Why Git Has Two Dates: Author Date vs Commit Date

Short summary

Git commits contain two timestamps: Author Date (when the change was originally written) and Commit Date (when the commit object was created). Rebasing, amending, or cherry-picking creates new commit objects, updating the Commit Date while preserving the Author Date. This explains why GitHub sometimes shows different dates than expected, and why changing only a timestamp alters the commit hash.

• •Git stores Author Date and Commit Date separately
• •Rebasing or amending changes Commit Date but preserves Author Date
• •Changing any metadata including timestamps changes the commit hash

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.