How to Create a Remote Branch in Git

Actually, Git does not allow creating a (new, isolated) branch on a remote repository. Instead, you can push an existing local branch and thereby publish it on a remote repository.

In this short article, we'll explain how to do this and what to watch out for!

(1) A Local Branch You Want to Publish

As already said, creating a remote branch actually starts on the opposite end: in your local Git repository! You need to make sure you have a local branch that represents a state you want to push to the remote.

If you already have such a local branch at hand, you can simply check it out:

$ git checkout <branch-name>

If such a local branch doesn't yet exist, you can easily create it:

# To create a new local branch...
# ...based on the current revision:
$ git checkout -b <branch-name>

# ...based on a specific revision hash:
$ git checkout -b <branch-name> <commit-hash>

(2) Push the Local Branch to the Remote Repository

Now, with the correct local branch checked out, you can publish it on a remote repository - thereby "creating" it on that remote:

$ git push -u origin <branch-name>

Please mind the "-u" option: it establishes a "tracking relationship" between the existing local and the new remote branch.

The article "How to Set Upstream Branch in Git" explains this in detail. But here's a brief explanation: such a tracking relationship makes any future "push" and "pull" operations very easy. You can simply run a plain git push or git pull without any further options! The tracking relationship saved the source/target branch and the exact remote so that it can be looked up in further interactions.

Learn More

• Check out the chapter on Inspecting Remote Data in our free online book.
• More frequently asked questions about Git & version control