How to Push Code to GitHub (or any other Remote)

Run git push from your local repository - or git push -u origin <branch-name> the first time - to upload your commits to GitHub. Below is the full step-by-step setup, plus the point where you can swap the command line for a couple of clicks in Tower instead.

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Step 1 — Create a Local Repository

If you already have a local Git repository, skip to Step 2.

Open a terminal, change into your project's base directory, and initialize a new repository:

$ cd projects/my-project
$ git init
$ git add .
$ git commit -m "Initial commit"

Step 2 — Create a Remote Repository on GitHub

Open GitHub.com in your browser and create a new repository from your Dashboard:

Then, on the repository's main page, click the green "Code" button to copy the remote URL:

Step 3 — Connect and Push

Connect your local repository to the new remote and push:

$ git remote add origin <remote repository URL>
$ git push -u origin master

The -u flag creates an upstream tracking connection so that future pushes and pulls on this branch need no extra arguments — just git push.

Common Push Options

-u / --set-upstream

Sets up a tracking connection on first push so future git push calls need no arguments:

$ git push -u origin develop

--delete

Deletes the specified remote branch:

$ git push origin --delete feature/login

--all

Pushes all local branches to the remote at once:

$ git push --all

--tags

Pushes all local tags to the remote:

$ git push --tags

Learn More

• Check out the chapter Starting with an Unversioned Project – Desktop GUI edition in our free online book