How to fix warning: path 'file.txt' is unmerged in Git

First, identify all files in the unmerged state:

git status

Example output showing unmerged files:

On branch main
You have unmerged paths.
  (fix conflicts and run "git commit")
  (use "git merge --abort" to abort the merge)

Unmerged paths:
  (use "git add <file>..." to mark resolution)
	both modified:   file.txt
	both modified:   src/config.js

You can also list only unmerged files:

git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U

This shows you exactly which files need attention before you can proceed.

Open the conflicted file and look for conflict markers:

# View the file content
cat file.txt

# Or use git diff to see the conflicts
git diff file.txt

Conflict markers look like this:

<<<<<<< HEAD
This is your current version of the line
=======
This is the incoming version from the other branch
>>>>>>> feature-branch

The section between <<<<<<< HEAD and ======= is your current branch's content.
The section between ======= and >>>>>>> is the incoming content from the merge.

You need to decide which version to keep, or combine them manually.

Edit the file to resolve the conflict:

1. Open the file in your editor (VS Code, vim, nano, etc.)
2. Find the conflict markers (<<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>)
3. Choose what to keep:
- Keep your version (HEAD)
- Keep the incoming version
- Combine both versions
- Write something completely new
4. Remove all conflict markers
5. Save the file

Example resolution - keeping the incoming change:

Before:

<<<<<<< HEAD
const timeout = 3000;
=======
const timeout = 5000;
>>>>>>> feature-branch

After (resolved):

const timeout = 5000;

Using VS Code:
VS Code highlights conflicts and offers buttons:
- "Accept Current Change" - keeps HEAD version
- "Accept Incoming Change" - keeps the other branch
- "Accept Both Changes" - includes both versions
- "Compare Changes" - opens side-by-side view

If you want to completely accept one version without editing:

Accept your current version (HEAD):

git checkout --ours file.txt

Accept the incoming version:

git checkout --theirs file.txt

Important: After using --ours or --theirs, you still need to stage the file:

git add file.txt

For all conflicted files at once:

# Accept all of yours
git checkout --ours .
git add .

# Or accept all of theirs
git checkout --theirs .
git add .

Use this approach when you're certain one version is completely correct.

After resolving conflicts, mark the file as resolved by staging it:

git add file.txt

Or stage all resolved files:

git add .

Verify the file is no longer unmerged:

git status

You should see the file move from "Unmerged paths" to "Changes to be committed":

On branch main
All conflicts fixed but you are still merging.
  (use "git commit" to conclude merge)

Changes to be committed:
	modified:   file.txt

The warning about "path is unmerged" will no longer appear for this file.

Once all conflicts are resolved and staged, finish the operation:

For a merge:

git commit

Git will open your editor with a merge commit message. Save and close to complete.

For a rebase:

git rebase --continue

Git will continue applying the remaining commits.

For a cherry-pick:

git cherry-pick --continue

Verify completion:

git status

You should see a clean working directory:

On branch main
nothing to commit, working tree clean

If you want to abandon the merge/rebase entirely and go back to the previous state:

Abort a merge:

git merge --abort

Abort a rebase:

git rebase --abort

Abort a cherry-pick:

git cherry-pick --abort

This restores your repository to the state before the operation started. All conflict resolution work will be discarded.

When to abort:
- You realize the merge/rebase was a mistake
- The conflicts are too complex to resolve right now
- You need to consult with teammates about the correct resolution
- You want to try a different approach (like merging in smaller pieces)

If you made a mistake while resolving and want to start over on a file:

# Restore the conflict markers
git checkout --conflict=merge file.txt

Or using git restore (Git 2.23+):

git restore --conflict=merge file.txt

This puts the conflict markers back so you can try resolving again.

To unstage a file without losing your resolution:

git restore --staged file.txt

To see the original versions during conflict:

# See your version (stage 2)
git show :2:file.txt

# See their version (stage 3)
git show :3:file.txt

# See the common ancestor (stage 1)
git show :1:file.txt

This helps you understand what each side changed before deciding how to merge.