What is gitflow?

Gitflow is a branching model for Git that defines a set of rules and best‑practice steps for how developers should create, merge, and delete branches when working on a software project. It splits work into specific branch types (like master, develop, feature, release, and hotfix) so everyone knows where new code goes and how it moves toward production.

Let's break it down

  • master - always holds the code that is live in production.
  • develop - the integration branch where all completed features are merged; it reflects the next upcoming release.
  • feature branches - created from develop for each new feature or experiment; they are named feature/your‑feature‑name.
  • release branches - branched off develop when you’re ready to prepare a new version; they allow final bug fixes, version bumping, and testing.
  • hotfix branches - branched off master to quickly fix critical bugs in production; after fixing, they are merged back into both master and develop. The typical workflow: start a feature → work on it in its own branch → finish and merge into develop → when develop is stable, create a release branch → after testing, merge release into master (and develop) → tag the release. Hotfixes follow a similar but faster path.

Why does it matter?

  • Clarity - Everyone knows which branch to use for what purpose, reducing confusion.
  • Safety - Production code (master) is protected; only tested, approved changes reach it.
  • Parallel work - Multiple developers can work on different features simultaneously without stepping on each other’s code.
  • Release control - You can prepare a release while still adding new features, giving you a clean window for testing and bug fixing.

Where is it used?

Gitflow is popular in many software teams that use Git, especially for medium‑to‑large projects with regular release cycles. You’ll find it in web development agencies, open‑source libraries, mobile app teams, and enterprises that need a disciplined release process. Tools like SourceTree, GitKraken, and many CI/CD pipelines have built‑in support for the Gitflow model.

Good things about it

  • Provides a standardized, repeatable process that new team members can learn quickly.
  • Keeps the production branch stable and separate from ongoing development.
  • Makes release planning easier because release branches give a dedicated space for final testing.
  • Supports parallel development of features, releases, and urgent hotfixes without conflict.
  • Well‑documented and supported by many Git GUI clients and extensions.

Not-so-good things

  • Can feel over‑engineered for small projects or solo developers; the extra branches add overhead.
  • Requires discipline: forgetting to merge a hotfix back into develop can cause regressions.
  • May lead to long-lived feature branches, increasing merge conflicts when they finally integrate.
  • The model assumes a linear release schedule; teams using continuous deployment may find it too rigid.
  • New contributors need to learn the naming conventions and flow, which can be a small learning curve.