Clone a Specific Git Branch (CSGB)

Hey, this time I'm a bit confused about how to clone a specific branch. In this repository, I have several branches. Generally, using git clone copies/downloads from the upstream repository to the local machine, but the question here is how to clone just one specific branch.

Now, on Stack Overflow, there are tons of answers to this, but it’s tough to tell which ones actually work for your case. Many of those answers have also received downvotes, and I’m not sure if it’s because the answers were off-topic or because people were upset with the attitude of some users. But yeah, the solutions presented by “experts” there come in all sorts of varieties.

After testing several approaches, this specific instruction worked perfectly for my use case, getting only the branch I wanted:

git clone --single-branch --branch <branchname> host:/dir.git

 

This works for both GitHub and GitLab, with the only difference being the host URL.

It’s worth noting that not everyone answering on Stack Overflow is an expert—some people seem to copy answers without understanding the question, which can make things frustrating. I guess I’m part of the majority who end up disappointed and hitting downvote, haha.

Anyway, if you still have doubts about the branch status in the project you just cloned, you can verify it with this command:

Get Current Branch

git branch --show-current

That's it. Good luck!