How to add SSH key to GitHub?

 
Step 1: Check for existing SSH keys
 

Before creating a new SSH key, verify whether you already have one on your machine.

• Open a terminal (Git Bash on Windows, Terminal on macOS/Linux).
• List existing SSH keys in the default directory:

ls -al ~/.ssh

Look for files named id_rsa, id_ed25519, etc. If you already have a key you want to use, skip to Step 4.

 
Step 2: Generate a new SSH key
 

Create a new SSH key pair using the Ed25519 algorithm (recommended) or RSA if needed.

• Replace your\[email protected] with your GitHub email address.

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your\[email protected]"

When prompted:

• Accept the default file location by pressing Enter.
• Optionally enter a passphrase for added security, or press Enter twice for no passphrase.

 
Step 3: Add your SSH private key to the SSH agent
 

The SSH agent manages your keys and passphrases during a session.

• Start the SSH agent in the background:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

• Add your private key to the agent (replace id\_ed25519 if you used a different name):

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id\_ed25519

 
Step 4: Copy the SSH public key to your clipboard
 

You need to copy the contents of your public key file (\*.pub) to GitHub.

• On macOS:

pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id\_ed25519.pub

• On Linux (with xclip installed):

xclip -sel clip < ~/.ssh/id\_ed25519.pub

• On Windows (Git Bash):

clip < ~/.ssh/id\_ed25519.pub

 
Step 5: Add the SSH key to your GitHub account
 

Now paste the copied key into your GitHub SSH keys settings.

• Navigate to https://github.com/settings/keys.
• Click New SSH key or Add SSH key.
• Enter a descriptive Title (e.g., “Work Laptop Key”).
• Paste your key into the Key field.
• Click Add SSH key.
• If prompted, confirm with your GitHub password.

 
Step 6: Test your SSH connection
 

Verify that GitHub recognizes your key.

• In your terminal, run:

ssh -T [email protected]

You should see a message like:

Hi username! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

 
Step 7: Configure Git to use SSH (optional)
 

If you cloned repos over HTTPS, update the remote URL to SSH:

• Navigate to your repository folder:

cd path/to/your-repo

• Change the remote URL:

git remote set-url origin [email protected]:username/your-repo.git

• Verify the change:

git remote -v

You’re now set up to securely communicate with GitHub over SSH!