How to Use git push origin

One of the top features in Git is the ability to share your local work with others by sending the committed changes to a remote repository hosted on websites like GitHub or GitLab.

Syncing the changes with a remote repository ensures your code is safely stored outside your local machine and keeps your team or automation systems up to date with the latest changes.

This tutorial will show you how to use the git push origin command to sync your changes with a remote repository.

Prerequisites

• Git installed (install Git on Ubuntu, macOS, and Windows).
• A remote Git repository.

What Is git push origin Command?

The git push origin command is a way to tell Git to transfer the commits from your current branch up to the remote repository named origin (which, by convention, is the URL you cloned from). If that branch already exists on the remote repository, and if that branch's upstream is already set to origin, the new commits are appended. If the branch does not exist yet, Git creates it.

The command syntax is:

git push origin [branch]

Specify the exact [branch] name to avoid mistakes when you have multiple remotes configured (for example, upstream, staging, etc.), because it forces you to specify exactly where your changes should go. If the [branch] name is left out, Git falls back on your push.default setting to decide what to send.

git push origin vs. git push

The primary difference between git push origin and git push is that git push uses your branch's configured upstream to decide what and where to send, whereas git push origin explicitly targets the origin remote.

To explain further:

• git push relies on your branch's configured upstream (remote and branch) and your push.default setting to decide what and where to push. If your current branch already tracks a remote counterpart (e.g., origin/main), then git push will send your new commits there. If no upstream is set, Git throws an error prompting you to specify one.
• git push origin explicitly names the remote (origin) but still uses your current branch's upstream or push.default to infer the branch name on that remote. As long as your branch tracks origin/[branch], you can omit the branch name on the command line, and Git will push to origin by default.

In practice, once you establish tracking, git push and git push origin behave identically and push your current branch's commits to origin. However, git push origin is slightly more explicit about which remote you intend to update. This helps prevent accidental pushes if you have multiple remotes configured in your repo.

git push origin Flags

The git push origin flags allow you to tailor how refs (branches and tags) are pushed to your remote. Use the flags for different scenarios, whether you want to push everything, clean up, set tracking, or handle complex forced updates.

The table below provides some key flags along with their descriptions:

How to Use git push origin

The git push origin command sends your local commits to a remote repository named origin. By default, origin refers to the clone URL you copied when you cloned the repo. You can push to any branch on the remote, or configure upstream tracking so that future pushes are simpler.

The sections below show how to push to a branch and how to set up upstream tracking for the main branch or any other branch.

Push to a Branch

Before setting up upstream tracking, you can explicitly specify both the remote (origin) and the branch name. This is useful when you want to push to a branch that doesn't yet exist on the remote.

git push origin to Main Branch

Use the command below to push your local main branch to the remote's main branch:

git push origin main

The command uploads your local main commits to origin/main.

If you are still using master instead of main for your main branch, specify master instead:

git push origin master

git push origin to Specific Branch

You can also push your commits to a specific branch other than the main one. For example, if you are working on a feature branch named feature/login, push it with:

git push origin feature/login

The command ensures your feature/login branch is available on the remote.

Set Up Upstream Tracking

Upstream tracking links a local branch with a remote branch. Once you set up an upstream branch, you can simply run git push or git pull without specifying origin or the branch name each time.

You only need to set upstream once per branch. After that, Git remembers where to push and pull.

Setting Up Upstream Tracking for Main Branch

To configure your local main branch to track origin/main, first make sure you're on the main branch:

git switch main

If your main branch is master, use:

git switch master

Next, run the command below to set up upstream tracking for the main branch:

git push --set-upstream origin main

In the command:

• --set-upstream (or -u) tells Git to record the remote branch as the upstream for your current branch.
• origin is the remote name.
• main is the branch you want to track. If you still use the old naming convention, replace main with master.

Now you can use git push (or git pull) while on main, and Git will know to push to and pull from origin/main.

Setting up Upstream Tracking for Specific Branch

If you are working on a branch like feature/login, you must first switch to that branch. This ensures Git knows which local branch should track which remote one. Run the command below:

git switch feature/login

Next, set up upstream tracking with:

git push -u origin feature/login

Once set, you can run git push or git pull without additional parameters while on that branch. It streamlines your workflow and avoids errors.

Conclusion

This tutorial showed how to use the git push origin command to send your local changes to a remote repository hosted on GitHub or GitLab. Sync your changes regularly to ensure that all collaborators are working with the latest code versions.

Next, learn to overwrite a local branch with a remote one or see how to compare two Git branches.