GitHub
A hosted home for repositories, review and collaboration. Keep Git’s portable file history distinct from the surrounding service.
- Evidence
- Used by us
- Model
- Hosted service
- License / terms
- Hosted service; Git is open source
READ THE INTERFACE
Three places to look first.
A real public repository makes the distinction between files, history and review visible.
Files
Browse the source folders to see what the project contains. A file list describes this repository, not every part of a running website.
History
Follow the commit history to see recorded changes. Look for a reason you can connect to the changed files.
Review
Pull requests provide a place to discuss proposed changes. Their existence alone does not establish review quality.
What it adds to Git.
Git tracks file revisions. GitHub hosts repositories and adds collaboration such as issues and pull requests. They work together, but your local Git history and the GitHub service are different parts of the system. What is GitHub?.
EKG’s documented workflow uses GitHub repositories for site code and deployment. The value is a traceable change: a person can inspect what changed and connect it to a reason.
Code can move more easily than a whole project.
A mirror clone can preserve Git history. Large File Storage objects, wikis and other records need separate attention. Do not assume a source clone includes every discussion, release asset or automation setting. Backing up a GitHub repository.
Inventory what you use: code, issues, actions, packages, releases and project notes. The exit plan should name each one and explain whether it must be migrated, archived or recreated.
Deployment changes the meaning of “push.”
A connected hosting service can deploy a configured branch after a push. In our marketing-site records, that destination is production. Before using someone else’s repository, ask which actions trigger automation.
Review access to repositories and deployment credentials separately. Someone who can edit documentation should not automatically need the ability to change a live business system.
Count the service features you use.
Costs can include paid account features, automation usage, storage, development environments and staff administration. Build your estimate from the team’s actual plan and usage; a free repository alone does not describe the whole bill.
Alternatives include other Git hosting services and a self-managed Git server. Moving the remote is often simpler than replacing the review and automation habits around it.
Try a handoff.
Have a second builder clone a permitted test project, find the setup instructions and explain the last meaningful change. If the only explanation is in someone’s chat history, the repository is storing code but not yet carrying the project.
Start with the Git guide.
Sources and further reading
Primary documentation checked September 14, 2026. Product behavior and terms can change; follow the source for current details.
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