How to fix Git merge conflicts in Replit

A merge conflict happens when two people (or two branches) modify the same lines of code and Git cannot determine which version to keep. In Replit, this most commonly occurs when you pull from GitHub after someone else has pushed changes that overlap with your local edits. It also happens when Agent creates changes on a branch while you are working on the same files. When a conflict is detected, Replit will not complete the pull automatically. Instead, it marks the conflicted files and waits for you to resolve them manually.

Open the Git pane by clicking Tools in the left sidebar and selecting Git. When conflicts exist, you will see conflicted files listed with a warning indicator. Click on a conflicted file to open it in the editor. Replit highlights the conflict markers so they are visually distinct from normal code. The markers divide the file into sections: your local changes versus the incoming changes from the remote branch. Each conflict region starts with <<<<<<< and ends with >>>>>>>.

Conflict markers have three parts. The section between <<<<<<< HEAD and ======= contains your local changes. The section between ======= and >>>>>>> contains the incoming changes from the remote branch. To resolve the conflict, decide which version to keep: your changes, the incoming changes, or a combination of both. Delete the conflict markers (the <<<<<<< HEAD, =======, and >>>>>>> lines) and leave only the code you want to keep. Save the file after resolving each conflict.

1<<<<<<< HEAD
2// Your local version
3const greeting = 'Hello, World!';
4=======
5// Incoming version from GitHub
6const greeting = 'Hi there!';
7>>>>>>> origin/main
8
9// After resolving — keep the version you want:
10const greeting = 'Hello, World!';

For complex conflicts or multiple files, Shell gives you more control. Run git status to see all conflicted files. Open each file, resolve the markers, then run git add filename to mark it as resolved. After resolving all files, run git commit to complete the merge. If you want to abort the merge entirely and go back to your pre-merge state, run git merge --abort. Shell commands give you the full power of Git, including the ability to use git diff to see exactly what changed.

1# See all conflicted files
2git status
3
4# After resolving conflicts in a file, stage it
5git add src/App.tsx
6
7# Check remaining conflicts
8git diff --name-only --diff-filter=U
9
10# After all files are resolved, complete the merge
11git commit -m "Resolved merge conflicts with origin/main"
12
13# If you want to abort and try again
14git merge --abort

After completing the merge commit, push your changes to GitHub using the Git pane (click the Push button) or Shell (git push). If the push fails with an authentication error, your GitHub connection may need to be reactivated. Go to replit.com/integrations and reconnect your GitHub account. For organizations, make sure the Replit GitHub app is installed and authorized for your organization. If push still fails, you can use a Personal Access Token stored in Secrets as a fallback.

1# Push via Shell
2git push origin main
3
4# If authentication fails, try using a PAT
5git push https://$GITHUB_TOKEN@github.com/user/repo.git main

While conflicts are unavoidable in collaborative work, you can reduce their frequency. Pull from GitHub before starting new work to get the latest changes. Make small, focused commits rather than large batch changes. Communicate with collaborators about which files you are working on. Use separate feature branches and merge frequently to keep divergence small. In Replit's Multiplayer mode, let Agent handle merges from the shared Kanban board when possible — it resolves most conflicts automatically.

1# Always pull before starting work
2git pull origin main
3
4# Create a feature branch for isolated work
5git checkout -b feature/new-login
6
7# Make small commits
8git add src/components/LoginForm.tsx
9git commit -m "Add login form component"
10
11# Merge frequently to stay close to main
12git merge main