How to Remove a File from Git with git rm

The git rm command removes a file from the Git repository and, by default, also deletes it from the filesystem. To remove a file from both, run git rm . To stop tracking a file without deleting it from disk — for example, to add it to .gitignore after accidentally committing it — use git rm --cached . To remove an entire directory recursively, add the -r flag: git rm -r . Before removing many files at once using a glob pattern, use git rm --dry-run to preview which files would be affected without actually deleting anything. After running git rm, stage and commit the removal as you would any other change.

Git FAQ

Frequently asked questions around Git and Version Control.

How to Remove a File from a Git Repository (with git rm)

The git rm command removes a file from the Git repository. Unlike simply deleting a file in your editor or file browser — which only removes it from the filesystem — git rm also stages the removal so it's included in your next commit.

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Remove a File from the Repository and Filesystem

To delete a file from both the Git repository and the disk:

$ git rm file1.txt

Stop Tracking a File Without Deleting It

Use --cached to remove a file from Git's tracking while keeping it on your filesystem. This is useful when you accidentally committed a file you now want to add to .gitignore:

$ git rm --cached file2.txt

Remove a Directory Recursively

Add -r to remove a folder and all its contents:

$ git rm -r old-directory/

Preview Before Removing

When removing multiple files with a glob pattern, use --dry-run (or -n) to see what would be deleted without actually doing it:

$ git rm css/* --dry-run
rm 'css/about.css'
rm 'css/general.css'

Tip

Removing Files in Tower

In case you are using the Tower Git client, removing files is very easy: select the "Move to Trash" option and Tower will automatically mark the file as "deleted" in Git. And if you change your mind, hit CMD+Z (or CTRL+Z on Windows) to restore the file!

In Tower, you can use this keyboard shortcut to effortlessly undo almost any action in Git, making it easy to revert changes.

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