# Resolving merge conflicts

When the target branch (e.g. `master`) has moved ahead of your MR branch, GitLab will report a conflict and the MR cannot be merged until it is resolved.

## Simple rebase using the GitLab UI

In many cases GitLab can rebase your branch automatically. Open your Merge Request and click the **Rebase** button. If the rebase is successful, the MR is updated and ready for review. If it fails, GitLab will ask you to resolve the conflicts manually.

## Manual rebase

When the GitLab UI rebase is not enough, resolve conflicts locally and push the result.

### 1. Get the latest code from the target branch

```bash
git checkout master
git pull origin master
```

### 2. Switch to your MR branch and rebase

```bash
git checkout <your-branch>
git rebase master
```

### 3. Resolve conflicts

For each file with conflicts, open it in your editor, resolve the conflict markers, and stage the file:

```bash
git add <file>
```

Use `git status` to confirm all conflicts are resolved before continuing.

### 4. Continue the rebase

```bash
git rebase --continue
```

Repeat steps 3–4 for each conflicting commit. Use `git rebase --abort` to cancel the whole operation at any point.

### 5. Push the rebased branch

Since the rebase rewrites history, a regular push will be rejected. Use `--force-with-lease` to push safely:

```bash
git push --force-with-lease
```

**Note:** `--force-with-lease` rejects the push if someone else has pushed to the same branch in the meantime, preventing accidental loss of their work.