Understanding Git Status Indicators (U, M, A, D, C, R) in VS Code

In editors like VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, and other Git-aware IDEs, letters next to file names such as U, M, A, and others reflect the file’s state in your Git repository.

Git Status Letters in Git-Aware Editors

U - Untracked

• File exists in the project but isn’t tracked by Git yet
• Run git add to start tracking it

M - Modified

• File has changes but hasn’t been staged yet
• Tracked and edited since the last commit

A - Added

• New file added to the staging area
• Ready to be committed

D - Deleted

• File has been removed from the working directory
• Git is aware of its deletion

C - Conflict

• Merge conflict occurred
• File requires manual resolution before committing

R - Renamed

• File has been renamed and Git tracked the rename
• Useful during refactors or file moves

Why These Matter

These indicators are visible in Git-aware editors to help you:

• Understand file states at a glance
• Stage and commit changes with confidence
• Quickly identify merge issues

Example Commands

# Add untracked or modified file
git add <file>

# Commit staged changes
git commit -m "Describe your changes"

# View all Git statuses manually
git status

These indicators make version control smoother directly from your editor.