GitButler Stack Workflows

Stacked branches organize dependent features into a sequence where each PR builds on the previous one. GitButler's anchor-based stacking lets you create virtual branches that logically depend on parent branches, turning monolithic work into granular, reviewable chunks that merge in order.

Virtual branches are independent branches you create in GitButler's workspace. Stacked branches extend that model by anchoring each branch to a parent, creating a dependency chain. This structure preserves the logical flow of sequential feature work and simplifies code review.

Yes. Post-hoc reanchoring lets you take exploratory branches and restructure them into a dependent stack after the fact. This is useful when you discover a logical sequence in work you've already done and want to prepare it for sequential PR review.

GitButler's PR workflow guidance walks you through opening each stacked branch as a separate pull request in sequence. The GitHub CLI integrates with this process, letting you push and open PRs for each branch in your stack automatically.

Break a major refactoring into a stack: extract utilities first, then update consumers, then clean up deprecated code. Each step becomes its own small, focused PR that reviewers can approve independently, reducing merge conflicts and review burden.

Familiarity with branching and pull requests helps, but GitButler abstracts much of the complexity. The stacking model works within GitButler's virtual branch workspace, so you interact with branches visually rather than through Git commands directly.