Connect an existing local repository to GitHub

You already have local commits in notes-app. Now you want GitHub to host a shared copy without losing the history you built locally.

After creating an empty repository on GitHub, add its URL as a remote—commonly named origin. The local repository then knows where to fetch from and push to.

git push -u origin main pushes the local main branch and sets its upstream tracking relationship. Later, plain git push and git pull can often use that configured relationship.

Run this in a disposable practice repository unless the lesson explicitly says otherwise.

git remote add origin https://github.com/USERNAME/notes-app.git
git remote -v
git push -u origin main

Replace USERNAME with the actual owner. Authentication may use GitHub CLI, a credential helper/personal access token over HTTPS, or SSH depending on your setup.

Your task: After setting an upstream, run git branch -vv and identify the local branch and its tracked remote branch.

Copy the remote URL from the intended repository and inspect it with git remote -v. Accidentally pushing to the wrong owner or repository is a preventable configuration mistake.

Connect an existing local repository to GitHub is complete when you can explain the state being changed before you run the command, not merely repeat the syntax.

Read further: official supporting documentation.