In Git, origin is the default name for the remote repository your local project is connected to. But what if you need to change that origin—say, to push to a new GitHub repo, switch from HTTPS to SSH, or move to a different hosting provider?
In this post, you’ll learn how to view, change, and verify your Git remote origin using simple commands.
🧠 Why Change the Remote Origin?
You might need to update the origin if:
- You cloned from the wrong repo.
- You forked a project and now want to push to your own version.
- You’re moving from GitHub to GitLab or vice versa.
- You switched from HTTPS to SSH (or the other way around).
🔍 Step 1: Check the Current Origin
Before making changes, verify the current remote origin:
git remote -v
Output:
origin https://github.com/old-user/old-repo.git (fetch)
origin https://github.com/old-user/old-repo.git (push)
✏️ Step 2: Change the Remote Origin URL
Syntax:
git remote set-url origin <new-remote-url>
Example – Switching to a new GitHub repo:
git remote set-url origin https://github.com/your-username/new-repo.git
Or with SSH:
git remote set-url origin gi*@gi****.com:your-username/new-repo.git
✅ Step 3: Verify the Change
Check that the origin URL has been updated:
git remote -v
You should see the new URL:
origin https://github.com/your-username/new-repo.git (fetch)
origin https://github.com/your-username/new-repo.git (push)
➕ Optional: Add a New Remote Instead of Replacing
If you want to keep the existing origin and add another remote:
git remote add upstream https://github.com/original-owner/original-repo.git
This is useful when contributing to forks.
🧠 Best Practices
- Use SSH for secure access (especially for pushing).
- Use meaningful remote names (
origin,upstream,production, etc.). - Always verify URLs before pushing to avoid mistakes.
🔁 Summary of Commands
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Check current remote | git remote -v |
| Change origin URL | git remote set-url origin <new-url> |
| Add a new remote | git remote add <name> <url> |
| Remove a remote | git remote remove <name> |
| Show detailed info | git remote show origin |
🧩 Final Thoughts
Changing the Git remote origin is quick, but crucial—especially when you’re collaborating or reorganizing your repository structure. With just a couple of commands, you can seamlessly point your local repo to a new remote destination.
