git-grep

Search for a string in files in the current HEAD

$ git grep "[search_string]"

$ git grep "[search_string]" -- "[*.ext]"

$ git grep --recurse-submodules "[search_string]"

$ git grep "[search_string]" [HEAD~2]

$ git grep "[search_string]" $(git rev-list --all)

git grep [options] <pattern> [<pathspec>…]

-i, --ignore-case
    Ignore case distinctions in pattern and files.

-v, --invert-match
    Select non-matching lines.

-n, --line-number
    Prefix output with line numbers.

-l, --files-with-matches
    Only show filenames with matches.

-L, --files-without-match
    Only show filenames without matches.

-c, --count
    Show count of matching lines per file.

-q, --quiet
    Suppress all output; exit with status.

--cached
    Search files in the index instead of worktree.

--no-index
    Search files in directory tree, ignoring Git.

-a, --text
    Process binary files as text.

-F, --fixed-strings
    Interpret pattern as fixed string.

-P, --perl-regexp
    Use Perl-compatible regex.

-e pattern
    Specify pattern explicitly.

--all-match
    All paths must match all patterns.

-O file
    Open matching files in pager/editor.

--break
    Add breaks between results per file.

-A num, --after-context
    Show num lines after match.

-B num, --before-context
    Show num lines before match.

-C num, --context
    Show num lines before/after match.

git grep is a powerful search tool built into Git for finding patterns in tracked files within a repository. It leverages Git's index and object database for speed, making it far more efficient than plain grep on large repositories.

Unlike standard grep, which scans the filesystem sequentially, git grep can search the Git index (--cached), the working tree, or both simultaneously. It automatically skips untracked files and respects .gitignore patterns unless overridden. Supports full grep-style regex (PCRE with -P), fixed strings (-F), context lines (-A, -B, -C), and Git-specific features like searching across submodules or limiting depth.

Output includes filename, line number, and matching line by default, with options to suppress details (-q, -l). Ideal for code review, debugging, or locating strings in version-controlled projects. Use pathspecs to narrow scope, e.g., git grep pattern *.py.

Skips untracked files and binaries by default; use --no-index or -a to override. Limited to repository contents unless --no-index. Not for searching commit history (use git log -G).

0 if matches found, 1 if none, 2 on error.

Supports Git pathspecs like **:*.c for recursive globbing.

Introduced in Git 1.0.13 (February 2006) as a Perl script (git-grep.pl), rewritten in C by 2007 for performance. Evolved with Git, adding PCRE support (v1.9, 2014) and submodule recursion.

grep(1), git-log(1), ripgrep(1)