Advice for beginners...

[SaiRishithaK]

What could be few mistakes made by the beginners in github?

[ApzHuss]

Committing secrets (API keys, passwords).

Pushing straight to main without branches.

Bad commit messages like “fix” or “stuff.”

Ignoring .gitignore - repo gets bloated.

Not pulling before pushing - merge conflicts galore.

[pasindupiumal03]

@SaiRishithaK

🔹 Common mistakes beginners make on GitHub

• Forgetting to write a clear commit message (like just “update” or “fix”).

• Pushing directly to the main branch instead of using branches.

• Not adding a README or proper documentation.

• Ignoring .gitignore, so unnecessary files (like node_modules/) get pushed.

• Being afraid to ask questions or make small contributions.

Don’t worry, everyone makes these at first. The key is to learn and improve with each project. ♥️

[SaiRishithaK]

Thankyou so much Will surely work on it and create a worthy journey on git.

…

On Tue, Sep 16, 2025, 10:26 PM Pasindu W. ***@***.***> wrote: @SaiRishithaK <https://github.com/SaiRishithaK> 🔹 Common mistakes beginners make on GitHub - Forgetting to write a clear commit message (like just “update” or “fix”). - Pushing directly to the main branch instead of using branches. - Not adding a README or proper documentation. - Ignoring .gitignore, so unnecessary files (like node_modules/) get pushed. - Being afraid to ask questions or make small contributions. Don’t worry, everyone makes these at first. The key is to learn and improve with each project. ♥️ — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#870 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BXBDE6O3XQSJHTO6VKIO7G33TA6NTAVCNFSM6AAAAACGNL5IJOVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43URDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHMYTINBRHA4DOMI> . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: <recodehive/Stackoverflow-Analysis/repo-discussions/870/comments/14418871@ github.com>

[pasindupiumal03]

@SaiRishithaK little help please. If you got the answer and do you think my answer is helpfull for you please mark my comment as a answer.

Thank you!

[raunak0400]

Some common mistakes beginners make on GitHub are:

Pushing directly to main instead of creating feature branches.

Huge commit dumps without meaningful messages, instead of small and descriptive commits.

Forgetting .gitignore and accidentally committing build files, credentials, or large data.

Not syncing with upstream before opening a PR, leading to messy conflicts.

Editing code without understanding context, which may break existing functionality.

Ignoring contribution guidelines (CONTRIBUTING.md) — many projects have specific standards.

Not reviewing diffs before pushing, so unnecessary changes get included.

Avoiding these makes you look much more professional as a contributor.

If this answer helps you even a bit, please mark my reply as ‘Answer’. ✅