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How Do I Add a Remote to GitHub?

Published in Git Remote Management 4 mins read

To add a remote to your local Git repository so it can connect with a repository on GitHub, you use the git remote add command in your terminal.

A remote is essentially a bookmark for a remote repository's URL. It allows you to easily push and pull changes between your local repository and the one hosted on platforms like GitHub.

Steps to Add a Remote for Your GitHub Repository

Adding a remote involves navigating to your local repository's directory and executing a specific Git command.

Navigate to Your Repository Directory

First, open your terminal or command prompt. You need to be inside the directory where your local Git repository is stored.

cd path/to/your/repository

As the reference states, you must "use the git remote add command on the terminal, in the directory your repository is stored at".

Use the git remote add Command

This is the core command for connecting your local repository to a remote one.

The git remote add command takes two main arguments:

  1. A remote name: This is a short nickname you give to the remote repository.
  2. The remote URL: This is the address (HTTPS or SSH) where your repository is located on GitHub.

The reference explicitly mentions: "The git remote add command takes two arguments: A remote name, for example, origin." While the reference only provides the example of the name argument (origin), the command requires the URL as the second argument.

Find Your GitHub Repository URL

Before running the command, you need the URL of your repository on GitHub.

  1. Go to your repository's page on GitHub.
  2. Click the "<> Code" button.
  3. Copy the URL from the HTTPS or SSH tab. HTTPS is generally recommended for beginners.

Execute the Command

Now, run the git remote add command using the nickname you want (commonly origin) and the URL you copied from GitHub:

git remote add <name> <url>

For example, using the common name origin:

git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPOSITORY_NAME.git

Replace <name> with your chosen remote name (like origin) and <url> with the actual URL from GitHub.

Verify the Remote Was Added

You can check that the remote was added correctly by listing your remotes:

git remote -v

This command will show the name(s) of your remotes and their associated URLs for fetching and pushing.

Common Remote Name: origin

As noted in the reference, a common convention for the first remote added to a project is origin. When you clone a repository, Git automatically sets up origin pointing to the URL you cloned from. When connecting a new local repository to an existing remote (like one you created on GitHub), using origin is a standard practice.

Why Add a Remote?

Adding a remote allows you to:

  • Push your local changes to the remote repository on GitHub.
  • Pull changes from the remote repository down to your local machine.
  • Fetch changes from the remote without integrating them immediately.

Adding the remote is the essential first step to synchronizing your local work with your GitHub project.

Git Command Purpose Example
cd Change directory cd my-repo
git remote add Connect local repo to a remote repository git remote add origin <url>
git remote -v List existing remotes and their URLs git remote -v
git push Upload local commits to a remote git push origin main
git pull Fetch and merge changes from a remote git pull origin main
git fetch Download commits, files, and refs from a remote repo git fetch origin

By following these steps, you successfully connect your local repository to its counterpart on GitHub, enabling collaborative development and remote backups.

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