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To upload a local project folder to GitHub with Git and SSH, first make sure the project has a Git commit, create an empty GitHub repository, authenticate with an SSH key, add the repository as a remote, and push your current branch. Review staged files carefully before committing: GitHub warns, “Never git add, commit, or push sensitive information, for example passwords or API keys, to a remote repository.”
Before you begin: check the project and its Git status
Open a terminal or Git Bash and move to the project’s root folder. Check what is already there before initializing anything:
cd /path/to/your-project
git statusIf Git reports that the directory is not a repository, initialize it and create its first commit. GitHub documents git init -b main for Git 2.28.0 or later. If the folder is already tracked by Git, do not initialize a second repository; inspect its current branch and remotes instead.
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# Run only if this folder is not already a Git repository:
git init -b main
git add .
git status
# Review the staged files; unstage anything you do not intend to publish.
git commit -m "First commit"Review the staged file list and check for credentials, private configuration, or other data you do not want public or shared. A later commit that deletes a secret does not erase it from the repository’s earlier history.
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Create an empty GitHub repository
On GitHub, create a new repository under the account or organization where the project belongs. For the simplest first push, leave the options to initialize it with a README, license, or gitignore file unchecked. That keeps the remote empty so its history does not start with a separate commit. Copy the SSH URL shown on the repository setup page.
An SSH remote commonly has this form:
git@github.com:OWNER/REPOSITORY.gitReplace OWNER and REPOSITORY with the correct account or organization and repository name. GitHub supports both SSH and HTTPS remotes; this procedure uses SSH.
Set up SSH authentication
Check for an existing key
Before creating a new key, inspect the standard SSH directory:
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ls -al ~/.sshLook for a public key such as id_ed25519.pub and its corresponding private key. A public key is the file ending in .pub; never share or upload the private-key file.
Generate a key if you need one
If you do not have a suitable key, GitHub’s documented Ed25519 example is:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"Use the email associated with your GitHub account as the key’s label and choose a secure passphrase when prompted. Keep the private key private. If you use Windows, follow GitHub’s Windows-specific instructions for the SSH agent; commands differ by shell and setup.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
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Load the key and add its public half to GitHub
On macOS or Linux, GitHub documents this agent setup pattern:
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519Then copy the contents of the public-key file and, in GitHub account settings, open SSH and GPG keys, choose to add a new SSH key, select Authentication as the key type, and paste the public key. Do not paste the private key. If the repository belongs to an organization that uses SAML single sign-on, the key may also need separate authorization for that organization.
Test the SSH connection
Run the connection test:
ssh -T git@github.comOn the first connection, SSH may ask whether to trust GitHub’s host. Verify the displayed fingerprint against GitHub’s official fingerprint page before accepting. A successful test greets the authenticated GitHub username and says that GitHub does not provide shell access; that is expected.
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- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
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Add the remote and push your branch
Connect the local repository to GitHub
From the project root, add the SSH URL you copied. origin is the conventional name for the primary remote:
git remote add origin git@github.com:OWNER/REPOSITORY.git
git remote -vCheck that both the fetch and push URLs point to the intended repository. If Git says that origin already exists, inspect its URL with git remote -v. If it is the remote you intend to replace, update it instead of adding another remote with the same name:
git remote set-url origin git@github.com:OWNER/REPOSITORY.gitPush the actual current branch
Find the current branch name, then use it in the push command:
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git branch --show-current
git push -u origin mainReplace main in the push command with the branch name reported by git branch --show-current if it differs. The -u option sets the upstream tracking relationship, so later pushes can use the configured remote and branch.
After Git reports a successful push, open the GitHub repository page and confirm that the expected files and commit appear.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If the first push fails
The folder already has Git history or a remote
Skip initialization if the folder is already a Git repository. Inspect its branch with git branch --show-current and its remotes with git remote -v before changing anything. Keep an existing remote if it is already the intended repository; otherwise update its URL deliberately.
The GitHub repository already has a commit
The direct first-push steps assume the remote is empty. If you initialized the GitHub repository with a README, license, or gitignore, its history may differ from the local project’s history, and the push may not work as shown. Reconcile the histories carefully rather than treating the remote as empty.
SSH reports “Permission denied (publickey)”
Confirm that the public key was added to the GitHub account you are using and that the matching private key is available to your SSH agent. For an organization repository, check whether the key also needs SAML SSO authorization.
You discover a secret after committing
Do not push the commit. Removing a sensitive file in a later commit does not remove the earlier copy from repository history. If credentials have already been committed or pushed, follow GitHub’s sensitive-data removal guidance and rotate exposed credentials as appropriate.
Quick Recap
Sources for the GitHub steps
- GitHub Docs: Adding locally hosted code to GitHub
- GitHub Docs: About remote repositories
- GitHub Docs: About SSH
- GitHub Docs: Generating a new SSH key and adding it to the ssh-agent
- GitHub Docs: Adding a new SSH key to your GitHub account
- GitHub Docs: Testing your SSH connection
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