name: using-jj
description: "Uses Jujutsu (jj) version control instead of git. Triggers on: version control, commits, branches, push, pull, rebase in repos with .jj/ directory."

Jujutsu (jj) Version Control

Use jj instead of git when the repository contains a .jj/ directory.

Key Concepts

• Working copy auto-commits: No staging area. All changes are automatically part of the working copy commit (@)
• Bookmarks: jj's equivalent of git branches. Create with jj bookmark create
• Change IDs: Short stable identifiers (like abc123) that persist across rebases
• Commit IDs: SHA hashes that change when commits are rewritten
• Conflicts are first-class: You can commit conflicted files and resolve later

Common Commands

Working with Remotes

Bookmarks (Branches)

Revsets

Use revsets to select commits:

• @ - Working copy commit
• @- - Parent of working copy
• main - The main bookmark
• trunk() - Main branch (main/master)
• ancestors(@, 5) - Last 5 ancestors of @
• @:: - Working copy and all descendants
• ::@ - Working copy and all ancestors
• visible_heads() - All visible head commits

Workflows

Squash Workflow (default)

1. Make changes (auto-committed to @)
2. jj squash to move changes into parent
3. jj new to start fresh working copy

Edit Workflow

1. jj new -m "feature" to create commit
2. jj edit <change-id> to resume work on it
3. Changes auto-amend into that commit

Stacked Changes

1. Create commits: jj new -m "part 1", make changes, jj new -m "part 2"
2. Push stack: jj git push --bookmark feature
3. Edit any commit: jj edit <change-id> - descendants auto-rebase

Moving Changes into Specific Commits

jj squash --into — Explicit, works for any changes:

jj squash --into <change-id> <files>

# Example: move a new file into commit xsnulpzq
jj squash --into xsnulpzq .agents/skills/my-skill/SKILL.md

Use when: adding new files/lines, or you know exactly where changes belong.

jj absorb — Automatic, line-based:

jj absorb                    # Auto-distribute all changes
jj absorb --into <revset>    # Limit destination commits

Use when: modifying existing lines across a stack. jj determines destination by which commit last touched each line. Does NOT work for new files or new lines.

Operation Log

Every jj command creates an operation. Undo mistakes easily:

jj op log          # View operation history
jj undo            # Undo last operation
jj op restore <id> # Restore to specific operation

Conflict Resolution

Conflicts don't block operations:

jj rebase -d main  # May create conflicts, still succeeds
jj resolve         # Open merge tool
jj resolve --list  # List conflicted files

Edit conflict markers directly in files - changes auto-save to @.