Using GitClient in Mage blocks

Only in Mage Pro.Try our fully managed solution to access this advanced feature.

The GitClient class provides a simple, Pythonic interface for performing Git operations within your Mage pipeline blocks. This is useful for automating version control workflows, such as:

Automatically committing and pushing pipeline changes after successful runs
Syncing code from remote repositories before execution
Creating automated deployment pipelines

Prerequisites

Before using GitClient, ensure you have configured Git settings in Mage through one of these methods:

Git Sync Settings (legacy): Configure via Settings → Workspace → Sync data, or see the Git Sync guide
Deployment Settings (Mage Pro): Configure via the Deploy app at /apps/deploy

Quick Start

Basic Usage

from mage_ai.deployments.git_client import GitClient

# Initialize the client (uses legacy git sync settings by default)
git = GitClient()

# Add, commit, and push all changes in one operation
result = git.add_commit_push('Auto-commit from Mage pipeline')

if result.success:
    print(f"✓ Pushed to {result.remote}/{result.branch}")
    print(f"  Commit: {result.commit_hash}")
else:
    print(f"✗ Failed: {result.error}")

Using Deployment Settings (Mage Pro)

from mage_ai.deployments.git_client import GitClient

# Use deployment settings instead of legacy git sync
git = GitClient(use_deployment_settings=True)
result = git.add_commit_push('Deploy changes via Mage Pro')

Using GitClient in Pipeline Blocks

Data Exporter Block Example

The most common use case is pushing changes at the end of a pipeline:

from mage_ai.deployments.git_client import GitClient

if 'data_exporter' not in globals():
    from mage_ai.data_preparation.decorators import data_exporter


@data_exporter
def export_data(*args, **kwargs):
    """
    Push pipeline changes to Git after processing data.
    """    
    # Initialize GitClient
    git = GitClient()
    
    # Push all changes
    result = git.add_commit_push(
        message='Pipeline run completed - auto commit',
        files='.',  # Stage all files
        add_flags=['-A'],  # Include deletions
    )
    
    if result.success:
        print(f"✓ Successfully pushed to {result.remote}/{result.branch}")
    else:
        print(f"✗ Push failed: {result.error}")
    
    return {
        'git_result': result.to_dict(),
    }

Data Loader Block Example

Pull latest changes before processing:

from mage_ai.deployments.git_client import GitClient

if 'data_loader' not in globals():
    from mage_ai.data_preparation.decorators import data_loader


@data_loader
def load_data(*args, **kwargs):
    """
    Pull latest changes from remote before loading data.
    """
    git = GitClient()
    
    # Pull latest changes
    result = git.pull()
    
    if result.success:
        print(f"✓ Pulled latest from {result.remote}/{result.branch}")
    else:
        print(f"⚠ Pull failed: {result.error}")
    
    # Your data loading logic here
    return {'status': 'loaded'}

GitClient Methods

Core Operations

add(files, flags)

Stage files for commit.Parameters:

files (str | List[str]): File path(s) to stage. Use '.' for all files.
flags (List[str], optional): Git add flags (e.g., ['-A'] to include deletions).

Returns: GitClient (for method chaining)

git.add('.')  # Stage all files
git.add(['file1.py', 'file2.py'])  # Stage specific files
git.add('.', flags=['-A'])  # Stage all including deletions

commit(message, files)

Commit staged changes.Parameters:

message (str): The commit message.
files (List[str], optional): Files to add before committing.

Returns: str - The commit hash

commit_hash = git.commit('Update pipeline configuration')

push(remote_name, branch_name, remote_branch_name)

Push commits to the remote repository.Parameters:

remote_name (str, optional): Remote name. Defaults to configured remote.
branch_name (str, optional): Local branch name. Defaults to current branch.
remote_branch_name (str, optional): Remote branch name if different from local.

Returns: GitOperationResult

# Push to default remote/branch
result = git.push()

# Push to specific remote and branch
result = git.push(remote_name='origin', branch_name='main')

# Push local 'develop' to remote 'staging'
result = git.push(
    remote_name='origin',
    branch_name='develop',
    remote_branch_name='staging',
)

pull(remote_name, branch_name)

Pull changes from the remote repository.Parameters:

remote_name (str, optional): Remote name. Defaults to configured remote.
branch_name (str, optional): Branch name. Defaults to current branch.

Returns: GitOperationResult

result = git.pull()
result = git.pull(remote_name='origin', branch_name='main')

fetch()

Fetch changes from the remote without merging.Returns: GitOperationResult

result = git.fetch()

clone(sync_submodules)

Clone the remote repository (replaces local content).Parameters:

sync_submodules (bool): Whether to also sync git submodules.

Returns: GitOperationResult

result = git.clone(sync_submodules=True)

Convenience Methods

add_commit_push(message, files, add_flags, remote_name, branch_name, remote_branch_name)

Add, commit, and push changes in one operation. This is the recommended method for most use cases.Parameters:

message (str): The commit message.
files (str | List[str]): File path(s) to stage. Default: '.'
add_flags (List[str], optional): Git add flags (e.g., ['-A']).
remote_name (str, optional): Remote name.
branch_name (str, optional): Local branch name.
remote_branch_name (str, optional): Remote branch name if different.

Returns: GitOperationResult

# Simple push of all changes
result = git.add_commit_push('Update from pipeline')

# Push specific files
result = git.add_commit_push(
    message='Update config',
    files=['pipelines/', 'data_loaders/'],
)

# Push including deletions
result = git.add_commit_push(
    message='Clean up',
    files='.',
    add_flags=['-A'],
)

# Push to a different remote branch
result = git.add_commit_push(
    message='Deploy to staging',
    branch_name='main',
    remote_branch_name='staging',
)

sync(branch)

Sync local repository with remote (fetch + reset —hard). Discards local changes.Parameters:

branch (str, optional): Branch to sync. Defaults to current branch.

Returns: GitOperationResult

result = git.sync()  # Reset to match remote

Branch Operations

switch_branch(branch, remote)

Switch to a different branch.

result = git.switch_branch('feature-branch')

merge_branch(branch, message)

Merge another branch into the current branch.

result = git.merge_branch('feature-branch', message='Merge feature')

delete_branch(branch)

Delete a local branch.

result = git.delete_branch('old-feature')

Status Properties

status

Get comprehensive git status information.

status = git.status
print(status)
# {
#     'branch': 'main',
#     'remote': 'origin',
#     'remote_url': '[email protected]:user/repo.git',
#     'modified_files': ['file1.py', 'file2.py'],
#     'is_dirty': True,
#     'status': '...'
# }

current_branch

Get the current branch name.

branch = git.current_branch  # 'main'

is_dirty

Check if there are uncommitted changes.

if git.is_dirty:
    print("There are uncommitted changes")

modified_files

Get list of modified files.

files = git.modified_files  # ['file1.py', 'file2.py']

branches

Get list of local branches.

branches = git.branches  # ['main', 'develop', 'feature-x']

remotes

Get list of configured remotes.

remotes = git.remotes
# [{'name': 'origin', 'urls': ['[email protected]:user/repo.git']}]

unpushed_commits_count

Get number of commits not yet pushed to remote.

count = git.unpushed_commits_count  # 3

GitOperationResult

All Git operations return a GitOperationResult object with the following attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`success`	bool	Whether the operation succeeded
`message`	str	Success or status message
`branch`	str	The branch name involved
`remote`	str	The remote name involved
`commit_hash`	str	The commit hash (for commit/push operations)
`error`	str	Error message if operation failed

result = git.push()

if result.success:
    print(f"Pushed to {result.remote}/{result.branch}")
    print(f"Commit: {result.commit_hash}")
else:
    print(f"Error: {result.error}")

# Convert to dictionary
result_dict = result.to_dict()

Method Chaining

GitClient supports method chaining for fluent API usage:

git = GitClient()

# Chain add and commit, then push
git.add('.').commit('Update files')
result = git.push()

Advanced Examples

Conditional Push Based on Changes

from mage_ai.deployments.git_client import GitClient

@data_exporter
def export_data(data, *args, **kwargs):
    git = GitClient()
    
    # Only push if there are actual changes
    if git.is_dirty:
        print(f"Found {len(git.modified_files)} modified files")
        result = git.add_commit_push('Auto-commit changes')
        return {'pushed': result.success, 'commit': result.commit_hash}
    else:
        print("No changes to commit")
        return {'pushed': False, 'message': 'No changes'}

Push to Multiple Branches

from mage_ai.deployments.git_client import GitClient

@data_exporter
def deploy_to_environments(data, *args, **kwargs):
    git = GitClient()
    
    # Push to staging
    staging_result = git.add_commit_push(
        message='Deploy to staging',
        remote_branch_name='staging',
    )
    
    # Push to production (same commit)
    if staging_result.success:
        prod_result = git.push(remote_branch_name='production')
        return {
            'staging': staging_result.to_dict(),
            'production': prod_result.to_dict(),
        }
    
    return {'error': staging_result.error}

Pre-run Sync

from mage_ai.deployments.git_client import GitClient

@data_loader
def load_with_sync(*args, **kwargs):
    git = GitClient()
    
    # Fetch latest and check for updates
    git.fetch()
    
    if git.unpushed_commits_count < 0:  # We're behind
        print("Local is behind remote, syncing...")
        git.sync()
    
    # Now load your data
    return load_data_from_synced_repo()

Using the Built-in Git Push Template

Mage provides a built-in data exporter template for Git push operations. To add it to your pipeline:

Click Blocks in the top navigation
Select Exporter
Navigate to Version control → Git push

The template provides a ready-to-use block with configurable options:

# Parameters available in the template:
commit_message: str  # Commit message
files: str | List[str]  # Files to stage (default: '.')
include_deletions: bool  # Include deleted files (default: True)
remote_name: str  # Remote name (optional)
branch_name: str  # Branch name (optional)
use_deployment_settings: bool  # Use Mage Pro settings (default: False)

Setting Up Automated Git Push Jobs

You can automate Git push operations by creating a pipeline with a Git push block and configuring a trigger to run it on a schedule or in response to events.

Step 1: Create a Git Push Pipeline

Create a new pipeline (e.g., auto_git_push)
Add a Data Exporter block using the Git push template:
- Click Blocks → Exporter → Version control → Git push
Configure the block with your desired settings:

from typing import Dict, List, Optional, Union
from mage_ai.deployments.git_client import GitClient

if 'data_exporter' not in globals():
    from mage_ai.data_preparation.decorators import data_exporter


@data_exporter
def export_to_git(*args, **kwargs) -> Dict:
    """
    Push changes to a git remote repository.

    Uses the git settings configured via git settings (/settings/workspace/sync-data)
    or deployment settings (/apps/deploy).

    Docs: https://docs.mage.ai/guides/data-sync/git-client
    """

    # Get configuration from kwargs
    commit_message: str = kwargs.get(
        'commit_message',
        'Auto-commit from Mage pipeline'
    )
    files: Union[str, List[str]] = kwargs.get('files', '.')
    include_deletions: bool = kwargs.get('include_deletions', True)
    remote_name: Optional[str] = kwargs.get('remote_name')
    branch_name: Optional[str] = kwargs.get('branch_name')
    use_deployment_settings: bool = kwargs.get('use_deployment_settings', False)

    # Initialize git client
    git = GitClient(use_deployment_settings=use_deployment_settings)

    # Set add flags
    add_flags = ['-A'] if include_deletions else None

    # Add, commit, and push
    result = git.add_commit_push(
        message=commit_message,
        files=files,
        add_flags=add_flags,
        remote_name=remote_name,
        branch_name=branch_name,
    )

    # Print result
    if result.success:
        print(f"✓ Successfully pushed to {result.remote}/{result.branch}")
        if result.commit_hash:
            print(f"  Commit: {result.commit_hash}")
    else:
        print(f"✗ Push failed: {result.error}")

    # Return the result and pass through the input data
    return {
        'result': result.to_dict(),
    }

Step 2: Create a Trigger

Navigate to your pipeline’s Triggers tab and create a new trigger:

Schedule Trigger
API Trigger

For periodic backups (e.g., daily at midnight):

Click + New trigger
Select Schedule as the trigger type
Configure the schedule:
- Name: daily_git_backup
- Frequency: Daily (or use Custom with cron: 0 0 * * *)
- Start date: Set your desired start date
Click Save changes

Example cron patterns:

Pattern	Description
`0 * * * *`	Every hour
`0 0 * * *`	Daily at midnight
`0 9,18 * * 1-5`	Weekdays at 9 AM and 6 PM
`/30 * * *`	Every 30 minutes

For more details on trigger configuration, see the Pipeline Triggers documentation.

Troubleshooting

Authentication errors

If you encounter authentication errors:

Verify your Git settings are configured correctly
For SSH: Ensure your SSH keys are properly set up
For HTTPS: Verify your access token has the correct permissions
Check that the remote URL is accessible from your Mage instance

Permission denied

If you see “Permission denied” errors:

Check that your user has write access to the repository
Verify the branch is not protected (or you have permission to push to protected branches)
Ensure your OAuth token hasn’t expired

No changes to commit

If add_commit_push reports no changes:

Check git.status to see the current state
Verify files are not in .gitignore
Use git.modified_files to see what files Git detects as changed

Git Sync Configuration - Configuring Git sync settings
Mage Pro Deployment Settings - Configure deployment settings for use_deployment_settings=True

Adventure starts here

Deployment architecture

Getting started

CI/CD

Pro only features

Infrastructure

Migration guides

Global hooks

Mage Pro API

Using GitClient in Mage blocks

Prerequisites

Quick Start

Basic Usage

Using Deployment Settings (Mage Pro)

Using GitClient in Pipeline Blocks

Data Exporter Block Example

Data Loader Block Example

GitClient Methods

Core Operations

Convenience Methods

Branch Operations

Status Properties

GitOperationResult

Method Chaining

Advanced Examples

Conditional Push Based on Changes

Push to Multiple Branches

Pre-run Sync

Using the Built-in Git Push Template

Setting Up Automated Git Push Jobs

Step 1: Create a Git Push Pipeline

Step 2: Create a Trigger

Troubleshooting

Adventure starts here

Deployment architecture

Getting started

CI/CD

Pro only features

Infrastructure

Migration guides

Global hooks

Mage Pro API

​Prerequisites

​Quick Start

​Basic Usage

​Using Deployment Settings (Mage Pro)

​Using GitClient in Pipeline Blocks

​Data Exporter Block Example

​Data Loader Block Example

​GitClient Methods

​Core Operations

​Convenience Methods

​Branch Operations

​Status Properties

​GitOperationResult

​Method Chaining

​Advanced Examples

​Conditional Push Based on Changes

​Push to Multiple Branches

​Pre-run Sync

​Using the Built-in Git Push Template

​Setting Up Automated Git Push Jobs

​Step 1: Create a Git Push Pipeline

​Step 2: Create a Trigger

​Troubleshooting

​Related Resources

Prerequisites

Quick Start

Basic Usage

Using Deployment Settings (Mage Pro)

Using GitClient in Pipeline Blocks

Data Exporter Block Example

Data Loader Block Example

GitClient Methods

Core Operations

Convenience Methods

Branch Operations

Status Properties

GitOperationResult

Method Chaining

Advanced Examples

Conditional Push Based on Changes

Push to Multiple Branches

Pre-run Sync

Using the Built-in Git Push Template

Setting Up Automated Git Push Jobs

Step 1: Create a Git Push Pipeline

Step 2: Create a Trigger

Troubleshooting

Related Resources