Squash Merge
A merge method that combines multiple commits from a branch or pull request into one commit on the target branch.
Plain English
Merge the whole change as one clean commit instead of preserving every branch commit separately.
In context
Teams use squash merges to keep the main branch history concise while retaining detailed discussion and checks in the pull request.
Example
“Use a squash merge so the five review-fix commits become one change on main.”
When you'll hear this
- pull request completion
- branch integration
- history maintenance
Common misunderstanding
A squash merge does not preserve each original commit on the target branch and it is not the same operation as rebasing a branch.
Also known as
squash and mergesquash mergingsquashed merge
Commonly used by
Related terms
Often compared with
Updated: 2026-08-28
