</>
bashadvanced

Git Subtree Workflow

Use git subtree to include external repositories as subdirectories without submodule complexity.

bash
# Add a remote for the sub-project
git remote add lib-remote https://github.com/org/lib.git

# Add subtree (imports full history)
git subtree add --prefix=vendor/lib lib-remote main --squash

# Pull latest changes from the sub-project
git subtree pull --prefix=vendor/lib lib-remote main --squash

# Push local changes back to the sub-project
git subtree push --prefix=vendor/lib lib-remote main

# Split subtree into its own branch (for extraction)
git subtree split --prefix=vendor/lib --branch=lib-split

# Then push the split to the sub-project repo
git push lib-remote lib-split:main

# Squash: collapses sub-project history into one commit
# Without --squash: preserves full commit history

# Subtree vs Submodule comparison:
# Subtree: code is part of your repo, no extra commands for clones
# Submodule: reference only, requires init/update after clone

# List all subtrees (no built-in command)
git log --oneline --grep="git-subtree-dir" | head

Use Cases

  • Including shared code without submodule complexity
  • Merging separate repos into a monorepo
  • Contributing upstream changes from a monorepo

Tags

#git#subtree#monorepo#collaboration

Related Snippets

Similar patterns you can reuse in the same workflow.

bashadvanced

Git Submodule Management

Add, update, and manage Git submodules for including external repositories in your project.

Best for: Including shared libraries across multiple repos

#git#submodules
bashintermediate

Git Patch Create and Apply Workflow

Generate and apply git patches to share changes via email or transfer between repositories.

Best for: Sharing changes without push access

#git#patch
bashadvanced

Git Sparse Checkout — Clone Only What You Need

Use sparse checkout to clone specific directories from large monorepos without downloading everything.

Best for: Working on a specific package in a monorepo

#git#sparse-checkout
bashadvanced

Git Submodules — Add, Update, and Pin

Manage repository dependencies with submodules: add, update, pin versions, and handle nested repos.

Best for: Sharing code libraries across multiple repos

#git#submodule