git-for-each-ref

List all refs

$ git for-each-ref

$ git for-each-ref refs/heads

$ git for-each-ref refs/tags

$ git for-each-ref --format='%(refname:short) %(objectname:short)' refs/heads

$ git for-each-ref --sort=-committerdate refs/heads

$ git for-each-ref --count=[10] --sort=-committerdate refs/heads

git for-each-ref [options] [patterns...]

git for-each-ref is a plumbing command that outputs detailed information about Git references (branches, tags, remote branches) in a highly customizable format. It serves as the foundation for many higher-level Git commands and scripts that need to process repository references.
The format string syntax supports field extraction using %(fieldname) placeholders, with available fields including refname, objecttype, objectname, author, committer, and many others. Sorting capabilities enable ordering references by any field, with support for reverse sorting using a minus prefix.
This command is primarily used in scripts and Git aliases rather than direct user interaction. The filtering options (--merged, --no-merged, --points-at) provide powerful selection mechanisms for finding references matching specific criteria.

--format format

Output format string.

Sort by key.

Limit output count.

Show refs pointing to object.

Show refs merged into commit.

Show refs not merged.

git-branch(1), git-tag(1)