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---
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stage: Create
group: Source Code
info: "To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#designated-technical-writers"
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type: howto
---
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# How to create a branch
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A branch is an independent line of development in a [project ](../user/project/index.md ).
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When you create a new branch (in your [terminal ](basic-git-commands.md ) or with
[the web interface ](../user/project/repository/web_editor.md#create-a-new-branch )),
you are creating a snapshot of a certain branch, usually the main `master` branch,
at it's current state. From there, you can start to make your own changes without
affecting the main codebase. The history of your changes will be tracked in your branch.
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When your changes are ready, you then merge them into the rest of the codebase with a
[merge request ](add-merge-request.md ).
