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GitHub for beginners: the hub of everything you build with AI

What GitHub is, why it's the hub of your projects, and how to start: create your account, install Git, connect it to VS Code and save your first project with commits and push.

  • GitHub
  • Git
  • VS Code

GitHub is the hub of everything you build: it connects your editor (VS Code), your AI assistant (Claude Code) and your online publishing (Vercel). Your code lives there, it saves every version, and every time you push a change your site updates itself.

In this guide you’ll create your account, install Git, connect it to VS Code and save your first project. Pick your system (Windows or Mac) with the buttons above and tap each step to open it.

Git vs GitHub (in 10 seconds)
  • Git is the tool on your computer that saves versions of your code.
  • GitHub is the website where you upload and share those projects (and where they get published from).

Think: Git is the camera 📸 and GitHub is the cloud album.

1 Create your GitHub account
  1. Go to https://github.com
  2. Click “Sign up”.
  3. Enter your email, a password and a username (it becomes part of your links, e.g. github.com/your-username).
  4. Confirm your email. Done, you have an account!

The free plan includes unlimited repositories (public and private). You don’t need to pay for this guide.

2 Install Git

Git is what creates the “versions” of your code on your computer.

  1. Go to https://git-scm.com/download/win and download the installer.
  2. Open it and click “Next” with the default options until “Finish”.

(Shortcut if you have winget: winget install --id Git.Git -e)

  1. Open the Terminal and run xcode-select --install. Accept the popup, that installs Git.

(Or with Homebrew: brew install git)

To check it worked: open PowerShellthe Terminal and type:

git --version

If you see a number like git version 2.45.0, you’re set!

3 Connect VS Code to GitHub
  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Open the Source Control panel (the branch icon in the left bar) or use Ctrl + Shift + GCmd + Shift + G.
  3. At the bottom-left, click the account icon and choose “Sign in with GitHub”. Your browser opens.
  4. Authorize and go back to VS Code. You’re connected.

If you do the next step (publish a repo), VS Code will also prompt you to sign in right there.

4 Create your first repository

A repository (or “repo”) is your project’s folder on GitHub. The easiest way is from VS Code:

  1. Open your project folder with File → Open Folder.
  2. Go to Source Control and click “Publish to GitHub”.
  3. Choose public (anyone can see it) or private (only you).
  4. VS Code creates the repo in your account and uploads your project.

Prefer the web? On github.com click “New” → name it → “Create repository”, then connect it from VS Code.

5 Save your changes: commit and push

Every time you change something, you save a “version” and upload it:

  1. In Source Control, write a short message (e.g. “Add the home page”).
  2. Click ✓ Commit (saves the version on your computer).
  3. Click “Sync Changes / Push” to upload it to GitHub.

Commit = save a snapshot of your project with a message. Push = upload that snapshot to GitHub.

Bonus: let Claude Code (and Vercel) do the work
  • With Claude Code (see tutorial) you just say: “commit and push with a clear message” and it does it for you.
  • Connect your repo to Vercel and every push publishes your site automatically. That’s exactly the flow this site was built with: you write → Claude pushes to GitHub → Vercel publishes it.
If something goes wrong
ProblemFix
It says git is not recognizedGo back to Step 2 and install Git; close and reopen VS Code
I don’t see “Publish to GitHub”Sign in with GitHub first (Step 3)
I uploaded something private by mistakeOn GitHub → repo Settings → switch it to private
It asks for a username/password when pushingSign in with GitHub in VS Code (Step 3)