🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 156 (from laksa052)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa156.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://digital.gov/resources/an-introduction-github\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://digital.gov/resources/an-introduction-github\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/digital.gov\/resources\/an-introduction-github","crawl_time":1776551257,"first_indexed_time":1635193425,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"gov,digital!\/resources\/an-introduction-github s443","src_root_hash":"3247271678681557956","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"An introduction to GitHub | Digital.gov","meta_descriptions":["Steps for managing website content in GitHub."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Note\nIn this first training video, Content Strategy and Design Specialist for GSA’s\nTechnology Transformation Services (TTS)\n, Malaika Carpenter, breaks down how to use GitHub into easy, practical steps and demonstrates ways to use this tool to create, manage and publish website content.\nWhat is GitHub?\nGitHub\nis a web-based interface that uses\nGit\n, the open source version control software that lets multiple people make separate changes to web pages at the same time. As Carpenter notes, because it allows for real-time collaboration, GitHub encourages teams to work together to build and edit their site content.\nHow can GitHub help my team and me?\nGitHub allows multiple developers to work on a single project at the same time, reduces the risk of duplicative or conflicting work, and can help decrease production time. With GitHub, developers can build code, track changes, and innovate solutions to problems that might arise during the site development process simultaneously. Non-developers can also use it to create, edit, and update website content, which Carpenter demonstrates in her tutorial.\nHow do I speak GitHub?\nThere are some common terms teams will need to understand when using GitHub. They are:\nGit\n— a tool that allows developers and others to use version control\nGitHub\n— one of many web interfaces for using Git\nOrganization (org)\n— a grouping mechanism allowing teams to collaborate across many projects at once\nRepository (repo)\n— a folder in which all files and their version histories are stored\nBranch\n— a version of the repo that allows work without affecting other branches. Repos may have many branches for different possible changes being tested or considered, along with a default branch that serves as the source of truth.\nFork\n— a new repository that inherits from a parent “upstream” repo. It is used to suggest changes to an “upstream” public repo by someone who doesn’t have access to edit in the repo’s home org.\nMarkdown (.md)\n— a way to write content that converts plain text to formatted text.\nCommit Changes\n— a saved record of a change made to a file within the repo.\nPull Request (PR)\n— a request for changes made to a branch to be pulled into another branch. Allows multiple users to see, discuss and review work being suggested.\nMerge\n— after a pull request is approved, the commit will be pulled in (or merged) from one branch to another and then, deployed on the live site\nIssues\n— allow users to report issues or bugs and track progress of assigning the fix for the issues.\nCloud.gov Pages (formerly Federalist)\n— a platform that securely deploys a website from a GitHub repository in minutes, and lets users preview proposed and published changes.\nProjects\n— allows you to use GitHub for project management and tracking a set of issues, either for a specific repo or an entire org\nWiki\n— a section of a repo made for hosting documentation. Documentation may be in the repo’s README files instead.\nBecoming fluent in GitHub terminology might seem intimidating at first, but the more team members engage with the platform, the easier it is to understand the ins and outs of GitHub.\nHow do I use GitHub?\nNote\nThis second tutorial and live demonstration covers a variety of Git-related concepts so that you can have confidence using GitHub in the future. You can also\n.\nIn the demonstrations on this page, both presenters show how files are changed and merged in GitHub. This can be done by any member on the team, developers and non-developers, that has access to a GitHub repository. The following is a step-by-step method in which GitHub users can develop their websites:\nStep 1\n— Team members will open an issue via a project board.\nStep 2\n— Team members will create a new branch from the most recent version of the main branch in the repository where the entire team works to avoid conflicts.\nStep 3\n— Team members will add commits (edits or changes) to their respective branches.\nStep 4\n— Team members will open a pull request in which users can assign other team members to review content changes and internally discuss the details of the commits.\nStep 5\n— After waiting for the Federalist build to complete, team members can preview the change on a test version of the website and request reviewers to approve or comment on the change. Once the reviewers approve the pull request, the commits merge into the main branch and are published on the live site.\nWhat else do I need to know about GitHub?\nWhen starting a project using issues and project boards, write your content on external word processors or via Google Docs, and then, save these files to their respective project boards. These steps allow developers and content creators to have a master copy of the file(s), thus helping them track changes over the course of a project.\nIn addition, developers should consider downloading\nGitHub Desktop\n. GitHub Desktop allows users to do everything that could be done on GitHub’s web interface, but locally on a user’s machine.\nGitHub is built to be a collaborative interface. By allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously and requiring cross-team approval for pull requests, GitHub not only allows for, but encourages collaboration within design teams. This type of collaboration can help produce a higher level of quality control.\nAdditional resources\nIntro to GitHub | TTS Handbook\n- a guide on how to use GitHub from understanding basic level terminology to understanding more complicated concepts.\nSimple Guide to GitHub for Non-Developers\n- a resource that explains the basics of GitHub language.\nGetting Started with GitHub Desktop\n- a guide to help GitHub Desktop users understand how to work from a local computer.\nMarkdown Cheat Sheet\n- is a tool to help users transcribe plain text language into GitHub code.","attrs_markdown":"[Skip to main content](https:\/\/digital.gov\/resources\/an-introduction-github#main-content)\n\n[Skip to main content](https:\/\/digital.gov\/resources\/an-introduction-github#main-content)\n\n![](https:\/\/digital.gov\/themes\/custom\/digital_gov\/static\/uswds\/img\/us_flag.svg)\n\nAn official website of the United States government\n\nHere’s how you know\n\nHere’s how you know\n\n![](https:\/\/digital.gov\/themes\/custom\/digital_gov\/static\/uswds\/img\/icon-dot-gov.svg)\n\n**Official websites use .gov**   \n A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.\n\n![](https:\/\/digital.gov\/themes\/custom\/digital_gov\/static\/uswds\/img\/icon-https.svg)\n\n**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**  \nA **lock** ( Locked padlock) or **https:\/\/** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.\n\n*[![](https:\/\/digital.gov\/themes\/custom\/digital_gov\/logo.svg)](https:\/\/digital.gov\/ \"Digital.gov Home\")*\n\nGuidance on building better digital services in government\n\nMenu\n\n![close](https:\/\/digital.gov\/themes\/custom\/digital_gov\/static\/uswds\/img\/usa-icons\/close.svg)\n\n- [Join communities](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities)\n- [Browse resources](https:\/\/digital.gov\/resources)\n- [Explore guides](https:\/\/digital.gov\/guides)\n- [Read blogs](https:\/\/digital.gov\/news)\n\n1. [Home](https:\/\/digital.gov\/)\n2. [Resources](https:\/\/digital.gov\/resources)\n3. An Introduction To GitHub\n\n# An introduction to GitHub\nHow to use GitHub to create, manage, and publish website content.\n\n#### Note\nIn this first training video, Content Strategy and Design Specialist for GSA’s [Technology Transformation Services (TTS)](https:\/\/tts.gsa.gov\/), Malaika Carpenter, breaks down how to use GitHub into easy, practical steps and demonstrates ways to use this tool to create, manage and publish website content.\n## What is GitHub?\n[GitHub](https:\/\/www.github.com\/) is a web-based interface that uses [Git](https:\/\/www.git-scm.com\/), the open source version control software that lets multiple people make separate changes to web pages at the same time. As Carpenter notes, because it allows for real-time collaboration, GitHub encourages teams to work together to build and edit their site content.\n\n## How can GitHub help my team and me?\nGitHub allows multiple developers to work on a single project at the same time, reduces the risk of duplicative or conflicting work, and can help decrease production time. With GitHub, developers can build code, track changes, and innovate solutions to problems that might arise during the site development process simultaneously. Non-developers can also use it to create, edit, and update website content, which Carpenter demonstrates in her tutorial.\n\n## How do I speak GitHub?\nThere are some common terms teams will need to understand when using GitHub. They are:\n\n- **Git** — a tool that allows developers and others to use version control\n- **GitHub** — one of many web interfaces for using Git\n- **Organization (org)** — a grouping mechanism allowing teams to collaborate across many projects at once\n- **Repository (repo)** — a folder in which all files and their version histories are stored\n- **Branch** — a version of the repo that allows work without affecting other branches. Repos may have many branches for different possible changes being tested or considered, along with a default branch that serves as the source of truth.\n- **Fork** — a new repository that inherits from a parent “upstream” repo. It is used to suggest changes to an “upstream” public repo by someone who doesn’t have access to edit in the repo’s home org.\n- **Markdown (.md)** — a way to write content that converts plain text to formatted text.\n- **Commit Changes** — a saved record of a change made to a file within the repo.\n- **Pull Request (PR)** — a request for changes made to a branch to be pulled into another branch. Allows multiple users to see, discuss and review work being suggested.\n- **Merge** — after a pull request is approved, the commit will be pulled in (or merged) from one branch to another and then, deployed on the live site\n- **Issues** — allow users to report issues or bugs and track progress of assigning the fix for the issues.\n- [**Cloud.gov Pages (formerly Federalist)**](https:\/\/cloud.gov\/pages\/features\/) — a platform that securely deploys a website from a GitHub repository in minutes, and lets users preview proposed and published changes.\n- **Projects** — allows you to use GitHub for project management and tracking a set of issues, either for a specific repo or an entire org\n- **Wiki** — a section of a repo made for hosting documentation. Documentation may be in the repo’s README files instead.\n\nBecoming fluent in GitHub terminology might seem intimidating at first, but the more team members engage with the platform, the easier it is to understand the ins and outs of GitHub.\n\n## How do I use GitHub?\n#### Note\nThis second tutorial and live demonstration covers a variety of Git-related concepts so that you can have confidence using GitHub in the future. You can also\n\n[download the slides that are found in this presentation (.pptx, 28.4 MB, 41 slides)](https:\/\/digital.gov\/s3\/files\/m-files\/07-25-2023-github-basics-final.pptx)\n\n.\n\nIn the demonstrations on this page, both presenters show how files are changed and merged in GitHub. This can be done by any member on the team, developers and non-developers, that has access to a GitHub repository. The following is a step-by-step method in which GitHub users can develop their websites:\n\n- **Step 1** — Team members will open an issue via a project board.\n- **Step 2** — Team members will create a new branch from the most recent version of the main branch in the repository where the entire team works to avoid conflicts.\n- **Step 3** — Team members will add commits (edits or changes) to their respective branches.\n- **Step 4** — Team members will open a pull request in which users can assign other team members to review content changes and internally discuss the details of the commits.\n- **Step 5** — After waiting for the Federalist build to complete, team members can preview the change on a test version of the website and request reviewers to approve or comment on the change. Once the reviewers approve the pull request, the commits merge into the main branch and are published on the live site.\n## What else do I need to know about GitHub?\nWhen starting a project using issues and project boards, write your content on external word processors or via Google Docs, and then, save these files to their respective project boards. These steps allow developers and content creators to have a master copy of the file(s), thus helping them track changes over the course of a project.\n\nIn addition, developers should consider downloading [GitHub Desktop](https:\/\/desktop.github.com\/). GitHub Desktop allows users to do everything that could be done on GitHub’s web interface, but locally on a user’s machine.\n\nGitHub is built to be a collaborative interface. By allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously and requiring cross-team approval for pull requests, GitHub not only allows for, but encourages collaboration within design teams. This type of collaboration can help produce a higher level of quality control.\n\n## Additional resources\n- [Intro to GitHub \\| TTS Handbook](https:\/\/handbook.tts.gsa.gov\/intro-to-github\/) - a guide on how to use GitHub from understanding basic level terminology to understanding more complicated concepts.\n- [Simple Guide to GitHub for Non-Developers](https:\/\/unito.io\/blog\/guide-to-github-for-project-managers\/) - a resource that explains the basics of GitHub language.\n- [Getting Started with GitHub Desktop](https:\/\/docs.github.com\/en\/desktop\/overview\/getting-started-with-github-desktop) - a guide to help GitHub Desktop users understand how to work from a local computer.\n- [Markdown Cheat Sheet](https:\/\/www.markdownguide.org\/cheat-sheet\/) - is a tool to help users transcribe plain text language into GitHub code.\n\nWas this page helpful?\n\n### Join a Community\n- [Join the Communicators](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities\/communicators?promo \"Visit the Communicators community page\")\n- [Join the Contact Center](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities\/contact-center?promo \"Visit the Contact Center community page\")\n- [Join the Multilingual](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities\/multilingual?promo \"Visit the Multilingual community page\")\n- [Join the Plain Language](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities\/plain-language?promo \"Visit the Plain Language community page\")\n- [Join the Social Media](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities\/social-media?promo \"Visit the Social Media community page\")\n- [Join the User Experience](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities\/user-experience?promo \"Visit the User Experience community page\")\n- [Join the Web Analytics](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities\/web-analytics-and-optimization?promo \"Visit the Web Analytics community page\")\n- [Join the Web Managers](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities\/web-content-managers?promo \"Visit the Web Managers community page\")\n\n[See all 8 communities](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities)\n\n[Return to top](https:\/\/digital.gov\/resources\/an-introduction-github)\n\n#### Learn\n- [Join communities](https:\/\/digital.gov\/communities)\n- [Browse resources](https:\/\/digital.gov\/resources)\n- [Explore guides](https:\/\/digital.gov\/guides)\n- [Read blogs](https:\/\/digital.gov\/news)\n\n#### Grow\n- [Contribute to Digital.gov](https:\/\/digital.gov\/about\/contribute)\n- [Submit a GitHub issue](https:\/\/github.com\/GSA\/digital-gov-drupal\/issues)\n\n#### Connect\n- [About us](https:\/\/digital.gov\/about)\n- [Contact us](https:\/\/digital.gov\/about\/contact)\n- [Site policies](https:\/\/digital.gov\/policies)\n\n#### Social\n- [X (Formerly Twitter)](https:\/\/twitter.com\/digital_gov)\n- [Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/digitalgov\/)\n- [YouTube](https:\/\/youtube.com\/@DigitalGov)\n- [LinkedIn](https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/digitalgov-gsa\/)\n\n[![GSA logo](https:\/\/digital.gov\/s3\/files\/2025-03\/gsa-logo-w100.png)](https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/)\n\nDigital.gov\n\nAn official website of the [U.S. General Services Administration](https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/)\n\n- [About GSA](http:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/about)\n- [Accessibility statement](https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/website-information\/accessibility-statement)\n- [FOIA requests](https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/reference\/freedom-of-information-act-foia)\n- [No FEAR Act data](https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/reference\/civil-rights-programs\/the-no-fear-act)\n- [Office of the Inspector General](https:\/\/www.gsaig.gov\/)\n- [Performance reports](https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/reference\/reports\/budget-performance)\n- [Privacy policy](https:\/\/www.gsa.gov\/website-information\/website-policies)\n\nLooking for U.S. government information and services?\n\n[Visit USA.gov](https:\/\/www.usa.gov\/)","attrs_readable_markdown":"#### Note\nIn this first training video, Content Strategy and Design Specialist for GSA’s [Technology Transformation Services (TTS)](https:\/\/tts.gsa.gov\/), Malaika Carpenter, breaks down how to use GitHub into easy, practical steps and demonstrates ways to use this tool to create, manage and publish website content.\n## What is GitHub?\n[GitHub](https:\/\/www.github.com\/) is a web-based interface that uses [Git](https:\/\/www.git-scm.com\/), the open source version control software that lets multiple people make separate changes to web pages at the same time. As Carpenter notes, because it allows for real-time collaboration, GitHub encourages teams to work together to build and edit their site content.\n\n## How can GitHub help my team and me?\nGitHub allows multiple developers to work on a single project at the same time, reduces the risk of duplicative or conflicting work, and can help decrease production time. With GitHub, developers can build code, track changes, and innovate solutions to problems that might arise during the site development process simultaneously. Non-developers can also use it to create, edit, and update website content, which Carpenter demonstrates in her tutorial.\n\n## How do I speak GitHub?\nThere are some common terms teams will need to understand when using GitHub. They are:\n\n- **Git** — a tool that allows developers and others to use version control\n- **GitHub** — one of many web interfaces for using Git\n- **Organization (org)** — a grouping mechanism allowing teams to collaborate across many projects at once\n- **Repository (repo)** — a folder in which all files and their version histories are stored\n- **Branch** — a version of the repo that allows work without affecting other branches. Repos may have many branches for different possible changes being tested or considered, along with a default branch that serves as the source of truth.\n- **Fork** — a new repository that inherits from a parent “upstream” repo. It is used to suggest changes to an “upstream” public repo by someone who doesn’t have access to edit in the repo’s home org.\n- **Markdown (.md)** — a way to write content that converts plain text to formatted text.\n- **Commit Changes** — a saved record of a change made to a file within the repo.\n- **Pull Request (PR)** — a request for changes made to a branch to be pulled into another branch. Allows multiple users to see, discuss and review work being suggested.\n- **Merge** — after a pull request is approved, the commit will be pulled in (or merged) from one branch to another and then, deployed on the live site\n- **Issues** — allow users to report issues or bugs and track progress of assigning the fix for the issues.\n- [**Cloud.gov Pages (formerly Federalist)**](https:\/\/cloud.gov\/pages\/features\/) — a platform that securely deploys a website from a GitHub repository in minutes, and lets users preview proposed and published changes.\n- **Projects** — allows you to use GitHub for project management and tracking a set of issues, either for a specific repo or an entire org\n- **Wiki** — a section of a repo made for hosting documentation. Documentation may be in the repo’s README files instead.\n\nBecoming fluent in GitHub terminology might seem intimidating at first, but the more team members engage with the platform, the easier it is to understand the ins and outs of GitHub.\n\n## How do I use GitHub?\n#### Note\nThis second tutorial and live demonstration covers a variety of Git-related concepts so that you can have confidence using GitHub in the future. You can also\n\n.\n\nIn the demonstrations on this page, both presenters show how files are changed and merged in GitHub. This can be done by any member on the team, developers and non-developers, that has access to a GitHub repository. The following is a step-by-step method in which GitHub users can develop their websites:\n\n- **Step 1** — Team members will open an issue via a project board.\n- **Step 2** — Team members will create a new branch from the most recent version of the main branch in the repository where the entire team works to avoid conflicts.\n- **Step 3** — Team members will add commits (edits or changes) to their respective branches.\n- **Step 4** — Team members will open a pull request in which users can assign other team members to review content changes and internally discuss the details of the commits.\n- **Step 5** — After waiting for the Federalist build to complete, team members can preview the change on a test version of the website and request reviewers to approve or comment on the change. Once the reviewers approve the pull request, the commits merge into the main branch and are published on the live site.\n## What else do I need to know about GitHub?\nWhen starting a project using issues and project boards, write your content on external word processors or via Google Docs, and then, save these files to their respective project boards. These steps allow developers and content creators to have a master copy of the file(s), thus helping them track changes over the course of a project.\n\nIn addition, developers should consider downloading [GitHub Desktop](https:\/\/desktop.github.com\/). GitHub Desktop allows users to do everything that could be done on GitHub’s web interface, but locally on a user’s machine.\n\nGitHub is built to be a collaborative interface. By allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously and requiring cross-team approval for pull requests, GitHub not only allows for, but encourages collaboration within design teams. This type of collaboration can help produce a higher level of quality control.\n\n## Additional resources\n- [Intro to GitHub \\| TTS Handbook](https:\/\/handbook.tts.gsa.gov\/intro-to-github\/) - a guide on how to use GitHub from understanding basic level terminology to understanding more complicated concepts.\n- [Simple Guide to GitHub for Non-Developers](https:\/\/unito.io\/blog\/guide-to-github-for-project-managers\/) - a resource that explains the basics of GitHub language.\n- [Getting Started with GitHub Desktop](https:\/\/docs.github.com\/en\/desktop\/overview\/getting-started-with-github-desktop) - a guide to help GitHub Desktop users understand how to work from a local computer.\n- [Markdown Cheat Sheet](https:\/\/www.markdownguide.org\/cheat-sheet\/) - is a tool to help users transcribe plain text language into GitHub code.","meta_canonical":null}

3. Robots.txt Check

Query:

Response:

4. Spam/Ban Check

Query:

Response:

5. Seen Status Check

ℹ️ Skipped - page is already crawled

📄

INDEXABLE

✅

CRAWLED

3 hours ago

🤖

ROBOTS ALLOWED

Page Info Filters

Filter	Status	Condition	Details
HTTP status	PASS	`download_http_code = 200`	HTTP 200
Age cutoff	PASS	`download_stamp > now() - 6 MONTH`	0 months ago
History drop	PASS	`isNull(history_drop_reason)`	No drop reason
Spam/ban	PASS	`fh_dont_index != 1 AND ml_spam_score = 0`	ml_spam_score=0
Canonical	PASS	`meta_canonical IS NULL OR = '' OR = src_unparsed`	Not set

Page Details

Property	Value
URL	https://digital.gov/resources/an-introduction-github
Last Crawled	2026-04-18 22:27:37 (3 hours ago)
First Indexed	2021-10-25 20:23:45 (4 years ago)
HTTP Status Code	200
Meta Title	An introduction to GitHub \| Digital.gov
Meta Description	Steps for managing website content in GitHub.
Meta Canonical	null
Boilerpipe Text	Note In this first training video, Content Strategy and Design Specialist for GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) , Malaika Carpenter, breaks down how to use GitHub into easy, practical steps and demonstrates ways to use this tool to create, manage and publish website content. What is GitHub? GitHub is a web-based interface that uses Git , the open source version control software that lets multiple people make separate changes to web pages at the same time. As Carpenter notes, because it allows for real-time collaboration, GitHub encourages teams to work together to build and edit their site content. How can GitHub help my team and me? GitHub allows multiple developers to work on a single project at the same time, reduces the risk of duplicative or conflicting work, and can help decrease production time. With GitHub, developers can build code, track changes, and innovate solutions to problems that might arise during the site development process simultaneously. Non-developers can also use it to create, edit, and update website content, which Carpenter demonstrates in her tutorial. How do I speak GitHub? There are some common terms teams will need to understand when using GitHub. They are: Git — a tool that allows developers and others to use version control GitHub — one of many web interfaces for using Git Organization (org) — a grouping mechanism allowing teams to collaborate across many projects at once Repository (repo) — a folder in which all files and their version histories are stored Branch — a version of the repo that allows work without affecting other branches. Repos may have many branches for different possible changes being tested or considered, along with a default branch that serves as the source of truth. Fork — a new repository that inherits from a parent “upstream” repo. It is used to suggest changes to an “upstream” public repo by someone who doesn’t have access to edit in the repo’s home org. Markdown (.md) — a way to write content that converts plain text to formatted text. Commit Changes — a saved record of a change made to a file within the repo. Pull Request (PR) — a request for changes made to a branch to be pulled into another branch. Allows multiple users to see, discuss and review work being suggested. Merge — after a pull request is approved, the commit will be pulled in (or merged) from one branch to another and then, deployed on the live site Issues — allow users to report issues or bugs and track progress of assigning the fix for the issues. Cloud.gov Pages (formerly Federalist) — a platform that securely deploys a website from a GitHub repository in minutes, and lets users preview proposed and published changes. Projects — allows you to use GitHub for project management and tracking a set of issues, either for a specific repo or an entire org Wiki — a section of a repo made for hosting documentation. Documentation may be in the repo’s README files instead. Becoming fluent in GitHub terminology might seem intimidating at first, but the more team members engage with the platform, the easier it is to understand the ins and outs of GitHub. How do I use GitHub? Note This second tutorial and live demonstration covers a variety of Git-related concepts so that you can have confidence using GitHub in the future. You can also . In the demonstrations on this page, both presenters show how files are changed and merged in GitHub. This can be done by any member on the team, developers and non-developers, that has access to a GitHub repository. The following is a step-by-step method in which GitHub users can develop their websites: Step 1 — Team members will open an issue via a project board. Step 2 — Team members will create a new branch from the most recent version of the main branch in the repository where the entire team works to avoid conflicts. Step 3 — Team members will add commits (edits or changes) to their respective branches. Step 4 — Team members will open a pull request in which users can assign other team members to review content changes and internally discuss the details of the commits. Step 5 — After waiting for the Federalist build to complete, team members can preview the change on a test version of the website and request reviewers to approve or comment on the change. Once the reviewers approve the pull request, the commits merge into the main branch and are published on the live site. What else do I need to know about GitHub? When starting a project using issues and project boards, write your content on external word processors or via Google Docs, and then, save these files to their respective project boards. These steps allow developers and content creators to have a master copy of the file(s), thus helping them track changes over the course of a project. In addition, developers should consider downloading GitHub Desktop . GitHub Desktop allows users to do everything that could be done on GitHub’s web interface, but locally on a user’s machine. GitHub is built to be a collaborative interface. By allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously and requiring cross-team approval for pull requests, GitHub not only allows for, but encourages collaboration within design teams. This type of collaboration can help produce a higher level of quality control. Additional resources Intro to GitHub \| TTS Handbook - a guide on how to use GitHub from understanding basic level terminology to understanding more complicated concepts. Simple Guide to GitHub for Non-Developers - a resource that explains the basics of GitHub language. Getting Started with GitHub Desktop - a guide to help GitHub Desktop users understand how to work from a local computer. Markdown Cheat Sheet - is a tool to help users transcribe plain text language into GitHub code.
Markdown	[Skip to main content](https://digital.gov/resources/an-introduction-github#main-content) [Skip to main content](https://digital.gov/resources/an-introduction-github#main-content) ![](https://digital.gov/themes/custom/digital_gov/static/uswds/img/us_flag.svg) An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know Here’s how you know ![](https://digital.gov/themes/custom/digital_gov/static/uswds/img/icon-dot-gov.svg) Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. ![](https://digital.gov/themes/custom/digital_gov/static/uswds/img/icon-https.svg) Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. [![](https://digital.gov/themes/custom/digital_gov/logo.svg)](https://digital.gov/ "Digital.gov Home") Guidance on building better digital services in government Menu ![close](https://digital.gov/themes/custom/digital_gov/static/uswds/img/usa-icons/close.svg) - [Join communities](https://digital.gov/communities) - [Browse resources](https://digital.gov/resources) - [Explore guides](https://digital.gov/guides) - [Read blogs](https://digital.gov/news) 1. [Home](https://digital.gov/) 2. [Resources](https://digital.gov/resources) 3. An Introduction To GitHub # An introduction to GitHub How to use GitHub to create, manage, and publish website content. #### Note In this first training video, Content Strategy and Design Specialist for GSA’s [Technology Transformation Services (TTS)](https://tts.gsa.gov/), Malaika Carpenter, breaks down how to use GitHub into easy, practical steps and demonstrates ways to use this tool to create, manage and publish website content. ## What is GitHub? [GitHub](https://www.github.com/) is a web-based interface that uses [Git](https://www.git-scm.com/), the open source version control software that lets multiple people make separate changes to web pages at the same time. As Carpenter notes, because it allows for real-time collaboration, GitHub encourages teams to work together to build and edit their site content. ## How can GitHub help my team and me? GitHub allows multiple developers to work on a single project at the same time, reduces the risk of duplicative or conflicting work, and can help decrease production time. With GitHub, developers can build code, track changes, and innovate solutions to problems that might arise during the site development process simultaneously. Non-developers can also use it to create, edit, and update website content, which Carpenter demonstrates in her tutorial. ## How do I speak GitHub? There are some common terms teams will need to understand when using GitHub. They are: - Git — a tool that allows developers and others to use version control - GitHub — one of many web interfaces for using Git - Organization (org) — a grouping mechanism allowing teams to collaborate across many projects at once - Repository (repo) — a folder in which all files and their version histories are stored - Branch — a version of the repo that allows work without affecting other branches. Repos may have many branches for different possible changes being tested or considered, along with a default branch that serves as the source of truth. - Fork — a new repository that inherits from a parent “upstream” repo. It is used to suggest changes to an “upstream” public repo by someone who doesn’t have access to edit in the repo’s home org. - Markdown (.md) — a way to write content that converts plain text to formatted text. - Commit Changes — a saved record of a change made to a file within the repo. - Pull Request (PR) — a request for changes made to a branch to be pulled into another branch. Allows multiple users to see, discuss and review work being suggested. - Merge — after a pull request is approved, the commit will be pulled in (or merged) from one branch to another and then, deployed on the live site - Issues — allow users to report issues or bugs and track progress of assigning the fix for the issues. - [Cloud.gov Pages (formerly Federalist)](https://cloud.gov/pages/features/) — a platform that securely deploys a website from a GitHub repository in minutes, and lets users preview proposed and published changes. - Projects — allows you to use GitHub for project management and tracking a set of issues, either for a specific repo or an entire org - Wiki — a section of a repo made for hosting documentation. Documentation may be in the repo’s README files instead. Becoming fluent in GitHub terminology might seem intimidating at first, but the more team members engage with the platform, the easier it is to understand the ins and outs of GitHub. ## How do I use GitHub? #### Note This second tutorial and live demonstration covers a variety of Git-related concepts so that you can have confidence using GitHub in the future. You can also [download the slides that are found in this presentation (.pptx, 28.4 MB, 41 slides)](https://digital.gov/s3/files/m-files/07-25-2023-github-basics-final.pptx) . In the demonstrations on this page, both presenters show how files are changed and merged in GitHub. This can be done by any member on the team, developers and non-developers, that has access to a GitHub repository. The following is a step-by-step method in which GitHub users can develop their websites: - Step 1 — Team members will open an issue via a project board. - Step 2 — Team members will create a new branch from the most recent version of the main branch in the repository where the entire team works to avoid conflicts. - Step 3 — Team members will add commits (edits or changes) to their respective branches. - Step 4 — Team members will open a pull request in which users can assign other team members to review content changes and internally discuss the details of the commits. - Step 5 — After waiting for the Federalist build to complete, team members can preview the change on a test version of the website and request reviewers to approve or comment on the change. Once the reviewers approve the pull request, the commits merge into the main branch and are published on the live site. ## What else do I need to know about GitHub? When starting a project using issues and project boards, write your content on external word processors or via Google Docs, and then, save these files to their respective project boards. These steps allow developers and content creators to have a master copy of the file(s), thus helping them track changes over the course of a project. In addition, developers should consider downloading [GitHub Desktop](https://desktop.github.com/). GitHub Desktop allows users to do everything that could be done on GitHub’s web interface, but locally on a user’s machine. GitHub is built to be a collaborative interface. By allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously and requiring cross-team approval for pull requests, GitHub not only allows for, but encourages collaboration within design teams. This type of collaboration can help produce a higher level of quality control. ## Additional resources - [Intro to GitHub \\| TTS Handbook](https://handbook.tts.gsa.gov/intro-to-github/) - a guide on how to use GitHub from understanding basic level terminology to understanding more complicated concepts. - [Simple Guide to GitHub for Non-Developers](https://unito.io/blog/guide-to-github-for-project-managers/) - a resource that explains the basics of GitHub language. - [Getting Started with GitHub Desktop](https://docs.github.com/en/desktop/overview/getting-started-with-github-desktop) - a guide to help GitHub Desktop users understand how to work from a local computer. - [Markdown Cheat Sheet](https://www.markdownguide.org/cheat-sheet/) - is a tool to help users transcribe plain text language into GitHub code. Was this page helpful? ### Join a Community - [Join the Communicators](https://digital.gov/communities/communicators?promo "Visit the Communicators community page") - [Join the Contact Center](https://digital.gov/communities/contact-center?promo "Visit the Contact Center community page") - [Join the Multilingual](https://digital.gov/communities/multilingual?promo "Visit the Multilingual community page") - [Join the Plain Language](https://digital.gov/communities/plain-language?promo "Visit the Plain Language community page") - [Join the Social Media](https://digital.gov/communities/social-media?promo "Visit the Social Media community page") - [Join the User Experience](https://digital.gov/communities/user-experience?promo "Visit the User Experience community page") - [Join the Web Analytics](https://digital.gov/communities/web-analytics-and-optimization?promo "Visit the Web Analytics community page") - [Join the Web Managers](https://digital.gov/communities/web-content-managers?promo "Visit the Web Managers community page") [See all 8 communities](https://digital.gov/communities) [Return to top](https://digital.gov/resources/an-introduction-github) #### Learn - [Join communities](https://digital.gov/communities) - [Browse resources](https://digital.gov/resources) - [Explore guides](https://digital.gov/guides) - [Read blogs](https://digital.gov/news) #### Grow - [Contribute to Digital.gov](https://digital.gov/about/contribute) - [Submit a GitHub issue](https://github.com/GSA/digital-gov-drupal/issues) #### Connect - [About us](https://digital.gov/about) - [Contact us](https://digital.gov/about/contact) - [Site policies](https://digital.gov/policies) #### Social - [X (Formerly Twitter)](https://twitter.com/digital_gov) - [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/digitalgov/) - [YouTube](https://youtube.com/@DigitalGov) - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/digitalgov-gsa/) [![GSA logo](https://digital.gov/s3/files/2025-03/gsa-logo-w100.png)](https://www.gsa.gov/) Digital.gov An official website of the [U.S. General Services Administration](https://www.gsa.gov/) - [About GSA](http://www.gsa.gov/about) - [Accessibility statement](https://www.gsa.gov/website-information/accessibility-statement) - [FOIA requests](https://www.gsa.gov/reference/freedom-of-information-act-foia) - [No FEAR Act data](https://www.gsa.gov/reference/civil-rights-programs/the-no-fear-act) - [Office of the Inspector General](https://www.gsaig.gov/) - [Performance reports](https://www.gsa.gov/reference/reports/budget-performance) - [Privacy policy](https://www.gsa.gov/website-information/website-policies) Looking for U.S. government information and services? [Visit USA.gov](https://www.usa.gov/)
Readable Markdown	#### Note In this first training video, Content Strategy and Design Specialist for GSA’s [Technology Transformation Services (TTS)](https://tts.gsa.gov/), Malaika Carpenter, breaks down how to use GitHub into easy, practical steps and demonstrates ways to use this tool to create, manage and publish website content. ## What is GitHub? [GitHub](https://www.github.com/) is a web-based interface that uses [Git](https://www.git-scm.com/), the open source version control software that lets multiple people make separate changes to web pages at the same time. As Carpenter notes, because it allows for real-time collaboration, GitHub encourages teams to work together to build and edit their site content. ## How can GitHub help my team and me? GitHub allows multiple developers to work on a single project at the same time, reduces the risk of duplicative or conflicting work, and can help decrease production time. With GitHub, developers can build code, track changes, and innovate solutions to problems that might arise during the site development process simultaneously. Non-developers can also use it to create, edit, and update website content, which Carpenter demonstrates in her tutorial. ## How do I speak GitHub? There are some common terms teams will need to understand when using GitHub. They are: - Git — a tool that allows developers and others to use version control - GitHub — one of many web interfaces for using Git - Organization (org) — a grouping mechanism allowing teams to collaborate across many projects at once - Repository (repo) — a folder in which all files and their version histories are stored - Branch — a version of the repo that allows work without affecting other branches. Repos may have many branches for different possible changes being tested or considered, along with a default branch that serves as the source of truth. - Fork — a new repository that inherits from a parent “upstream” repo. It is used to suggest changes to an “upstream” public repo by someone who doesn’t have access to edit in the repo’s home org. - Markdown (.md) — a way to write content that converts plain text to formatted text. - Commit Changes — a saved record of a change made to a file within the repo. - Pull Request (PR) — a request for changes made to a branch to be pulled into another branch. Allows multiple users to see, discuss and review work being suggested. - Merge — after a pull request is approved, the commit will be pulled in (or merged) from one branch to another and then, deployed on the live site - Issues — allow users to report issues or bugs and track progress of assigning the fix for the issues. - [Cloud.gov Pages (formerly Federalist)](https://cloud.gov/pages/features/) — a platform that securely deploys a website from a GitHub repository in minutes, and lets users preview proposed and published changes. - Projects — allows you to use GitHub for project management and tracking a set of issues, either for a specific repo or an entire org - Wiki — a section of a repo made for hosting documentation. Documentation may be in the repo’s README files instead. Becoming fluent in GitHub terminology might seem intimidating at first, but the more team members engage with the platform, the easier it is to understand the ins and outs of GitHub. ## How do I use GitHub? #### Note This second tutorial and live demonstration covers a variety of Git-related concepts so that you can have confidence using GitHub in the future. You can also . In the demonstrations on this page, both presenters show how files are changed and merged in GitHub. This can be done by any member on the team, developers and non-developers, that has access to a GitHub repository. The following is a step-by-step method in which GitHub users can develop their websites: - Step 1 — Team members will open an issue via a project board. - Step 2 — Team members will create a new branch from the most recent version of the main branch in the repository where the entire team works to avoid conflicts. - Step 3 — Team members will add commits (edits or changes) to their respective branches. - Step 4 — Team members will open a pull request in which users can assign other team members to review content changes and internally discuss the details of the commits. - Step 5 — After waiting for the Federalist build to complete, team members can preview the change on a test version of the website and request reviewers to approve or comment on the change. Once the reviewers approve the pull request, the commits merge into the main branch and are published on the live site. ## What else do I need to know about GitHub? When starting a project using issues and project boards, write your content on external word processors or via Google Docs, and then, save these files to their respective project boards. These steps allow developers and content creators to have a master copy of the file(s), thus helping them track changes over the course of a project. In addition, developers should consider downloading [GitHub Desktop](https://desktop.github.com/). GitHub Desktop allows users to do everything that could be done on GitHub’s web interface, but locally on a user’s machine. GitHub is built to be a collaborative interface. By allowing multiple users to work on the same project simultaneously and requiring cross-team approval for pull requests, GitHub not only allows for, but encourages collaboration within design teams. This type of collaboration can help produce a higher level of quality control. ## Additional resources - [Intro to GitHub \\| TTS Handbook](https://handbook.tts.gsa.gov/intro-to-github/) - a guide on how to use GitHub from understanding basic level terminology to understanding more complicated concepts. - [Simple Guide to GitHub for Non-Developers](https://unito.io/blog/guide-to-github-for-project-managers/) - a resource that explains the basics of GitHub language. - [Getting Started with GitHub Desktop](https://docs.github.com/en/desktop/overview/getting-started-with-github-desktop) - a guide to help GitHub Desktop users understand how to work from a local computer. - [Markdown Cheat Sheet](https://www.markdownguide.org/cheat-sheet/) - is a tool to help users transcribe plain text language into GitHub code.
Shard	156 (laksa)
Root Hash	3247271678681557956
Unparsed URL	gov,digital!/resources/an-introduction-github s443