How to Determine the URL That a Local Git Repository Was Originally Cloned From

Sometimes you need to check which remote server your local Git repository is connected to. Maybe you've cloned several projects and forgot which fork you're working with, or you're debugging connection issues and need to verify the remote URL. Git stores this information in your repository configuration, and you can access it with a few simple commands.

TLDR

Run git remote -v to see all remote URLs for your repository. The origin remote typically shows where you originally cloned from. For just the URL, use git config --get remote.origin.url.

Prerequisites

You need a local Git repository that was cloned from a remote source. If you initialized the repository locally without cloning, it won't have any remote URLs unless you've added them manually.

Quick Method: View All Remotes

The fastest way to see your remote repository URLs is:

git remote -v

This shows all configured remotes with their URLs. You'll typically see output like:

origin  [email protected]:username/project-name.git (fetch)
origin  [email protected]:username/project-name.git (push)

The -v flag stands for "verbose" and displays both the remote name and its URL. Most repositories have at least one remote called origin, which is the default name Git assigns to the remote you cloned from.

Understanding Remote Names

When you clone a repository, Git automatically creates a remote called origin that points to the source repository:

# When you clone a repository
git clone [email protected]:username/project-name.git

# Git automatically sets up 'origin' as the remote

But repositories can have multiple remotes. For example, if you're contributing to an open source project, you might have:

origin     [email protected]:your-username/project-name.git (fetch)
origin     [email protected]:your-username/project-name.git (push)
upstream   [email protected]:original-owner/project-name.git (fetch)
upstream   [email protected]:original-owner/project-name.git (push)

In this setup:

• origin points to your fork
• upstream points to the original repository you forked from

Getting a Specific Remote URL

If you want just the URL without extra formatting, use git config:

# Get the origin remote URL
git config --get remote.origin.url

This outputs only the URL:

[email protected]:username/project-name.git

This is useful when you need the URL for scripts or when piping the output to other commands.

For a different remote, replace origin with the remote name:

# Get upstream remote URL
git config --get remote.upstream.url

Checking Remote URLs from the Config File

Git stores remote information in your repository's configuration file. You can view it directly:

# View the entire config file
cat .git/config

Look for sections like this:

[remote "origin"]
    url = [email protected]:username/project-name.git
    fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*

This shows not just the URL but also the fetch configuration for that remote.

You can also use git config to view all remote settings:

# Show all remote-related configuration
git config --get-regexp remote.*

Output:

remote.origin.url [email protected]:username/project-name.git
remote.origin.fetch +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*

Distinguishing Between HTTPS and SSH URLs

Remote URLs come in two main formats:

HTTPS format:

https://github.com/username/project-name.git

SSH format:

[email protected]:username/project-name.git

The format affects how you authenticate:

• HTTPS typically uses username and password or personal access token
• SSH uses SSH keys

To see which you're using:

git remote -v

If you want to switch from one format to another, you can change the URL:

# Switch from HTTPS to SSH
git remote set-url origin [email protected]:username/project-name.git

# Switch from SSH to HTTPS
git remote set-url origin https://github.com/username/project-name.git

Working with Multiple Remotes

In some workflows, you'll have multiple remotes configured. Here's how to navigate them:

# List all remote names
git remote

# Get detailed info about a specific remote
git remote show origin

The git remote show command provides comprehensive information:

* remote origin
  Fetch URL: [email protected]:username/project-name.git
  Push  URL: [email protected]:username/project-name.git
  HEAD branch: main
  Remote branches:
    main     tracked
    develop  tracked
  Local branch configured for 'git pull':
    main merges with remote main
  Local ref configured for 'git push':
    main pushes to main (up to date)

This shows:

• Fetch and push URLs (they can be different)
• Which remote branches Git knows about
• How your local branches relate to remote branches

When Fetch and Push URLs Differ

Sometimes repositories have different URLs for fetching and pushing:

# Set different URLs for fetch and push
git remote set-url origin [email protected]:username/project-name.git
git remote set-url --push origin [email protected]:username/project-name.git

Check if you have different URLs:

git remote -v

You might see:

origin  https://github.com/username/project-name.git (fetch)
origin  [email protected]:username/project-name.git (push)

This setup lets you fetch via HTTPS (which works through firewalls more reliably) but push via SSH (which is often more convenient with key-based authentication).

Handling Repositories Without Remotes

If you initialized a repository locally without cloning, you won't have any remotes:

git init my-project
cd my-project
git remote -v
# No output - no remotes configured

To add a remote to an existing local repository:

# Add a remote called origin
git remote add origin [email protected]:username/project-name.git

# Verify it was added
git remote -v

Troubleshooting Remote URL Issues

If you're having connection problems, check these common issues:

Problem: Wrong URL format

# Check current URL
git remote -v

# If it's wrong, update it
git remote set-url origin [email protected]:correct-user/correct-repo.git

Problem: Remote doesn't exist

# Try to fetch to test connectivity
git fetch origin

# If it fails, verify the URL is correct
git remote -v

Problem: Permission denied

Check if you're using the right authentication method:

# For SSH, test your connection
ssh -T [email protected]

# For HTTPS, you might need to update credentials

Using Remote URLs in Scripts

When writing scripts, you often need to extract the remote URL:

#!/bin/bash

# Get the origin URL
REPO_URL=$(git config --get remote.origin.url)

# Extract just the repository name
REPO_NAME=$(basename -s .git "$REPO_URL")

echo "Working with repository: $REPO_NAME"
echo "Remote URL: $REPO_URL"

This is useful for automation tasks like:

• Cloning related repositories
• Building CI/CD pipelines
• Creating backup scripts
• Generating documentation

Verifying Remote Repository Access

Before pushing or pulling, you might want to verify you can access the remote:

# Test connectivity to the remote
git ls-remote origin

This lists all references in the remote repository. If it succeeds, you have access. If it fails, you'll see authentication or connection errors that help diagnose the problem.

Now you know how to find your repository's remote URLs and work with them effectively. This knowledge is particularly useful when managing multiple repositories, troubleshooting connection issues, or setting up complex workflows with multiple remotes.