Undo a git rm and get the file back

Does this match your situation?

• You ran git rm and want the file back.
• git rm -r removed a whole directory you needed.
• You committed the deletion and now need to reverse it.

Step-by-step fix

1. Not committed yet? Restore from HEAD

   git rm stages a deletion and removes the file from disk. Restoring both the index entry and the working file undoes both halves in one command.

   step 1Copy

   git restore --staged --worktree path/to/file
   
   # classic equivalent:
   git reset HEAD path/to/file
   git checkout -- path/to/file
   

2. Undo a whole directory removal

   The same command works on a directory, or on everything at once if the removal was broad.

   step 2Copy

   git restore --staged --worktree src/
   
   # undo the entire staged removal:
   git restore --staged --worktree .
   

3. Already committed the deletion?

   The file still exists in the parent commit, so pull it back from there. This creates a normal modification you can commit.

   step 3Copy

   git restore --source=HEAD~1 -- path/to/file
   git add path/to/file
   git commit -m "Restore accidentally deleted file"
   

4. Don't know which commit removed it?

   Search all of history for the deleting commit, then restore from its parent using the caret.

   step 4Copy

   git log --all --full-history --diff-filter=D -- "**/YourFile.cs"
   git restore --source=a1b2c3d^ -- src/YourFile.cs
   

5. If you used --cached, the file is still on disk

   git rm --cached only untracks — your local copy was never deleted. Re-add it if untracking was the mistake.

   step 5Copy

   git add path/to/file
   

Why this works

git rm does two separate things: it stages a deletion in the index and it removes the file from your working directory. The content itself is untouched in the object database, because it's part of every commit that already contained it. So 'undoing' the removal is simply asking Git to write that content back — from HEAD if you haven't committed, or from the parent commit if you have. Nothing is ever recovered from thin air; it was always still there.

How to stop it happening again

• Run git rm -n (dry run) first when removing more than one file.
• Use --cached when you only want to untrack, not delete.
• Commit before any bulk deletion so a single reset undoes it.

Commands used in this guide

Frequently asked questions