage: git add <file>

Important ours/theirs note for rebases: During git rebase , the meaning of ours/theirs is swapped — --ours refers to the branch being rebased onto (usually main), --theirs refers to your feature branch commits.

Step 4: Verify and complete

• Check no conflict markers remain: search all resolved files for <<<<<<<

• Check git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U returns empty (no remaining unmerged paths)

• Check if rerere recorded anything: git rerere status

• Complete the operation:

• If merging: git commit --no-edit

• If rebasing: git rebase --continue

• If --push flag: git push origin $(git branch --show-current)

Step 5: Report results

Summarize what was resolved:

• List each file and how it was resolved (merged both sides, accepted ours/theirs, regenerated)

• Note if rerere recorded new resolutions for future reuse

• If PR number was provided, optionally comment: gh pr comment <number> --body "Merge conflicts resolved."

Conflict Resolution Patterns

JSON Files

• Merge array entries from both sides, deduplicate

• For version fields, take the higher version

• For object properties, include properties from both sides

• Validate JSON after resolution

Markdown Files

• Include content from both sides

• Maintain chronological order for changelogs

• Include table rows from both sides

Source Code

• Use the common ancestor (zdiff3 ||||||| section) to understand what both sides changed

• Integrate both modifications preserving the intent of each

• If same line changed incompatibly, prefer the PR branch change and note in commit message

Squash Merge Pitfall

If the same conflicts keep recurring, the likely cause is squash merges. Squash-merging breaks the common ancestry chain, so stacked or sibling branches lose their merge base. Rerere mitigates this by replaying recorded resolutions, but the root fix is to avoid squash merges on branches with dependents.

When to Abort

Abort with git merge --abort or git rebase --abort if:

• Conflicts span many files with incompatible architectural changes

• Resolution requires understanding business requirements you don't have context for

• Lock files are the only conflicts (delete, regenerate, commit)

Quick Reference

Task Command

List conflicted files git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

Re-checkout with zdiff3 git checkout --conflict=zdiff3 -- <file>

Accept current branch git restore --ours -- <file>

Accept incoming branch git restore --theirs -- <file>

Recreate conflict markers git checkout -m -- <file>

Check rerere status git rerere status

View rerere diff git rerere diff

Forget bad resolution git rerere forget <file>

Abort merge git merge --abort

Abort rebase git rebase --abort

Continue rebase git rebase --continue

Agentic Optimizations

Context Command

List conflicts git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

Conflict count git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U | wc -l

Full conflict diff git diff --diff-filter=U

PR mergeable state gh pr view N --json mergeable

Check markers remain grep -rn '<<<<<<<' <files>

Porcelain status git status --porcelain=v2

Detect merge/rebase state test -f .git/MERGE_HEAD && echo merge || test -d .git/rebase-merge && echo rebase