GitKraken Desktop Documentation

Conflict Prevention in GitKraken Desktop

Last updated: June 2025

GitKraken Desktop’s Conflict Prevention helps you identify potential merge conflicts before they happen, reducing delays and easing collaboration.

Conflict prevention interface in GitKraken Desktop

How Conflict Prevention Works

GitKraken detects potential conflicts from Org Members by identifying overlapping edits in committed changes that haven’t yet merged into the target branch.

1. Conflict Alert Icon

When you open GitKraken Desktop, an alert icon indicates potential conflicts.

Alert icon shows when conflicts are detected

2. View Conflict Details

Clicking the icon opens a menu with options to investigate and address the conflict.

Conflict details with management options

Active conflicts with the target branch take priority over Org Member alerts.

3. Resolve Conflicts Early

From the conflict detection menu, you can:

  • Share edits as a Cloud Patch
  • Push changes to make them visible to others
  • Copy summaries of overlapping edits for your team

Conflict Detection Without Org Members

Even if your repository has no Org Members, GitKraken still checks for conflicts with your target branch.

You’ll be prompted to merge or rebase proactively.

Conflict detection between your branch and its target

Target Branch Status When No Conflicts Are Found

If no potential conflicts are detected:

  • A status indicator confirms your branch is conflict-free
  • You’ll see quick links to open a pull request or adjust preferences
No conflicts found with an option to create PR

Invite Contributors to Resolve Conflicts Earlier

Invite the authors of conflicting changes to your GitKraken Org directly from the conflict menu:

Send invites to potential collaborators from the alert

Once added, you’ll receive real-time updates when they’re working in the same areas.


Configure Conflict Prevention Settings

Conflict Prevention settings are repository-specific. You can:

  • Set which branches GitKraken should monitor
  • Use ** for wildcards or ! to exclude branches

Navigate to Preferences > Conflict Prevention to configure these settings.

Conflict Prevention preferences panel
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