How to handle Git merge strategies

Short answer

Git merge strategies determine how divergent histories are combined; use -s to specify one during a merge.

Steps

1. Recursive merge (default):

git merge feature

2. Ours strategy (keep current branch changes):

git merge -s ours old-feature

3. Resolve conflicts favoring one side:

git merge -X theirs feature

4. Octopus merge (multiple branches):

git merge branch1 branch2 branch3

Tips

• -X ours and -X theirs resolve conflicts automatically for each file.
• Ours strategy records a merge without taking any content from the other branch.
• Octopus is useful for combining multiple independent features at once.

Common issues

• Incorrect strategy choice can silently discard wanted changes.
• Octopus fails if there are conflicts between the merged branches.