---
title: "Merging"
description: "Reconcile two diverged contexts with a three-way merge."
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ver-vcs.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Merging

When two contexts of the same project have each taken snapshots the other doesn't have, their histories have diverged. `ver merge` reconciles them with a three-way merge against their most recent common ancestor.

## Running a merge

From the context you want to merge **into** (ours):

```sh
ver merge run my-merge --from other-context
```

Both sides default to their current heads; pin them explicitly if needed:

```sh
ver merge run my-merge --from other-context --our-snapshot v12 --their-snapshot v7
```

ver finds the common ancestor of the two heads, then classifies every path:

| Base | Ours | Theirs | Outcome |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| present | unchanged | changed | keep theirs |
| present | changed | unchanged | keep ours |
| present | changed | changed identically | keep ours |
| present | changed | changed differently | conflict (three-way text merge attempted) |
| present | deleted | unchanged | delete |
| present | unchanged | deleted | delete |
| present | deleted | changed | conflict |
| present | changed | deleted | conflict |
| absent | added | absent | keep ours |
| absent | absent | added | keep theirs |
| absent | added | added identically | keep ours |
| absent | added | added differently | conflict |
| present | deleted | deleted | delete |

Text files that conflict on modifications get an automatic [diffy](https://github.com/nguyen-vo/diffy-rs) three-way merge attempt; if it resolves cleanly, the merged result is used and noted in the output.

## Clean merges

If nothing conflicts, ver writes the merged files, commits a new snapshot with **two parents**, and prints its ID:

```text
Merge successfully completed and saved under snapshot my-merge (9f86d08...)
```

## Conflicted merges

If conflicts remain, ver stores a **partial merge** under the merge name and prints the conflicting paths grouped by kind (deletion-, creation-, and modification-related). Nothing is committed yet.

Resolve each conflict by picking a side:

```sh
ver merge pick my-merge --our src/main.rs --their README.md
```

- `--our <path>` keeps your context's version (repeatable);
- `--their <path>` keeps the incoming context's version.

For deletion conflicts, picking the side where the file still exists keeps it; picking the side where it was deleted deletes it.

> **Note**
>
> Decisions are only recorded through `merge pick`. Editing a conflicted file by hand does not resolve its conflict; the merge state still lists it until you pick a side.

Then finalize:

```sh
ver merge end my-merge
```

If any conflict is still unresolved, `merge end` lists what's left and refuses. Otherwise it writes the merged tree, commits the two-parent snapshot, and deletes the partial merge state.

## No common ancestor

If the two contexts share no snapshot history (for example, they were initialized independently), merging is impossible:

```text
Could not find a common base for the two repositories, merging is not possible
```

To bring two unrelated contexts together, [sync](/guides/syncing/) one into the other from scratch first, then diverge and merge as needed.

Source: https://ver-vcs.net/guides/merging/index.mdx