---
title: "How to Create a Private “Fork” of a Public GitHub Repo"
description: "Step-by-step guide to clone a public repo into a private repository in your organization while still pulling in upstream changes."
tags:
  - git
  - github
  - private-fork
  - cli
---

# How to Create a Private “Fork” of a Public GitHub Repo | Step-by-step Guide

1. [Clone the original repository locally](https://gist.github.com/devinschumacher/c0d45bc626999f19df5429c5cd549a8c/edit#1-clone-the-original-repository-locally)
2. [Create an empty private repo in your org](https://gist.github.com/devinschumacher/c0d45bc626999f19df5429c5cd549a8c/edit#2-create-an-empty-private-repo-in-your-org)
3. [Create a local “fork” branch](https://gist.github.com/devinschumacher/c0d45bc626999f19df5429c5cd549a8c/edit#3-create-a-local-fork-branch)
4. [Re-assign remotes](https://gist.github.com/devinschumacher/c0d45bc626999f19df5429c5cd549a8c/edit#4-re-assign-remotes)
5. [Push branches to your private repo](https://gist.github.com/devinschumacher/c0d45bc626999f19df5429c5cd549a8c/edit#5-push-branches-to-your-private-repo)
6. [(optional) check the it worked](https://gist.github.com/devinschumacher/c0d45bc626999f19df5429c5cd549a8c/edit#6-optional-check-the-it-worked)
7. [Get to work](https://gist.github.com/devinschumacher/c0d45bc626999f19df5429c5cd549a8c/edit#7-get-to-work)



## Click here to watch the video 👇

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSKVQxOEark" target="_blank"><img src="https://gist.github.com/user-attachments/assets/68b409e3-8376-4c13-9fa9-8e677e7bdc1f" width="600px"></a>




---

## 1. Clone the original repository locally

```bash
git clone https://github.com/<ORIGINAL_OWNER>/<REPO_NAME>.git
```


```bash
# Rename repo to whatever you want:
mv <REPO_NAME> <NEW_NAME>

# go into folder
cd <REPO_NAME> <NEW_NAME>
```

## 2. Create an empty private repo in your org
```bash
gh api \
  --method POST \
  /orgs/<YOUR_ORG>/repos \
  -f name='<NEW_REPO_NAME>' \
  -f private=true \
  -f auto_init=false
```


## 3. Create a local “fork” branch
```bash
git checkout -b fork
```

## 4. Re-assign remotes
Rename the existing `origin` (public repo) to `upstream` and add your private repo as `origin`:

```bash
git remote rename origin upstream
git remote add origin git@github.com:<YOUR_ORG>/<NEW_REPO_NAME>.git
git branch --set-upstream-to=upstream/main fork
```

Verify:

```bash
git remote -v
# origin    git@github.com:YOUR_ORG/NEW_REPO_NAME.git (fetch)
# origin    git@github.com:YOUR_ORG/NEW_REPO_NAME.git (push)
# upstream  https://github.com/<OWNER>/<REPO>.git (fetch)
# upstream  https://github.com/<OWNER>/<REPO>.git (push)
```

## 5. Push branches to your private repo

```bash
git push -u origin main
git push -u origin fork
```

## 6. (optional) check the it worked:
```bash
git remote show origin
git remote show upstream
```


## 7. Get to work
```bash
git switch main
```

##  (optional) BUT VERY SAFE

### 1. Remove `push` ability to the upstream

You can REMOVE the ability to push your now private (and probably NSWF filled) repo by running
```bash
git remote set-url --push upstream no_push
```

Then run `git remove -v` again, and you should the push remove



⚠️ However: GitHub pull requests are not tied to git push remotes.

When you push to your origin (your fork), GitHub sees:
- Your fork has new commits
- Your fork was originally based on the place you forked from 
- GitHub suggests a PR back to upstream (since it knows the relationship)

✅ To be even safer, remove Github from offering PRs back to upstream:

👉 Detach the fork on GitHub:
1. Go to your fork: https://github.com/your-org/your-repo
2. Click Settings
3. Scroll to “Danger Zone”
4. Click “Detach fork” → Confirm

This will:
- Break GitHub’s fork link
- Make GitHub stop suggesting PRs back to the original place you forked from
- Keep your repo and remotes intact — you can still git fetch upstream from CLI



---

# Example

<img src="https://gist.github.com/user-attachments/assets/8e49d620-384f-40f9-8b16-4329e439f830" width="600px">
<img src="https://gist.github.com/user-attachments/assets/82535aee-2244-4fc4-b484-c29a4a6ad680" width="600px">





## How to work privately and use the fork

Confirmed. You can treat `fork` purely as your “upstream sync” branch and do all your actual work on `main`. Here’s the streamlined flow:

1. **Clone your private fork**  
   ```bash
   git clone git@github.com:YOUR_ORG/NEW_REPO_NAME.git
   cd NEW_REPO_NAME
   ```

2. **Ensure your remotes are set**  
   ```bash
   git remote add upstream https://github.com/ORIGINAL_OWNER/REPO.git
   # (only if you haven’t already)
   ```

3. **Update the `fork` branch from upstream**  
   ```bash
   git checkout fork
   # make sure fork tracks upstream/main:
   git branch --set-upstream-to=upstream/main fork

   git pull              # fast-forwards fork ← upstream/main
   ```

4. **Merge upstream changes into your `main`**  
   ```bash
   git checkout main
   git merge fork        # brings in all upstream updates
   git push origin main  # pushes your updated main to your org
   ```

- **You never commit on** `fork`—it’s exclusively for pulling in the third-party repo’s updates.  
- All your feature work, bug-fixes, PRs, etc. happen on `main` (or feature branches off of `main`).

### Shortcut: Merging upstream directly into `main`

If you’d rather skip the extra branch, just do:

```bash
git fetch upstream
git checkout main
git merge upstream/main
git push origin main
```

Either pattern keeps your `main` clean and your “sync” branch dedicated solely to upstream updates.