How to see the history of changes in GitHub?

 
Step 1: Navigate to Your GitHub Repository
 
Start by logging into your GitHub account and locating the repository where you want to view the change history.

• Open your web browser and go to https://github.com
• Sign in using your GitHub credentials
• From your dashboard, click the repository name you wish to inspect

 
Step 2: Access the Commits List on the Main Page
 
The commits list shows every recorded change to the default branch (often main or master).

• Once inside the repository, make sure you are on the “Code” tab
• Above the file list, locate and click the “commits” link (it displays the number of commits)

 
Step 3: Interpret the Commits View
 
GitHub presents commits in reverse chronological order with metadata for each entry.

• Commit SHA: A unique identifier (first seven characters shown)
• Author: Who made the change
• Date: When the change occurred
• Commit message: A brief description written by the committer

 
Step 4: Inspect a Specific Commit
 
Clicking on a commit lets you view the exact changes made in that snapshot.

• Click any commit’s SHA or message to open its details page
• The diff view shows files added, removed, or modified
• Lines prefixed with + indicate additions; lines prefixed with - indicate deletions

 
Step 5: View File-Specific History
 
You can also see changes scoped to a single file.

• In the repository file list, click on the file you’re interested in
• On the file’s code view, click the “History” button at the top right
• A list of commits that touched that file appears, allowing you to drill down further

 
Step 6: Use Blame View for Line-by-Line Tracking
 
The “Blame” view attributes each line in a file to a specific commit.

• While viewing a file, click the “Blame” button
• Each line is annotated with the commit SHA, author, and date
• Click any SHA in the blame view to jump to that commit’s details

 
Step 7: Filter and Search Commit History
 
Use GitHub’s built-in filters to narrow down commits by author, date range, or keywords.

• On the commits page, click “Filters” next to the search box
• Use filters like author:username, since:YYYY-MM-DD, or message:keyword
• Combine filters (e.g., author:octocat message:fix) for precise results

 
Step 8: View History via the Command Line
 
If you prefer the terminal, clone or navigate to your local repo and use git log.

  
git clone https://github.com/your-username/your-repo.git  
cd your-repo  
git log  

• git log --oneline condenses each commit to one line
• git log --graph --decorate --all displays a visual graph of branches and merges

 
Step 9: Use GUI Clients or IDE Plugins
 
Graphical clients and IDE extensions provide clickable commit histories and diffs.

• Install tools like GitHub Desktop, SourceTree, or GitKraken
• Open your repo; navigate to the history or log view
• Click commits to see diffs and metadata in a user-friendly interface

 
Step 10: Explore Repository Insights
 
GitHub’s Insights tab reveals contribution trends and commit activity over time.

• Click the “Insights” tab in your repository
• Select “Contributors” to see commit counts per contributor
• Use “Commits” under Insights to view daily, weekly, or monthly graphs

Use these steps to thoroughly explore and understand the complete history of changes in any GitHub repository.