gitlab-org--gitlab-foss/doc/gitlab-basics/create-branch.md

stage	group	info	type
Create	Source Code	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	howto

How to create a branch

A branch is an independent line of development in a project.

When you create a new branch (in your terminal or with the web interface), 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.

When your changes are ready, you then merge them into the rest of the codebase with a merge request.