Git Cheat Sheet · Synchronize

Add a remote

Q: What does "remote origin already exists" mean?

A remote already has this name: change its URL with git remote set-url origin instead of adding it.

Q: How do I publish a local repository to GitHub?

Create an empty repository on GitHub, then git remote add origin and git push -u origin main.

git remote add <name> <url>

A remote is a distant repository you exchange commits with, usually on GitHub or GitLab. git remote add origin <url> declares it under the name "origin". A cloned repository already has one.

By Julien Dudek, author of Merathon · published on 4 November 2026

What it does

Declares a remote repository to exchange commits with.

A use case

You created your repository locally and now want to publish it on GitHub.

On the command line

git remote add origin <url>: Declares the main remote.
git remote -v: Lists remotes and their URLs.
git remote set-url origin <new-url>: Changes the URL, for example to move from HTTPS to SSH.
git remote rename <old> <new>: Renames a remote.
git remote remove <name>: Deletes a remote.
git remote add upstream <url>: On a fork, declares the original repository to follow its updates.

In Merathon

In the left panel, click the "+" of the "Remote" section.
Enter the name (usually "origin") then the URL.
Right-click a remote → "Delete remote" to remove it.

Frequently asked questions

What does "remote origin already exists" mean?

A remote already has this name: change its URL with git remote set-url origin <url> instead of adding it.

How do I publish a local repository to GitHub?

Create an empty repository on GitHub, then git remote add origin <url> and git push -u origin main.