GIT-REFS(1)			  Git Manual			   GIT-REFS(1)

NAME
       git-refs - Low-level access to refs

SYNOPSIS
       git refs migrate --ref-format=<format> [--no-reflog] [--dry-run]
       git refs verify [--strict] [--verbose]


DESCRIPTION
       This command provides low-level access to refs.

COMMANDS
       migrate
	   Migrate ref store between different formats.

       verify
	   Verify reference database consistency.

OPTIONS
       The following options are specific to git refs migrate:

       --ref-format=<format>
	   The ref format to migrate the ref store to. Can be one of:

	   •   files for loose files with packed-refs. This is the default.

	   •   reftable for the reftable format. This format is experimental
	       and its internals are subject to change.

       --dry-run
	   Perform the migration, but do not modify the repository. The
	   migrated refs will be written into a separate directory that can be
	   inspected separately. The name of the directory will be reported on
	   stdout. This can be used to double check that the migration works
	   as expected before performing the actual migration.

       --reflog, --no-reflog
	   Choose between migrating the reflog data to the new backend, and
	   discarding them. The default is "--reflog", to migrate.

       The following options are specific to git refs verify:

       --strict
	   Enable stricter error checking. This will cause warnings to be
	   reported as errors. See git-fsck(1).

       --verbose
	   When verifying the reference database consistency, be chatty.

KNOWN LIMITATIONS
       The ref format migration has several known limitations in its current
       form:

       •   It is not possible to migrate repositories that have worktrees.

       •   There is no way to block concurrent writes to the repository during
	   an ongoing migration. Concurrent writes can lead to an inconsistent
	   migrated state. Users are expected to block writes on a higher
	   level. If your repository is registered for scheduled maintenance,
	   it is recommended to unregister it first with git-maintenance(1).

       These limitations may eventually be lifted.

GIT
       Part of the git(1) suite

Git 2.51.0			  2025-08-17			   GIT-REFS(1)