Splitting a subfolder out into a new repository

If you create a new clone of the repository, you won't lose any of your Git history or changes when you split a folder into a separate repository.

1. Open TerminalTerminalGit Bash.

2. Change the current working directory to the location where you want to create your new repository.

3. Clone the repository that contains the subfolder.

   $ git clone https://github.com/USERNAME/REPOSITORY-NAME

4. Change the current working directory to your cloned repository.

   $ cd REPOSITORY-NAME

5. To filter out the subfolder from the rest of the files in the repository, run git filter-branch, supplying this information:

   • FOLDER-NAME: The folder within your project that you'd like to create a separate repository from.

     Tip: Windows users should use / to delimit folders.

   • BRANCH-NAME: The default branch for your current project, for example, main or gh-pages.

     $ git filter-branch --prune-empty --subdirectory-filter FOLDER-NAME  BRANCH-NAME 
       # Filter the specified branch in your directory and remove empty commits
       > Rewrite 48dc599c80e20527ed902928085e7861e6b3cbe6 (89/89)
       > Ref 'refs/heads/BRANCH-NAME' was rewritten

     The repository should now only contain the files that were in your subfolder.

6. Create a new repository on GitHub.

7. At the top of your new GitHub repository's Quick Setup page, click to copy the remote repository URL.

   

   Tip: For information on the difference between HTTPS and SSH URLs, see "Which remote URL should I use?"

8. Check the existing remote name for your repository. For example, origin or upstream are two common choices.

   $ git remote -v
   > origin  https://github.com/USERNAME/REPOSITORY-NAME.git (fetch)
   > origin  https://github.com/USERNAME/REPOSITORY-NAME.git (push)

9. Set up a new remote URL for your new repository using the existing remote name and the remote repository URL you copied in step 7.

   git remote set-url origin https://github.com/USERNAME/NEW-REPOSITORY-NAME.git

10. Verify that the remote URL has changed with your new repository name.

    $ git remote -v
    # Verify new remote URL
    > origin  https://github.com/USERNAME/NEW-REPOSITORY-NAME.git (fetch)
    > origin  https://github.com/USERNAME/NEW-REPOSITORY-NAME.git (push)

11. Push your changes to the new repository on GitHub.

    git push -u origin BRANCH-NAME