# Git Clone

URL: https://softwaredictionary.org/terms/git-clone
Category: Version Control
Last updated: 2026-09-30

In short: Git clone is a Git command that downloads a complete copy of an existing repository, including its full history, and sets it up on your computer for work.

## What is git clone?

`git clone` is usually the first command you run when you join a project. Given a URL, it creates a new folder, downloads every commit and branch from the remote repository, and checks out the default branch, usually `main`, so the files appear on disk. The result is a complete, independent repository with the entire history, not just a copy of the latest files.

Behind the scenes, cloning also sets up a Git remote named `origin` that points back to the URL, plus remote-tracking branches such as `origin/main` that record where each remote branch was at the time. Your local `main` is configured to track `origin/main`, which is why a plain `git pull` or `git push` works right away. Repositories can be cloned over HTTPS, where private projects ask for a token or stored credentials, or over SSH, which authenticates with a key pair.

Cloning is like photocopying an entire filing cabinet, archive boxes included, rather than borrowing a single folder. For very large repositories you can copy less: a shallow clone with `--depth 1` downloads only the latest commit, and a partial clone with `--filter=blob:none` fetches file contents only when they are needed. Shallow clones are common in CI pipelines, where only the current code matters.

Clone is often confused with fork and with pull. A fork is a copy of a repository made on a hosting platform under your own account, and you usually clone your fork afterward to work on it locally. You clone a repository once, while `git pull` is what you run again and again afterward to bring in new commits.

## Key takeaways

- `git clone <url>` copies a repository, with its full history, to your machine.
- It automatically adds a remote named `origin` and checks out the default branch.
- Every clone is a complete repository that can be used offline.
- Shallow (`--depth 1`) and partial (`--filter=blob:none`) clones download less data.
- You clone once; afterward you use `git pull` to stay up to date.

## Example: Cloning a repository in different ways

```bash
# Copy a repository into a new folder named after it
git clone https://github.com/example/my-project.git

# Clone over SSH into a folder with a different name
git clone git@github.com:example/my-project.git work-copy

# Clone only the latest commit (faster, common in CI)
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/example/my-project.git ci-copy

# Look inside a clone: origin points back to the source URL
cd work-copy
git remote -v
git branch -a        # local main plus remote-tracking branches
```

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the difference between git clone and git pull?**

`git clone` creates a brand-new local repository from a remote one and is run once. `git pull` updates a repository you already have by fetching new commits from its remote and merging them into your current branch.

**What is the difference between cloning and forking?**

Cloning copies a repository to your computer. Forking copies it to your own account on a hosting platform, and people often fork a project first and then clone their fork.

**How do I clone a specific branch?**

Use `git clone --branch <name> <url>` to check out that branch right after cloning. Add `--single-branch` if you want Git to download only that branch's history.

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Software Dictionary: https://softwaredictionary.org/ · https://softwaredictionary.org/llms.txt