How to Add a Django Project to GitHub: Step-by-Step Guide

Version control is a cornerstone of modern software development, and GitHub is the most popular platform for hosting Git repositories. If you’re working on a Django web application and want to share it, collaborate with others, or simply back it up, pushing your project to GitHub is a smart move.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to add a Django project to GitHub from start to finish, including best practices for .gitignore and environment security.

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📦 Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A GitHub account: https://github.com
• Git installed on your machine: Download Git
• A Django project ready on your local machine

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🔧 Step 1: Initialize Git in Your Django Project Directory

Open your terminal or Git Bash and navigate to your project folder:

cd path/to/your/django-project

Initialize a Git repository:

git init

This will create a .git directory and allow Git to track your files.

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📄 Step 2: Create a .gitignore File

A .gitignore file tells Git which files and folders to ignore (e.g., sensitive info, compiled files, virtual environments).

Create a file named .gitignore in your project root and add:

# Python
*.pyc
__pycache__/

# Virtual environments
venv/
env/

# Django-specific
*.sqlite3
*.log
db.sqlite3

# Static files
staticfiles/
media/

# Environment variables
.env

# VSCode and IDE settings
.vscode/
.idea/

# Migrations (optional, depending on workflow)
*/migrations/__pycache__/
*/migrations/*.pyc

You can also use a pre-built template: https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/main/Python.gitignore

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🗃️ Step 3: Stage and Commit Your Files

Tell Git which files to track:

git add .

Then commit your changes:

git commit -m "Initial commit: Django project setup"

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🌐 Step 4: Create a Repository on GitHub

1. Log in to GitHub.
2. Click the “+” icon > New repository.
3. Name your repo (e.g., my-django-app) and optionally add a description.
4. Leave “Initialize this repository with a README” unchecked.
5. Click Create repository.

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🔗 Step 5: Connect Your Local Repo to GitHub

Copy the repository’s URL (either HTTPS or SSH), then run:

git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repo-name.git

Push your code:

git push -u origin master

📝 If your branch is main, use git push -u origin main instead.

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🛡️ Step 6: Protect Sensitive Data

Make sure not to upload any sensitive information like:

• Secret keys (SECRET_KEY)
• Database credentials
• API keys

Use an .env file and Django-environ or python-decouple to manage your environment variables. Don’t forget to:

1. Add .env to .gitignore
2. Load the environment variables in settings.py

Example using python-decouple:

from decouple import config
SECRET_KEY = config('SECRET_KEY')

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✅ Step 7: Verify Everything is Uploaded

Check your repository on GitHub to make sure:

• Files are properly structured
• Sensitive files are ignored
• README, .gitignore, and license are present if needed

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Bonus: Optional Enhancements

• Add a README.md with project details and setup instructions
• Add a license (e.g., MIT or Apache 2.0)
• Create a requirements file:

pip freeze > requirements.txt

• Consider adding tests and CI/CD (e.g., GitHub Actions)

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🚀 Summary

Step	Description
1	Initialize Git with git init
2	Add .gitignore for security and cleanup
3	Commit your project files
4	Create a GitHub repository
5	Connect and push using Git
6	Protect environment variables
7	Verify repo contents

Pushing your Django project to GitHub is a foundational skill for any developer. It improves collaboration, encourages clean project structure, and enables powerful integrations with CI/CD, deployment tools, and open-source communities.