Home/ Questions/Q 8075653
In Process

The Archive Base Latest Questions

Editorial Team
  • 0
Asked: 2026-06-05T15:03:54+00:00

git clone supports both HTTPS and SSH remote URLs. Which should I use? What

  • 0

git clone supports both HTTPS and SSH remote URLs. Which should I use? What are the advantages of each?

GitHub’s docs don’t make a recommendation either way. I recall in 2013 GitHub used to recommend SSH (archive link). Why was that?

Share

Leave an answer

You must login to add an answer.

Need An Account,

1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    GitHub have changed their recommendation several times (example).

    It appears that they currently recommend HTTPS because it is the easiest to set up on the widest range of networks and platforms, and by users who are new to all this.

    There is no inherent flaw in SSH (if there was they would disable it) — in the links below, you will see that they still provide details about SSH connections too:

    1. HTTPS is less likely to be blocked by a firewall.

      https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/getting-started-with-git/about-remote-repositories#cloning-with-https-urls

      The https:// clone URLs are available on all repositories, regardless of visibility. https:// clone URLs work even if you are behind a firewall or proxy.

    2. An HTTPS connection allows credential.helper to cache your password.

      https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/quickstart/set-up-git#connecting-over-https-recommended

      If you clone with HTTPS, you can cache your GitHub credentials in Git using a credential helper. For more information, see "Cloning with HTTPS urls" and "Caching your GitHub credentials in Git."

    • 0