How to fix error: the following file has local modifications: file.txt in Git

First, understand what changes exist in the file:

git status

This shows whether the file is modified, staged, or both. To see the actual changes:

git diff file.txt

This helps you decide whether to save the changes or discard them.

If you want to preserve your changes in the Git history before removing the file:

git add file.txt
git commit -m "Save final version of file.txt before removal"
git rm file.txt
git commit -m "Remove file.txt"

This creates a clean history showing the file's final state.

If you want to stop tracking the file in Git but keep it on your local filesystem:

git rm --cached file.txt

This removes the file from the Git index (staging area) but leaves it in your working directory. The file will appear as untracked after this command.

Common use case: Adding a file to .gitignore that was previously tracked:

echo "file.txt" >> .gitignore
git rm --cached file.txt
git commit -m "Stop tracking file.txt"

If you want to remove the file and discard your local changes permanently:

git rm -f file.txt

WARNING: This permanently deletes your uncommitted changes with no way to recover them. Make sure you don't need those changes before using this option.

The -f flag overrides Git's safety check that normally prevents removal of files with local modifications.

Before removing files (especially with wildcards), use the dry-run option to see what would be removed:

git rm -n file.txt
git rm --dry-run "*.log"

This outputs which files would be removed without actually deleting anything. Especially important when using glob patterns.

If you're unsure whether you need the changes, stash them first:

git stash push -m "backup before removal" file.txt
git rm file.txt

Later, if you need the changes back:

git stash pop

This provides a safety net while still allowing you to proceed with the removal.

If you ran git rm by mistake (without -f) and want to restore the file:

git restore --staged file.txt
git restore file.txt

Or using the older syntax:

git reset HEAD file.txt
git checkout -- file.txt

Note: If you used git rm -f on a file with uncommitted changes, those changes are lost permanently.