# Git-aware in Atlas: Terminal-Native AI Coding Agent for 2026 > Atlas reads git branches, status, and diffs, and can stage and create commits on your behalf, ensuring direct integration with your local development workflow. Git-aware in Atlas means the terminal-native AI coding agent deeply understands and interacts with your local Git repository, reading git branches, current status, and file diffs, and can stage changes and create commits on your behalf. This capability is fundamental to how Atlas operates, ensuring its actions are always aligned with your version control system by directly querying and modifying the local Git state. ## Key takeaways - Atlas reads local git branches, status, and diffs. - It stages changes and creates commits on your behalf. - All Git actions require explicit user approval via diffs. - Git integration is terminal-native within the Atlas TUI. - Focus is on local repository state management. ## What is Git-aware in Atlas? Git-aware is a core capability of Atlas in 2026, allowing the terminal-native AI agent to directly interact with your local Git repository. This means Atlas can read essential version control information like git branches, current file status, and pending diffs, providing a foundational understanding of your project's state. Atlas's Git-aware functionality provides the agent with a comprehensive understanding of your project's version control state. It actively reads the current git branches, identifies modified or untracked files through the repository status, and surfaces detailed diffs for any changes made. This deep integration ensures that Atlas's actions are contextually relevant to your ongoing development, allowing it to propose changes, stage files, and even create new commits directly within your local repository. The agent's ability to interpret and act upon this Git information is crucial for its role in assisting with code modifications and project evolution. ## How Atlas Manages Git Changes and Commits Atlas manages Git changes by first drafting a plan in a read-only agent, then computing a unified diff for every file edit before presenting it for approval. This 2-step process ensures that all proposed modifications are transparently reviewed, allowing you to confirm changes before Atlas stages and creates commits on your behalf. When Atlas proposes modifications, it operates through a structured process to ensure Git integrity. Initially, a read-only plan agent drafts the intended changes. Once a plan is approved, Atlas computes a unified diff for every file edit it intends to make. This diff is then surfaced to the user for explicit approval. Upon confirmation, Atlas proceeds to stage the approved changes. Finally, it can create commits, encapsulating the modifications into your repository's history. This mechanism, which includes the `commitChanges` symbol, ensures that all version control actions are deliberate and user-sanctioned, maintaining control over your local Git history. ## Viewing Git Status and Diffs in Atlas Sessions In a typical Atlas session in 2026, the agent continuously monitors your local Git repository, providing real-time insights into its state. This includes displaying the active git branches, showing the status of modified or untracked files, and presenting detailed diffs for proposed changes, all within the terminal's TUI. During an active Atlas session, the agent integrates Git information directly into its terminal-native user interface. As you work, Atlas can query and display the current git branches, providing immediate context about your development line. It also surfaces the status of your working directory, highlighting files that have been modified, added, or deleted. When Atlas itself proposes code changes, it generates and presents a unified diff, allowing you to review the exact line-by-line modifications before they are staged or committed. This constant feedback loop ensures you are always aware of the Git state and Atlas's interactions with it. ## FAQ ### How does Atlas know about my Git repository? Atlas directly queries your local Git repository to read information such as active git branches, file status, and pending diffs, integrating this data into its operational context. ### Can Atlas automatically commit my code? No, Atlas does not automatically commit code. It computes a unified diff for every file edit and surfaces it for your approval before writing, staging, and creating commits on your behalf. ### What Git operations can Atlas perform? Atlas can read git branches, repository status, and file diffs. It can also stage changes and create new commits in your local repository after user approval. ### Is Atlas's Git integration secure? Yes, every Atlas tool call, including those interacting with Git, is permission-gated against allow, ask, and deny rules before it runs, ensuring controlled access. ### Does Atlas interact with remote Git repositories? Atlas's Git-aware capabilities are primarily focused on local repository state, reading branches, status, and diffs, and creating local commits. It does not directly manage remote operations like pushing or pulling. ### How does Atlas show me changes before committing? Atlas computes a unified diff for every file edit it proposes. This diff is then surfaced to you for explicit approval within the terminal-native interface before any changes are staged or committed. ### Can Atlas help me roll back changes? Yes, Atlas snapshots file changes as git patches. This mechanism allows edits to be easily diffed and rolled back, providing a safety net for your modifications. --- Canonical HTML: https://runatlas.sh/resources/features/git-aware Source of truth: aeo_pages row `/resources/features/git-aware` (segment: Platform) (this file is generated from it, never hand-edited). Licence: Atlas is proprietary with a free core. It is not open source and there is no public source repository.