This version of GitHub Enterprise will be discontinued on This version of GitHub Enterprise was discontinued on 2020-05-23. No patch releases will be made, even for critical security issues. For better performance, improved security, and new features, upgrade to the latest version of GitHub Enterprise. For help with the upgrade, contact GitHub Enterprise support.

Article version: Enterprise Server 2.17

Setting the default branch

The default branch is considered the base branch in your repository, against which all pull requests and code commits are automatically made, unless you specify a different branch.

Your default branch is named master. If you have admin rights over a repository on your GitHub Enterprise Server instance, you can change the default branch on the repository.

  1. On GitHub Enterprise, navigate to the main page of the repository.
  2. Under your repository name, click Settings.
    Repository settings button
  3. In the left menu, click Branches.
    Repository options sub-menu
  4. In the default branch sidebar, choose the new default branch.
    Default branch dropdown selector

You can only switch between branches that already exist on your GitHub Enterprise Server instance. To create a new branch through the UI, see "Creating and deleting branches within your repository".

Warning: This affects your trunk branch contents on the Git-Subversion bridge and the HEAD you'd see when you git ls-remote this repository's upstream URL.

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