Downloading a Git repository means creating a local copy of the remote project on your computer. This allows you to view, edit, and work on the project offline.
This guide explains how to download (clone) a Git repository step-by-step.
✅ What You Need Before Downloading
- Git installed on your machine.
Download it here if you don’t have it: https://git-scm.com/downloads - The repository URL (HTTPS or SSH).
✅ Step 1: Get the Repository URL
On GitHub or any Git hosting platform, navigate to the repository page.
Click the Code button and copy the URL, e.g.:
- HTTPS:
https://github.com/username/repository.git - SSH:
gi*@gi****.com:username/repository.git
✅ Step 2: Open Your Terminal or Git Bash
- Windows: Git Bash (recommended) or Command Prompt
- macOS/Linux: Terminal
✅ Step 3: Navigate to Your Desired Folder
Use the cd command to move to the folder where you want to download the repo:
cd path/to/your/folder
✅ Step 4: Clone the Repository
Run the git clone command with the URL you copied:
git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git
or via SSH:
git clone gi*@gi****.com:username/repository.git
This will download the repository into a new folder named after the repo.
✅ Step 5: Verify the Download
Navigate into the repository folder:
cd repository
Check the Git status:
git status
You should see that you’re on the default branch and ready to start working.
🧩 Summary of Commands
| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Navigate to folder | cd path/to/your/folder |
| Clone the repository | git clone <repository-url> |
| Enter the repo folder | cd repository-name |
| Check Git status | git status |
📌 Final Tips
- Use HTTPS if you don’t have SSH keys set up.
- For private repositories, authentication is required (username/password, token, or SSH).
- GUI tools like GitHub Desktop can simplify downloading repos if you prefer a graphical interface.
