What is HEAD in Git?

HEAD in Git is a pointer to the current place in the commit history, that is, to the commit you are currently working with.

Simply put: HEAD shows "where you currently are" in the repository.

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#What exactly HEAD points to

In a normal situation:

• HEAD points to the current branch
• the branch points to the last commit
• so HEAD indirectly points to the last commit of that branch

The chain looks like this:

HEAD → main → last commit

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#Understanding it with an example

If you are on the main branch and make a new commit:

• the commit is added to the end of the branch
• the main branch moves forward
• HEAD stays on the main branch

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#Detached HEAD

Sometimes HEAD can point not to a branch, but directly to a commit. This is called detached HEAD.

For example:

In this case:

HEAD → commit a1b2c3d

Important for an interview:

• commits made in detached HEAD do not belong to a branch
• if you do not create a branch, they can easily be lost

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#Why HEAD is needed at all

HEAD is needed so that Git knows:

• which state to take files from
• where to add new commits
• which version of the project to show in the working directory

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#How to see HEAD

Shows the current branch (so that is where HEAD points).

Shows where HEAD and the branches are in the history.

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#A frequent candidate mistake

Wrong: "HEAD is the last commit" Correct: HEAD is a pointer that usually points to the last commit of the current branch, but not always.