Pulling, Fetching and Syncing

Fetch vs Pull

Fetch downloads remote branch information without merging. Pull fetches and then merges the remote changes into your current branch automatically.

Pull

Click Pull, select the remote (origin) and branch, then confirm. SourceTree performs fetch plus merge, and shows you the resulting commits on the branch graph.

Fetch and Review

If you prefer control, use Fetch first, inspect what changed on the remote via the graph, then decide to merge or rebase your branch.

Pull with Rebase

On a shared branch, rebasing keeps a linear history:

In the Pull dialog check "Rebase instead of merge". Uncommitted local changes are stashed and reapplied automatically, with a rebase-starting message or resolved conflicts if they arise.

Prune Remotes

Fetch > Prune removes local tracking of branches deleted on the server, keeping the branch panel tidy.

Key Points

• Fetch looks; pull fetches and merges.
• Rebase option keeps shared-branch history linear.
• Prune cleans stale remote branch entries.
• Review before merging on busy repositories.