GitFlow — What It Is and How to Use It
GitFlow is a popular branching model for Git that defines a clear structure for feature development, releases, and hotfixes.
It’s often used in DevOps and software teams to organize parallel development, testing, and deployment.
🧩 Core Idea
GitFlow defines specific branches for different stages of the software lifecycle.
Each branch has a clear purpose, which helps maintain stability in production while allowing parallel feature development.
🌿 Main Branches
| Branch | Purpose |
|---|---|
develop | Main branch for ongoing development. All new features are merged here. |
main / master | Contains only stable, production-ready code. |
feature/* | Used for developing individual features or improvements. |
release/* | Created before a release to prepare and test code before it goes live. |
hotfix/* | Used for urgent fixes to production after release. |
⚙️ Example Workflow
- Start a new feature
git checkout develop
git checkout -b feature/login-page
- Finish and merge the feature
git checkout develop
git merge feature/login-page
git branch -d feature/login-page
- Prepare a release
git checkout develop
git checkout -b release/1.2.0
- Fix production bug
git checkout main
git checkout -b hotfix/1.2.1
- Merge hotfix back into develop and main
git merge hotfix/1.2.1 develop
git merge hotfix/1.2.1 main
🧠 When to Use GitFlow
✅ Best for:
- Teams with formal release cycles
- Projects that require multiple environments (dev → staging → prod)
- Systems where stability of main is critical
🚫 Not ideal for:
- Continuous deployment environments
- Small teams or solo projects
- Projects with very frequent releases
🧭 Conclusion
GitFlow provides a structured way to manage development and releases.
It enforces discipline and clarity between feature work, releases, and urgent fixes.
However, many DevOps teams today prefer simpler models (like Trunk-Based Development or GitLab Flow) when they use CI/CD pipelines with frequent deployments.
💡 Pro Tip:
If you use GitFlow, automate merges and version tagging through CI/CD pipelines to avoid human error and keep branches in sync.