Git: failed to push some refs (rejected)

You push and Git bounces it back:

! [rejected]        main -> main (non-fast-forward)
error: failed to push some refs to 'origin'
hint: Updates were rejected because the remote contains work that you do
      not have locally.

This is Git protecting shared history. The remote branch has commits that your local branch doesn't — usually a teammate pushed, or you committed from another machine. Git won't let you overwrite that work, so it rejects the push.

Step 1: Get the remote's commits

Bring the missing commits down and replay yours on top:

git pull --rebase origin main

--rebase keeps history linear: it puts the remote's commits first, then re-applies your commits after them. (A plain git pull also works but adds a merge commit.)

Step 2: Resolve conflicts if they appear

If you and the remote changed the same lines, the rebase pauses:

git status                 # shows the conflicted files
# edit the files, keep the right lines, remove the <<<< ==== >>>> markers
git add <file>
git rebase --continue

Repeat until the rebase finishes cleanly.

Step 3: Push again

Now your branch is ahead of the remote in a straight line, so the push fast-forwards:

git push origin main

The one thing not to do

Do not reach for git push --force to make the error go away. Force-pushing overwrites the remote's history and erases whatever your teammate pushed. If you truly must force (e.g. after rebasing your own feature branch), use --force-with-lease, which refuses to clobber commits you haven't seen.

The checklist

1. git pull --rebase origin <branch> — take the remote's work first.
2. Resolve any conflicts, git add, git rebase --continue.
3. git push — it fast-forwards now.
4. Never blind --force; use --force-with-lease only on your own branches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Git push rejected as "non-fast-forward"? The remote branch has commits your local branch doesn't — someone pushed, or you committed elsewhere. Git refuses to overwrite that work. Run git pull --rebase origin <branch> to take their commits first, then push.

Should I use git push --force to fix "failed to push some refs"? No, not on a shared branch — a force push erases whatever your teammates pushed. Pull and rebase instead. If you genuinely must force after rebasing your own feature branch, use --force-with-lease, which refuses to clobber commits you haven't seen.

What does "--force-with-lease rejected (stale info)" mean? The remote moved since your last fetch, so the safety check blocked the push to protect those new commits. Run git fetch, review what changed, and only retry once you're sure you won't destroy someone else's work.