Visual Studio is one of the most popular IDEs for developers, and it comes with excellent Git integration built-in. Connecting your GitHub account to Visual Studio allows you to clone repositories, manage branches, commit code, and push changes—all without leaving the IDE.
This guide will walk you through the process of connecting GitHub to Visual Studio smoothly and getting you started with your projects.
Prerequisites
- Visual Studio 2019 or later (Community, Professional, or Enterprise edition)
- A GitHub account
- Git installed (Visual Studio usually includes this)
Step 1: Sign in to GitHub from Visual Studio
- Open Visual Studio.
- Go to the View menu and select Git Changes or open the Git menu.
- Click on Manage Connections (the plug icon).
- Under GitHub, click Sign in.
- A login window will open—enter your GitHub credentials.
- Authorize Visual Studio to access your GitHub account.
Once signed in, Visual Studio can access your repositories and personal settings.
Step 2: Clone a GitHub Repository
- In Visual Studio, go to File > Open > Project from Source Control or use the Git menu.
- Choose Clone Repository.
- Select your GitHub account.
- Browse your repositories or paste a GitHub URL.
- Choose a local folder to clone the repo to.
- Click Clone.
Your repository will be downloaded locally, and Visual Studio will open it for you.
Step 3: Create a New Repository and Publish to GitHub
- Create or open your project in Visual Studio.
- Go to the Git Changes window.
- Click Publish to GitHub.
- Enter repository details—name, description, and visibility (public/private).
- Click Publish.
Visual Studio will create the repo on GitHub and push your code.
Step 4: Commit and Push Changes
- Make changes to your project files.
- Open the Git Changes window.
- Review your staged and unstaged changes.
- Write a commit message.
- Click Commit All (or Commit All and Push to push immediately).
You can also sync changes and manage branches all within Visual Studio’s Git interface.
Troubleshooting Tips
- If you don’t see GitHub as an option, ensure you have the GitHub Extension for Visual Studio installed (check Extensions > Manage Extensions).
- For multi-factor authentication on GitHub, generate a personal access token (PAT) and use it as your password.
- If your Git settings are misconfigured, reset or configure Git settings via Tools > Options > Source Control > Git Global Settings.
Summary
| Task | How to Do It in Visual Studio |
|---|---|
| Sign in to GitHub | Git menu > Manage Connections > Sign in |
| Clone a repository | Git menu > Clone Repository |
| Publish new repo to GitHub | Git Changes > Publish to GitHub |
| Commit and push changes | Git Changes > Commit All / Commit and Push |
Final Thoughts
Connecting GitHub to Visual Studio streamlines your workflow by keeping your source control and coding environment integrated. It saves time, reduces context switching, and helps you focus on writing quality code.
