For the complete Netlify documentation index, see llms.txt. Markdown versions of this page are available by appending .md to the URL. Version control is a way of tracking changes to your project over time. Think of it like a detailed undo history — every change is saved, nothing is ever lost, and you can go back to any earlier version at any point.
What is Git?
Section titled “What is Git?”Git is the most widely used version control tool. When your project uses Git, every change you save (called a commit) is recorded with a description of what changed and when.
You don’t need to use Git to publish a project on Netlify. If you built your project with an AI tool and downloaded the files, you can publish instantly using Netlify Drop — no Git required.
What is GitHub (and why does Netlify use it)?
Section titled “What is GitHub (and why does Netlify use it)?”GitHub is a website where you can store your Git project online. Connecting your project to GitHub unlocks Netlify’s most powerful features:
- Automatic deploys — every time you save a change to your project, Netlify automatically rebuilds and republishes your site.
- Deploy Previews — every proposed change gets its own preview URL before it goes live.
- History and rollbacks — your full project history lives in one place.
GitLab and Bitbucket work the same way if you prefer those.
Do you need it?
Section titled “Do you need it?”Not to get started. But if you’re planning to keep building and improving your project over time, connecting it to a Git repository makes that process much smoother.
Learn more
Section titled “Learn more”Did you find this doc useful?
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