Open a repository and make a first commit
Point GitLane at a folder, read the swimlane graph, drag one branch onto another, then stage and commit.
On first launch GitLane asks for a repository. Point it at any folder inside a git worktree — it discovers the repository root from a subdirectory, so you don't have to find the exact top level. Each open repository gets its own tab, and your tabs are restored the next time you launch.
Read the graph, then drag a branch
The centre pane is the commit tree. Every line of history gets its own lane and colour. Branches, remotes, tags, stashes, and your uncommitted work all live in the same view. More: the commit graph.
Grab a branch pill in the graph and drop it on another one. GitLane offers exactly the operations that make sense for how those two branches actually relate — fast-forward, merge, rebase, or reset. More: branch operations.
Press ⌘⌥F (Ctrl+Alt+F on Windows and Linux) to open the branch navigator: branches, remotes, worktrees, tags, and stashes in one searchable, pinnable palette.
Stage and commit
Edit a file and it appears in the working-changes panel. Stage whole files, folders, individual hunks — or a single line. The commit composer shows you exactly who you're committing as and where the commit will land. More: staging and committing.
Right-click a commit, a range, or the WIP row — or press ⌘⇧A — for a summary, review, test plan, or custom prompt. Needs an AI CLI on your PATH. More: AI actions.
Name tabs and set who you commit as
Right-click a tab to Rename… or Assign to group. Names and groups are local to this machine — nothing is written into the repository. That whole surface, including collapsing a group you're not in: Group repository tabs.
Before your first commit, check Settings → Identities. Accounts authenticate (clone, fetch, pull, push, pull-request APIs). Identities author (name, email, optional signing key on the repository's local git config). If you do nothing, GitLane commits as "this computer" — your global git config, exactly as a terminal would. More: accounts and identities.
To review pull requests in-app, sign in to your forge. GitHub goes through gh; GitLab through glab or a token; Bitbucket through an Atlassian API token; Cursor Origin through origin auth login. More: pull requests.
Good to know
You can't accidentally commit to a client repository with your personal email just because you signed in with a personal account. Identity is pinned per repository, not inherited from whichever account is connected.
Full walkthrough: First run.
Installers: Download GitLane.