How to Check Out a File from Another Branch in Git

Have you ever been working on a feature branch and realized you need a specific file from another branch, like main? Maybe you deleted a file by accident and want to restore it from the main branch, or perhaps you need a utility script from a colleague's feature branch.

Your first thought might be to stash your changes, check out the other branch, copy the file, switch back, and then apply your stash.

That works… but there's a much faster and more elegant way!

The git checkout Command for a Single File

You can use the git checkout command to pluck a single file from any other branch and bring it directly into your current working directory.

The command structure looks like this:

git checkout <branch-name> -- <path/to/file>

Let's break that down:

• git checkout: The command you're using.
• <branch-name>: The name of the branch where the file you want exists (e.g., main, develop, feature/new-login).
• --: This is a crucial separator. It tells Git that you're done with options and branch names, and what follows is a file path. This prevents confusion if you have a file with the same name as a branch.
• <path/to/file>: The exact path to the file you want to check out.

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A Practical Example

Imagine you are on a branch called feature/add-user-profile and you accidentally deleted the utils/helpers.js file. You know the file exists on the main branch and you want to restore it.

Instead of switching branches, you can simply run:

$ git checkout main -- utils/helpers.js

And just like that, the utils/helpers.js file from the main branch will appear in your working directory, ready to be staged and committed. It's that simple!

Checking Out a File from a Specific Commit

You can take this even further. What if you don't want the latest version of the file, but a version from a specific commit? No problem! Just replace the branch name with the commit hash:

# You can find the commit hash using 'git log'
$ git log
commit a1b2c3d4e5f6a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d6e7f8a9b0
Author: Your Name <you@example.com>
Date:   Tue Jul 1 10:00:00 2025 +0200

    Add amazing new feature

# Now, check out the file from that specific commit
$ git checkout a1b2c3d4 -- utils/helpers.js

This powerful feature allows you to restore any file to any state it has ever been in throughout your project's history.

Final Thoughts

Using git checkout to grab a single file is a fantastic tool to have in your Git toolbox. It saves you time and context-switching, allowing you to stay focused on your current branch while easily pulling in files from elsewhere in your repository.

It's a safe, efficient, and precise way to manage your files across different branches and commits.