Git Cheat Sheet · Synchronize

Have one identity per folder

Q: Why is my includeIf rule not applied?

The path must end with / to cover the whole folder, and the command must be run in a repository inside that folder. Also check that no [user] is written after the rule in ~/.gitconfig, or in the repository itself.

Q: Which setting wins?

A repository's own setting comes first. In ~/.gitconfig, for a given key, the last value read counts: a [user] placed after the rule wins over the profile.

git config --global includeIf."gitdir:~/dev/pro/".path ~/.gitconfig-pro

An includeIf "gitdir:…" rule in ~/.gitconfig applies a configuration file to all the repositories in a folder. You can commit with your work email in ~/dev/pro/ and your personal email elsewhere, without setting anything repository by repository.

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

What it does

An includeIf rule applies a configuration file to all the repositories in a folder: same commit email and same SSH key (core.sshCommand) without setting anything repository by repository. For Merathon as for git on the command line, a repository's own setting takes precedence over the rule.

A use case

On your work computer, ~/dev/pro/ uses your GitLab account, ~/dev/client/ a self-hosted instance and ~/dev/perso/ GitHub, each with its own email and key.

Warning: If [user] is written after an includeIf rule in ~/.gitconfig, it takes precedence over the profile: the alert points this out. A copy of ~/.gitconfig is kept in ~/.gitconfig.merathon-original and ~/.gitconfig.merathon-backup.

On the command line

git config --global includeIf."gitdir:~/dev/pro/".path ~/.gitconfig-pro: Applies ~/.gitconfig-pro to all repositories in ~/dev/pro/.
git config --file ~/.gitconfig-pro user.email me@example.com: Sets the commit email for this folder.
git config --file ~/.gitconfig-pro core.sshCommand "ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_pro -o IdentitiesOnly=yes": Uses a specific SSH key for this folder.
git config --show-origin user.email: In a repository: the email used, and the file that sets it.

In Merathon

Preferences → "Git profiles" → "New profile".
Choose the folder, the commit name and email, then the account and the SSH key (existing, or to create).
If the open repository signs with a different email than its profile, an alert appears above the commit summary; "Use profile" removes the repository's own setting.
Over HTTPS, the token is still chosen from the remote's instance, not from the folder.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my includeIf rule not applied?

The path must end with / to cover the whole folder, and the command must be run in a repository inside that folder. Also check that no [user] is written after the rule in ~/.gitconfig, or in the repository itself.

Which setting wins?

A repository's own setting comes first. In ~/.gitconfig, for a given key, the last value read counts: a [user] placed after the rule wins over the profile.

Does the profile also choose my HTTPS token?

No, not in Merathon: the SSH key follows the folder, but the token is still chosen from the remote's instance.