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Clone an existing Git repo

TFS 2017 | TFS 2015 | TFS 2013

Visual Studio 2019 | Visual Studio 2017 | Visual Studio 2015

You can create a local copy of a remote Git repo by cloning it into a local folder on your computer. Cloning a remote repo downloads all commits on all branches of the repo, unless you use the --single-branch clone option. Cloning links each branch in your new local repo with the corresponding branch in the remote repo. That way, when you push to share your local branch changes with your team, the corresponding remote branch is updated. Similarly, when you pull to update your local branch with changes made by your team, updates from the corresponding remote branch are retrieved. The remote repo can be an Azure Repos Git repo, a GitHub repo, or other hosted Git repo.

This article provides procedures for the following tasks:

  • Get the clone URL for an Azure Repos Git repo
  • Get the clone URL for a GitHub repo
  • Clone an Azure Repos Git repo
  • Clone a GitHub repo
  • Clone any Git repo
  • Open a Visual Studio solution from a cloned repo

For an overview of the Git workflow, see Azure Repos Git tutorial.

Prerequisites for access to Azure Repos

  • To view code, you must be a member of an Azure DevOps project with Basic access or higher. If you aren't a project member, get added.

  • To clone or contribute to code, you must be a member of the Contributors security group or have the corresponding permissions.

Get the clone URL of an Azure Repos Git repo

Typically, you need to know the clone URL of the remote repo that you want to clone. The clone URL uniquely identifies the remote repo.

Note

When you're signed into an Azure DevOps project, Visual Studio supports searching for and cloning project repos without needing to know the clone URL.

  1. From your web browser, open the team project for your Azure DevOps organization, and then choose Repos > Files to open the Files view.

    Screenshot of the Azure DevOps project page.

  2. In the Files view, choose Clone to launch the Clone Repository popup.

    Screenshot of the Clone button on the Azure DevOps repo page.

  3. Copy the clone URL from the Clone Repository popup.

    Screenshot of the 'Clone Repository' popup on the Azure DevOps project site.

Get the clone URL of a GitHub repo

Typically, you need to know the clone URL of the remote repo that you want to clone. The clone URL uniquely identifies the remote repo.

Note

When you're signed into GitHub, Visual Studio supports searching for and cloning GitHub repos without needing to know the clone URL.

  1. Open a browser and navigate to your GitHub account, select the Repositories tab, and choose the repository to clone.

    Screenshot of the repository page on the GitHub site.

  2. On the GitHub repository page, choose Code to launch the Clone popup. Copy the clone URL from the Clone popup.

    Screenshot of the Clone popup on the  page on the GitHub site.

Clone an Azure Repos Git repo

By signing in as a member of an Azure DevOps project, you can clone private repos that are accessible to you, and public repos. Visual Studio supports search, clone, and sync operations on repos that are accessible through authentication.

Note

You can clone a public Azure Repos Git repo without signing in as a member of its parent Azure DevOps project. To clone a public Git repo without signing in, see Clone any Git repo and Connect to a project in Azure DevOps.

Visual Studio 2019 version 16.8 and later versions provides a Git version control experience while maintaining the Team Explorer Git user interface. To use Team Explorer, uncheck Tools > Options > Preview Features > New Git user experience from the menu bar. You can use Git features from either interface interchangeably. Below, we provide a side-by-side comparison for cloning an Azure Repos Git repo.

Visual Studio Git

  1. From the Git menu on the menu bar, choose Clone Repository to open the Clone a repository window.

Screenshot of the 'Clone Repository' option in the Git menu in Visual Studio 2019.

  1. In the Clone a repository window, select Azure DevOps under Browse a repository to open the Connect to a Project window.

Screenshot of the 'Clone Repository' window in Visual Studio 2019.

  1. In the Connect to a Project window, sign in to Azure DevOps and choose the remote repo you want to clone. You can use the search box to filter the list of remote repos. If you don't see the remote repo, select Add Azure DevOps Server to add the server that hosts the repo. Verify the local folder path where you want the local clone to be created, and then select Clone.

Screenshot of the 'Connect to a Project' window in Visual Studio 2019.

Visual Studio Team Explorer

  1. In Team Explorer, select Connect to open the Connect page, and then choose Manage Connections > Connect to Project.

Screenshot of the 'Connect to a Project' link in Team Explorer in Visual Studio 2019.

  1. In the Connect to a Project window, sign in to Azure DevOps and choose the remote repo you want to clone. You can use the search box to filter the list of remote repos. If you don't see the remote repo, select Add Azure DevOps Server to add the server that hosts the repo. Verify the local folder path where you want the local clone to be created, and then select Clone.

Screenshot of the 'Connect to a Project' window in Visual Studio 2019.

After you've cloned a remote Git repo, Visual Studio detects the local clone and adds it to the list of Local Repositories in the Git menu.

Screenshot of the 'Local Repositories' option in the Git menu in Visual Studio 2019.

Clone a GitHub repo

By signing into GitHub or using SSH authentication, you can clone private repos that are accessible to you, and public repos. Visual Studio supports search, clone, and sync operations on repos that are accessible through authentication.

Note

You can clone a public GitHub repo without signing in to GitHub or otherwise authenticating. To clone a public Git repo without signing in, see Clone any Git repo.

Visual Studio 2019 version 16.8 and later versions provide a Git version control experience that supports search, clone, and sync operations on GitHub repos that are accessible through authentication. To clone a GitHub repo using Team Explorer, see Clone any Git repo. The following steps apply to the Git version control experience.

  1. From the Git menu on the menu bar, choose Clone Repository to open the Clone a repository window.

    Screenshot of the 'Clone Repository' option in the Git menu in Visual Studio 2019.

  2. In the Clone a repository window, select GitHub under Browse a repository to open the Open from GitHub window.

    Screenshot of the GitHub option in the 'Clone Repository' window in Visual Studio 2019.

  3. In the Open from GitHub window, sign in to GitHub and choose the remote repo you want to clone. You can use the search box to filter the list of remote repos. Verify the local folder path where you want the local clone to be created, and then choose Clone.

    Screenshot of the 'Open from GitHub' window in Visual Studio 2019.

After you've cloned a remote Git repo, Visual Studio detects the local clone and adds it to the list of Local Repositories in the Git menu.

Screenshot of the 'Local Repositories' option in the Git menu of Visual Studio 2019.

Clone any Git repo

You can clone any Git repo that's accessible to you by using the clone URL of the repo.

Visual Studio 2019 version 16.8 and later versions provides a Git version control experience while maintaining the Team Explorer Git user interface. To use Team Explorer, uncheck Tools > Options > Preview Features > New Git user experience from the menu bar. You can use Git features from either interface interchangeably. Below, we provide a side-by-side comparison for cloning any Git repo.

Visual Studio Git

  1. From the Git menu on the menu bar, choose Clone Repository to open the Clone a repository window.

Screenshot of the 'Clone Repository' option in the Git menu in Visual Studio 2019.

  1. In the Clone a repository window, enter the clone URL of the remote Git repo that you want to clone, verify the local folder path where you want to create the local clone, and then choose Clone.

Screenshot of the 'Clone a repository' window in Visual Studio 2019.

Visual Studio Team Explorer

  1. In Team Explorer, select Connect to open the Connect page, and then choose Clone under Local Git Repositories.

Screenshot of the Clone link in the  Connect view of Team Explorer in Visual Studio 2019.

  1. Enter the clone URL of the remote Git repo that you want to clone, verify the local folder path where you want to create the local clone, and then choose Clone. To clone the remote Git repo and any Git repos that are nested within it, leave Recursively Clone Submodules checked.

Screenshot of the Clone options in the 'Local Git Repositories' section of the 'Team Explorer' Connect view in Visual Studio 2019.

After you've cloned a remote Git repo, Visual Studio detects the local clone and adds it to the list of Local Repositories in the Git menu.

Screenshot of the 'Local Repositories' option from the Git menu in Visual Studio 2019.

Open a Visual Studio solution from a cloned repo

Visual Studio 2019 version 16.8 and later versions provides a Git version control experience while maintaining the Team Explorer Git user interface. To use Team Explorer, uncheck Tools > Options > Preview Features > New Git user experience from the menu bar. You can use Git features from either interface interchangeably. Below, we provide a side-by-side comparison for opening a Visual Studio solution from a cloned repo.

Visual Studio Git

  1. Choose the File > Open > Project/Solution from the menu bar, and select the solution file to open.

Screenshot of the Open Solution option in the File menu in Visual Studio 2019.

  1. The Visual Studio solution that you selected is now open in Solution Explorer.

Screenshot of an open solution in 'Solution Explorer' in Visual Studio 2019.

Visual Studio Team Explorer

  1. Right-click on a repository in the Connect view of Team Explorer and choose Open.

Screenshot of cloned repos in the 'Local Git Repositories' section of Team Explorer in Visual Studio 2019.

  1. In the Home view of Team Explorer, double-click your solution file under Solutions.

Screenshot of the solution file in the Solutions section of Team Explorer in Visual Studio 2019.

  1. The Visual Studio solution that you selected is now open in Solution Explorer.

Screenshot of an open solution within 'Solution Explorer' in Visual Studio 2019.

Next steps