How can git reflog recover a commit that looks deleted?
PICTURE THIS: STACK VS QUEUE
Simple meaning
reflog records where HEAD has been, including commits dropped by reset.
WHY — Git instead of guessing?
Why interviewers care about Git:
question about Git.
trade-offs, and what you would actually do on a Full Stack project - not buzzwords.
Name the idea, why it exists, then one short example.
End with when you use it and one common pitfall.
STEPS — What happens step by step?
Before you speak the answer, walk the interviewer through these steps:
- 1reflog records where HEAD
has been, including commits dropped by reset.
- 2You can check out
or cherry-pick a SHA that is no longer on any branch.
- 3Recovery is time-limited by
reflog expiry, so it is a safety net, not a backup strategy.
- 4Give an example
One tiny concrete case you can say aloud.
- 5Common mistake
What juniors usually get wrong.
- 6Close
When you pick this over the alternative.
EXAMPLE — See it in action
Here's a short line you can speak, broken into clear beats:
Note: Adapt this scaffold to your own project — keep it under 60–90 seconds.
Key takeaway
reflog records where HEAD has been, including commits dropped by reset. You can check out or cherry-pick a SHA that is no longer on any branch.