# Efficient Ways to Check Your Current Git Branch in the Terminal

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## Github branch

In Git, a branch is a lightweight movable pointer to a commit. It is essentially a label that points to a specific commit in the Git repository's commit history.

When you create a new branch, it allows you to diverge from the main line of development and make changes without affecting the main branch.

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### Git status

When you run `git status`, Git displays the name of the current branch in the output.

```ruby
git status
```

Look for the line that says "On branch <branch\_name>".

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1715192958696/2bea0372-5fac-498a-b41c-e3acd95b5f72.png align="center")

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### Git branch

Running `git branch` will list all local branches, with the current branch highlighted with an asterisk (`*`).

```ruby
git branch
```

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1715633217173/add4fba0-03fb-4b32-9d90-62d1479aea75.png align="center")

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### Show current

When using the `git branch --show-current` command, you directly display the name of the current branch.

```ruby
git branch --show-current
```

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1715633300304/e6e3f52d-015a-4c1b-95d6-bf386710812b.png align="center")

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## **Done**

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### Conclusion

By following these steps, you can easily visualize your current git branch.

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### **Celebrate**

![The It Crowd Birthday GIFs | Tenor](https://media.tenor.com/kDyYq4PQuIgAAAAC/clapping-it-crowd.gif align="left")

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### **Reach me out**

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### Final thoughts

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