GitHub setup for beginners

GitHub Setup Guide

Use this page to go from an empty GitHub repo to a working local project that your AI coder assistant can build inside.

Basic workflow

This is the cleanest workshop path when you want to start with a new repo and let the coding assistant build the first version.

  1. Create an empty repository on GitHub. Give it a clear name for the app you want to build.
  2. Copy the repository URL. You will paste that URL into the prompt builder's repository field.
  3. Create or choose an empty folder on your computer. This will be the local working folder for the build.
  4. Open that folder in Codex, Claude Code, or another coding assistant. Open the empty local folder so your coding assistant has a place to create the files.
  5. Ask the coding assistant to connect the folder to GitHub. Tell them which repo URL to use and ask them to set up the project so the local folder and GitHub repo are connected.
  6. Fill out the Prompt Builder. Paste the empty repo URL into the repository field, then complete the rest of the prompt blocks.
  7. Paste the finished prompt into your coding assistant. Ask them to use that repo and local folder as the starting point for the build.
  8. Review, test, commit, and push. Once the first version works, save the changes back to GitHub.

Manually connecting the local folder to GitHub

Use the option that matches how you prefer to start.

Option A: Clone into a new folder

This is the simplest path when the repo already exists on GitHub. 

git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO.git
cd YOUR-REPO

Option B: Connect an empty folder you already made

Use this if you created the local folder first and want to attach it to an empty repo afterward. 

git init
git branch -M main
git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO.git

First push after your coding assistant creates files

Once the app exists locally, save the first version back to GitHub. 

git add .
git commit -m "Initial app build"
git push -u origin main

Advanced use

Use these when you want more privacy or tighter GitHub control.

Switch the repo to private

If the project should not be public, change the repository visibility before you start sharing code or collaborators.

Prefer built-in sign-in first

If your editor or terminal supports GitHub sign-in or GitHub CLI, use that before creating extra credentials.

Use a PAT only when a tool requires it

If a tool specifically asks for a token, GitHub currently recommends fine-grained personal access tokens when possible.

Keep tokens out of prompts and code

Never paste a PAT into the prompt builder, a chat transcript, or a committed file. Treat tokens like passwords.

Official GitHub docs

These links use GitHub's own documentation for the current terms and settings.