Resolving Git's `Failed to Push Some Refs` Error: Comprehensive Solutions

If you’ve run into this message:

you’re not alone. This is one of the most common Git errors, especially when collaborating or managing multiple branches. It’s a generic message that could be triggered by multiple underlying causes — from divergent branches to missing commits, permissions, or even pre-push hooks.

In this article, we’ll break down what the error actually means, why it happens, and show you multiple solutions depending on the scenario you're facing.

🔍 What Does ‘failed to push some refs to’ Mean?

At a high level, this error means that your local Git repository is out of sync with the remote, and Git can’t complete the push because it would overwrite changes — something Git avoids by design unless explicitly told otherwise.

"Refs" in Git refers to branches, tags, or HEAD pointers. So if you can’t push them, it usually means the branch you're pushing has conflicts, is outdated, or Git is blocking the push for another reason.

🧪 Common Scenarios and Solutions

Below are multiple reasons you might see this error, along with the appropriate fixes for each one.

🧯 Option 1: Your Local Branch is Behind the Remote

Scenario:

Someone else pushed changes to the remote branch, and your local branch doesn’t have them. Git won’t let you push unless your local history includes the remote changes.

Fix:

Pull the latest changes and merge them locally:

Then push again:

If you're okay with merging automatically:

🧨 Option 2: Rejected Because of Non-Fast-Forward

Scenario:

Your local commit history has diverged from the remote. Git refuses to push because it would overwrite history.

Fix (safe way):

Fix (force push — be careful!):

If you understand the consequences and it’s safe (e.g., on a feature branch):

🔐 Option 3: Permissions Issue or Auth Failure

Scenario:

You’re trying to push to a repo where you don’t have write access, or you're using outdated credentials (especially with GitHub token authentication).

Fix:

• Double-check your remote URL:
  git remote -v
• Re-authenticate if needed. With GitHub, use a Personal Access Token (PAT) instead of your password.
• Update the remote URL (if using HTTPS):
  git remote set-url origin https://<token>@github.com/username/repo.git

🧱 Option 4: Trying to Push to a Protected Branch

Scenario:

You’re trying to force-push or push directly to a protected branch (like main or master) where force-push is disabled.

Fix:

• Push to a new branch and open a pull request:
  git checkout -b fix/my-change
  git push origin fix/my-change
• Or change repo settings if you have admin access.

🪞 Option 5: Remote Tracking Confusion

Scenario:

You’re pushing to a branch that doesn't track the correct remote or upstream.

Fix:

Set the upstream explicitly:

Or:

🧹 Option 6: Stale Refs or Corrupted State

Scenario:

Git’s internal state is messed up. Could happen due to interrupted pushes or network errors.

Fix:

Clear out old references:

Re-fetch:

Try again:

🔗 Option 7: Conflicts Due to Rewritten History

Scenario:

You rebased or amended commits, which rewrote history. Your local refs now conflict with remote history.

Fix:

You must force push:

⚠️ This is safer than --force because it ensures no one else pushed since you last pulled.

🧪 Bonus Fixes

📦 Detached HEAD State

If you're in a detached HEAD state:

🧼 Reset to Remote (Hard)

Use this only if you're sure you want to discard local changes:

📋 Summary Table of Fixes

Problem	Fix
Branch behind	git pull --rebase
Non-fast-forward	git pull or git push --force
No upstream	git push --set-upstream origin <branch>
Auth error	Re-authenticate, use token
Protected branch	Push to feature branch, PR
Rewritten history	git push --force-with-lease
Confused refs	git remote prune origin
Detached HEAD	git switch -c new-branch

🚀 Final Thoughts

The “failed to push some refs to” Git error is one of those catch-all messages that can mean many things — but once you understand Git’s branching model and how remote tracking works, it becomes much easier to diagnose and fix.

Whether you're working solo or collaborating across a team, using the correct push/pull workflow and being careful with force pushes will keep your repo clean and conflict-free.