How to Use git config: Syntax, Examples, and Tips

Use git config to set Git configuration options either globally or per repository. The command syntax is git config [--global] key value, where --global applies settings for your user, and without it applies settings only to the current repository.

Syntax

The basic syntax of git config is:

• git config [--global] <key> <value>: Sets a configuration value.
• --global: Optional flag to apply the setting globally for your user.
• <key>: The configuration name, like user.name or core.editor.
• <value>: The value to assign to the key.
• You can also use git config --list to see all current settings.

bash

git config [--global] <key> <value>
git config --list

Example

This example shows how to set your Git user name and email globally, then check the settings.

bash

git config --global user.name "Alice Example"
git config --global user.email "[e-mail]"
git config --list

Output

user.name=Alice Example
user.email=[e-mail]
...

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes include:

• Forgetting --global when you want to set user info for all repos, causing settings to apply only to the current repo.
• Using incorrect key names, which Git will accept but not apply properly.
• Not quoting values with spaces, leading to errors or partial values.

bash

git config user.name "Alice Example"  # Wrong: missing quotes, sets only local

git config --global user.name "Alice Example"  # Correct: quotes and global

Quick Reference

Command	Description
git config --global user.name "Your Name"	Set your global Git user name
git config --global user.email "[e-mail]"	Set your global Git email
git config user.name "Repo Name"	Set user name only for current repo
git config --list	Show all Git config settings
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"	Set default editor globally

Key Takeaways

Use git config --global to set user info for all repositories.

Always quote values with spaces to avoid errors.

Check your settings anytime with git config --list.

Use correct key names like user.name and user.email.

Local config overrides global config for the current repository.