Here’s a step-by-step guide to creating your GitHub account:
- Go to the GitHub website: Open your web browser and navigate to https://github.com/join or simply https://github.com and look for the “Sign up” button.
Enter your details: You’ll be prompted to provide the following information:
- Email address: Use a valid email address that you have access to, as GitHub will send a verification code there.
- Password: Choose a strong and unique password. GitHub typically requires at least 15 characters, or at least 8 characters including a number and a lowercase letter.
- Username: Choose a unique username. This will be your public identity on GitHub. It’s often lowercase and can include hyphens.
- Choose preferences (optional but helpful): GitHub might ask you a few questions to tailor your experience, such as:
- How many team members will be working with you?
- What specific features are you interested in using (e.g., collaborative coding, automation, project management)? You can answer these questions or choose to skip personalization.
- Verify your account (solve a puzzle): To ensure you’re not a robot, GitHub will present a short puzzle. Follow the instructions to solve it.
- Create account: After successfully solving the puzzle, click the “Create account” button.
- Enter the launch code: GitHub will send a “launch code” (a numerical verification code) to the email address you provided.
- Check your inbox (and spam/junk folder if you don’t see it immediately).
- Enter this code into the dialog box on the GitHub website.
- Choose your plan (Free vs. Pro/Team): GitHub offers a free plan with robust features, which is excellent for personal use and open-source contributions. You can also choose to explore paid plans (like GitHub Pro or Team) later if you need more advanced features or for professional team collaboration. For most individual users starting out, the free plan is sufficient. Select “Continue for free” or “Skip personalization” if that option is presented.
Congratulations! You’ve successfully created your GitHub account.
You’ll be taken to your personalized GitHub dashboard.