This version of GitHub Enterprise will be discontinued on This version of GitHub Enterprise was discontinued on 2020-08-20. 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 2.18

Creating new files

You can create new files directly on GitHub Enterprise in any repository you have write access to.

When creating a file on GitHub Enterprise, consider the following:

Warning: Never git add, commit, or push sensitive information to a remote repository. Sensitive information can include, but is not limited to:

  • Passwords
  • SSH keys
  • AWS access keys
  • API keys
  • Credit card numbers
  • PIN numbers

For more information, see "Removing sensitive data from a repository."

  1. On GitHub Enterprise, navigate to the main page of the repository.

  2. In your repository, browse to the folder where you want to create a file.

  3. Above the list of files, click Create new file.

    "Create new file" button

  4. In the file name field, type the name and extension for the file. To create subdirectories, type the / directory separator.

    New file name

  5. On the Edit new file tab, add content to the file.

    Content in new file

  6. To review the new content, click Preview.

    New file preview button

  7. At the bottom of the page, type a short, meaningful commit message that describes the change you made to the file. You can attribute the commit to more than one author in the commit message. For more information, see "Creating a commit with multiple co-authors."

    Commit message for your change

  8. Below the commit message fields, decide whether to add your commit to the current branch or to a new branch. If your current branch is the default branch, you should choose to create a new branch for your commit and then create a pull request. For more information, see "Creating a new pull request."

    Commit branch options

  9. Click Propose new file.

    Propose new file button

Further reading

Ask a human

Can't find what you're looking for?

Contact us