gitflow is a branching model for git created by Vincent Driessen. It forms an elegant mental model that is easy to comprehend and allows team members to develop a shared understanding of branching and releasing processes.

Detailed information can be found on A successful git branching model.

The Git Tower team wrote another detailed description on how to use gitflow with a GUI tool.

In a nutshell:

• use different branches for different purposes
• master holds only releases (and bugfixes)
• develop holds the latest version under development

  • only tested features are merged into develop
• all features are developed in single, separate branches called feature/xxx

  • these feature branches are merged back into develop after the feature is finished and tested