Merge Conflicts Are a Process Problem, Not a Git Problem

Merge conflicts are symptoms of process problems, not Git failures. Long-lived branches, large pull requests, and poor team communication are the root causes. Trunk-based development — merging small changes frequently — dramatically reduces conflict size and frequency. The most dangerous conflicts are logical ones Git can't detect, which continuous integration helps surface early. Practical habits like keeping PRs small, using feature flags, and communicating when working in overlapping code areas turn merge conflicts from major interruptions into minor inconveniences.