docs/content/migrations/importing-source-code/using-the-command-line-to-import-source-code/importing-an-external-git-repository-using-the-command-line.md

title, intro, redirect_from, versions, shortTitle

title	intro	redirect_from	versions	shortTitle
Importing an external Git repository using the command line	{% ifversion fpt %}If your Git repository is stored on a code hosting service that is not accessible from the public internet, you can import the repository using Git on the command line.{% else %}If your source code is tracked in a Git repository, you can import the repository using Git on the command line.{% endif %}	/articles/importing-a-git-repository-using-the-command-line /github/importing-your-projects-to-github/importing-a-git-repository-using-the-command-line /github/importing-your-projects-to-github/importing-source-code-to-github/importing-a-git-repository-using-the-command-line /get-started/importing-your-projects-to-github/importing-source-code-to-github/importing-a-git-repository-using-the-command-line /get-started/importing-your-projects-to-github/importing-source-code-to-github/importing-an-external-git-repository-using-the-command-line	fpt ghes ghae ghec * * * *	External Git repo

Before you start, make sure you know:

• Your {% data variables.product.product_name %} username
• The clone URL for the external repository, such as https://external-host.com/user/repo.git or git://external-host.com/user/repo.git (perhaps with a user@ in front of the external-host.com domain name)

{% tip %}

For purposes of demonstration, we'll use:

• An external account named extuser
• An external Git host named https://external-host.com
• A {% data variables.product.product_name %} personal account named ghuser
• A repository on {% ifversion ghae %}{% data variables.product.product_name %}{% else %}{% data variables.location.product_location %}{% endif %} named repo.git

{% endtip %}

1. Create a new repository on {% data variables.product.product_name %}. You'll import your external Git repository to this new repository.
2. On the command line, make a "bare" clone of the external repository using the external clone URL. This creates a full copy of the data, but without a working directory for editing files, and ensures a clean, fresh export of all the old data.

$ git clone --bare https://external-host.com/EXTUSER/REPO.git
# Makes a bare clone of the external repository in a local directory

3. Push the locally cloned repository to {% data variables.product.product_name %} using the "mirror" option, which ensures that all references, such as branches and tags, are copied to the imported repository.

$ cd REPO.git
$ git push --mirror https://{% data variables.command_line.codeblock %}/USER/REPO.git
# Pushes the mirror to the new repository on {% ifversion ghae %}{% data variables.product.product_name %}{% else %}{% data variables.location.product_location %}{% endif %}

4. Remove the temporary local repository.

$ cd ..
$ rm -rf REPO.git

If the repository you are importing contains large files, you may run into a warning or error. For more information on large files and how to manage them, see "AUTOTITLE."