Add a folder

[mbrasseau]

How do we add a folder to a repository?   I have searched and searched and I see an icon for a new file, but nothing anywhere for a new folder.  Nor did I find the question asked anywhere here on the forum, which I find quite weird.

[SethClydesdale]

Hello @mbrasseau,

To create a new folder in a repository click “create a new file.” Type your new folder’s name in the area where you would write the file name, and at the end of the file name type a “/” to initilize it as a folder. After this you can create a new file in the folder.

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Alternatively, you can clone the repo locally and add a new folder, and then push the changes to github using the command line or Github Desktop.

[Mattu104]

and to make an empty folder just use a .gitignore

[Arjunr3108]

super nice work around but a simple add folder from GitHub would have made that simple, Thanks.

[Gamer-Within001]

Thank You

[NYEEH]

Hello @mbrasseau,

To create a new folder in a repository click “create a new file.” Type your new folder’s name in the area where you would write the file name, and at the end of the file name type a “/” to initilize it as a folder. After this you can create a new file in the folder.

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Alternatively, you can clone the repo locally and add a new folder, and then push the changes to github using the command line or Github Desktop.

Nearly 2025 and still hasn't changed. What an embarrassment.

[Mursteinen]

Thats how to make a file AND a folder, not how to make a folder.
In order to make only a folder, you now have to delete that file too.

[mbrasseau]

Thank you so very much!

[mukulmc03]

Hello, thanks for the solution! What if I want to create a new folder then upload files from the desktop?

[Glorycs29]

You can add files from your local device from the option: add file and then upload files.

[Komalprasad132]

but I want to add a folder instead of a file from my local machine, please guide

[Giannasaurus]

Up^

[SethClydesdale]

Hello @mukulmc03, welcome to the GitHub Support Community!

You can also create new folders by simply dragging and dropping a folder with files to your repository on GitHub and then uploading them. If you want the folder you’re uploading to be inside a specific sub-folder, be sure to click on and enter that sub-folder before uploading your files.

[NarendraShalivahana]

thanks man drag n drop easy peesy

[ghost]

The suggestion to name a directory as directory/ no longer appears to work. The create File menu item insists on a file being added to the directory. The question remains, how to create an empty directory in a GitHub repository.

[kayysean]

drag and drop solution still works. adding a dummy readme file when creating the dir also works.

[Nathaanlennon]

drag an empty folder doesnet work anymore

[airtower-luna]

You can’t, that’s part of how git works. Git does not track directories other than as parent directories of tracked files.

If you want a directory to exist on checkout, you can create an empty file in that directory (common filenames for that purpose would be .keep or .gitkeep). However, in many cases it’ll be better to let the build process for your project create the directory if necessary.

[ghost]

Thank you, it helped me to get started with Github in the way I wanted to.

[lunapari455]

On GitHub you can do it this way:

1. Go to the folder inside which you want to create another folder.
2. Click on New file.
3. On the text field for the file name, first write the folder name you want to create.
4. Then type / . …
5. You can add more folders similarly.
6. Finally, give the new file a name (for example)
   How do I create a folder in a GitHub repository? - Stack Overflow
   Also You can read full article on here: website

[fungos34]

I'm new to GitHub, so maybe i didn't get it yet. But to me this seems to be a crucial flaw of this platform. How can a coding platform which is so widely used not support such an essential functionality ...

[PocroLoco]

I agree that the way they do folders is kind of odd. I'm also new to GitHub but I dont get why you cant just add a create folder button like you would on like windows file explorer or any file system for that matter.

[Hyperion72R]

The problem of missing empty folders is related to git's data structures, look at this:

• https://www.quora.com/Why-is-Git-so-awful/answer/Steven-J-Owens
• https://archive.kernel.org/oldwiki/git.wiki.kernel.org/index.php/GitFaq.html#Can_I_add_empty_directories.3F

[ed2050]

Then github should put an empty file in it. Honestly it's not that hard to implement something sensible, instead of pushing the problem onto confused users with no idea what to do. Make a **** folder button already.

[Aksshay88]

To add a folder to a GitHub repository, you can follow these general steps:

Navigate to Your Repository:
Open the GitHub repository where you want to add the folder.

Upload Files:

If the folder you want to add doesn't exist locally on your machine, create it using your file explorer or command line.
If the folder already exists on your machine, make sure it contains the files you want to add.
Commit Changes:

Open a terminal or command prompt.

Navigate to the local repository's directory using the cd command.

Use the following commands to add the folder and its contents, and commit the changes:

bash

git add foldername/*   # Replace 'foldername' with the actual name of your folder
git commit -m "Add a descriptive commit message"

This stages the changes (using git add) and then commits them with a message.

Push Changes to GitHub:

After committing changes locally, you need to push them to the GitHub repository.

bash

git push origin branch_name

Replace 'branch_name' with the name of the branch you are working on (often, it's the 'main' branch).

Now, your folder and its contents should be added to the GitHub repository.

If you are working with a new repository or need to initialize a new repository on GitHub, you can follow GitHub's instructions when creating a new repository, including a guide on initializing with a README file and adding existing files and folders. You can find these options when creating a new repository on the GitHub website.

[Argo624]

Thanks. It worked.

[labrat08]

Perfect! Thank you!

[bcfletcher]

whomever at github thought that adding a "/" to a filename was an appropriate way to create a folder FLUNKED user interface design 101. That is the most asinine non-intuitive poorly thought out way to create a folder i have ever seen in 40 years of software development.

it is basically stupid.

thanks @SethClydesdale for writing up the answer. it is rather unfortunate that you had to do because of github's poor UI design

[bcfletcher]

your file_name "/" and your folder created

I understand you can do that. My point is that is a massive user interface design failure when it is the only way to create the folder. While a convenient feature, in well thought thru design there would be an explicit menu item to also create folders. GitHub's web interface has a large number of examples of poor and incoherent design and clearly no one experienced in good UI design was involved.

[RK-CBE]

Thanks

[Mikolaj100]

Thanks #1

[afelonia]

Thank you so much

[vinkay215]

To create a new folder in a repository click “create a new file.” Type your new folder’s name in the area where you would write the file name, and at the end of the file name type a “/” to initilize it as a folder. After this you can create a new file in the folder.

[megalives717]

not working

[aflacake]

Try use / want to make folder or directory. Go to folder (created) if you want to create some file

[rubyFeedback]

Hmm. This one confused me just a moment ago, because I was searching for "create a new directory". So I was not used to "create a new file" being used for this. Also, folder is a strange name - should we not call it directory instead?

Right now this confuses me. But if everyone else is using that terminology here, well ...

Still, UI-wise I would actually add a second entry, "add a new directory". Right now it is a bit confusing that this has to be done via "add a new file" - I was confused why we can only add new files but not a new directory! Of course we can via appending the /, but I still find that confusing when it is meant to create a FILE. I understand we can create a new file, and automatically create a directory, but what if I FIRST want to create the directory, and only lateron add a file? On Linux I often create a dir and only later add content, such as by writing a new file. I never ever FIRST create the file and only upon SAVING that file, expect that the directory is AUTOMATICALLY created. That seems backward logic to me and I think many Linux users here also agree with that - see how many upvotes the original threadstarter got.

In a comment above it is reasoned by some that this is due to git not tracking directories. This may be, but github is more than "merely" git; it also lets people view files and directories content easily. So github already uses an UI and some kind of internal logic that is independent on git, so based on that rationale and observation I would also reason that "add new directory" should be an action too, irrespective over as to whether git itself tracks directories or not.

[Richard-Sebastian-C]

They need to make a better way to make folders. Its 2025

[bcfletcher]

I 100% agree the current approach is archaic, non-intuitive, and a major example of bad user interface design. the fact that this entire issue is even here proves their UI design is flawed.

[aflacake]

Use CLI is faster than HTTPS. I also difficult to edit files here (use HTTPS)

[ComotoJC]

This is preposterous really. We had a repo get a little tangled up because old employees forgot to push some things blah blah stuff happens. Not a big deal. But a new folder was added inside the repo. Still not a big deal. GHDT Windows finds and shows the folder. Stages a commit. Basically "hey look I found this folder don't you want to commit it and the files inside?" Seems absolute childs play.

But NO. CANT DO IT. Have to download and install git bash CLI and jump through idiotic hoops ("git add ." by the way, which isn't mentioned in almost any of the answers to people having this problem... "git add foldername/*" BLOWS because it will create either a submodule or an embedded repo).

How GHDT can find the folder and files and yet not offer the simply GUI functionality to "do you want to add this folder?" (or "make submodule" as an option even) is ludicrous. What a waste of time for an insanely obvious situation and operation.

[aflacake]

If you want remote repository

[aflacake]

Open your repo and create a new file, give a name to your folder, example you want 3 folders, like:
folder1/folder2/folder3/
after deciding the folder give the file:
folder1/folder2/folder3/file-file.txt

The file file-file.txt locate folder3. When you create file at folder1, go to folder1/folder2 > navigate to folder1

[Mursteinen]

You are explaining how to make a file, not how to make a directory.

Its a Chat GPT level answer.

[aflacake]

Folder called "directory" and I dont use chat GPT for the answer 🙂

[MelanieS]

This took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out, but I created a guide on how to do it once I figured it out: https://youtu.be/IG1WeDXkAtA

I hope it helps someone