How to Push to GitHub When Receiving the "need merge" Error

If you encounter a "need merge" error while trying to push to GitHub, it usually means your local branch is behind the remote branch's changes. This often happens if someone else has pushed to the same branch you're working on.

Resolving the Merge Error

  • Pull the Latest Changes: To sync your local branch with the remote, run:
git pull origin <branch-name>

This command will merge the remote changes into your local branch.

  • Push Your Changes: After resolving any conflicts and merging, you can push your changes:
git push origin <branch-name>


Force Pushing as an Alternative

If you decide not to merge your local branch with the remote and want to overwrite the remote branch with your local changes, you can use force push. However, be cautious as this can overwrite changes in the remote repository:

git push -f origin <branch-name>

This command should be used judiciously, as it can lead to the loss of commits on the remote branch. It's generally not recommended unless you're absolutely sure of the consequences.