/git-workflow

Branch Naming Convention

Use consistent, descriptive branch names that indicate the type and purpose of the work.

Bad Example

# Vague or meaningless names
git checkout -b fix
git checkout -b update
git checkout -b johns-branch
git checkout -b test123

# Inconsistent formats
git checkout -b Feature_Login
git checkout -b fix-auth
git checkout -b ISSUE-456
git checkout -b add_new_stuff

# Too long or including unnecessary info
git checkout -b feature/add-the-new-user-authentication-system-with-oauth-and-jwt-support-for-the-mobile-app

# Spaces or special characters
git checkout -b "my feature"
git checkout -b feature@login

Good Example

# Type prefix with descriptive slug
git checkout -b feature/user-authentication
git checkout -b fix/login-timeout
git checkout -b hotfix/security-patch
git checkout -b refactor/database-layer

# Include ticket/issue number
git checkout -b feature/AUTH-123-oauth-integration
git checkout -b fix/BUG-456-null-pointer
git checkout -b feature/GH-789-dark-mode

# Short but descriptive
git checkout -b docs/api-reference
git checkout -b test/payment-integration
git checkout -b chore/upgrade-dependencies

# Release and environment branches
git checkout -b release/v2.1.0
git checkout -b hotfix/v2.0.1

Why

Consistent branch naming provides many benefits:

1. Quick Identification: Instantly understand the purpose of any branch
2. Automation Ready: CI/CD can trigger different workflows based on branch prefixes
3. Filtering: Easily list branches by type (git branch --list 'feature/*')
4. Issue Tracking: Link branches to tickets for traceability
5. Clean History: Merge commits reference meaningful branch names

Recommended prefixes:

• feature/ - New features or enhancements
• fix/ - Bug fixes
• hotfix/ - Urgent production fixes
• refactor/ - Code restructuring
• docs/ - Documentation updates
• test/ - Test additions or fixes
• chore/ - Maintenance tasks
• release/ - Release preparation

Naming guidelines:

• Use lowercase letters
• Separate words with hyphens (kebab-case)
• Keep names concise but meaningful
• Include issue/ticket numbers when applicable
• Avoid personal identifiers (use ticket IDs instead)