How to Safely Undo a Pushed Git Commit: 4 Proven Methods

1. Basic manual operation (not recommended)

Manually compare the erroneous commit with the target commit using the IDE’s Compare Versions feature, delete the unwanted changes, and commit the result. This works for simple code but becomes cumbersome for complex changes or many files.

2. git revert commit (recommended)

Right‑click the erroneous commit in the history view and choose Revert . Git automatically creates a new revert commit that undoes the changes introduced by the selected commit. Push the revert commit to the remote repository to complete the rollback. This method is safe because it preserves a clear history, but it can only revert one push at a time; multiple reverts generate many extra commits.

3. Create a new branch (recommended for many reversions)

When you need to roll back many commits, create a new branch from the commit you want to return to (right‑click the target commit → New Branch ). Continue development on the new branch, leaving the original history untouched. This approach keeps the original commits while giving you a clean starting point, though it can increase branch‑management complexity.

4. Reset current branch to a specific commit (use with caution)

Use git reset with one of the following options:

Soft : Keeps the working directory and index unchanged; only the HEAD moves.

Mixed : Resets the index but leaves the working directory untouched.

Hard : Discards all changes and resets both the index and working directory to the selected commit.

Keep : Similar to hard, but preserves uncommitted local changes.

After selecting the desired option (the example uses hard ), force‑push the branch to overwrite the remote history ( Force Push ). Note that protected branches may reject force pushes, so ensure the branch is not protected before proceeding.

Finally, keep documentation, emails, and chat records of handovers as evidence in professional environments to avoid misunderstandings.