Start a Fresh Repository Locally and Push It to GitHub

Create a project folder, initialize Git, craft the first commit, and publish it to a new remote.

When to use

Start here when you are bootstrapping a brand new project that is not yet tracked in GitHub (or any remote).

Checklist

You have a project name and a local folder path in mind.
You have a GitHub personal access token or SSH access ready if your organization requires it.

Steps

Create the project directory and switch into it.
```
mkdir todo-api && cd todo-api
```
Initialize the repository and confirm the default branch name.
```
git init
git status
```

Add any starter files and make your first commit.

echo '# Todo API' > README.md
git add README.md
git commit -m "chore: bootstrap project"

Create the matching empty repository in GitHub (via the web UI or the gh CLI) without initializing it with a README.

Wire up the remote and push the branch.

git remote add origin [email protected]:your-user/todo-api.git
git push -u origin main

Verification

git remote -v shows the URL you expect.
The repository page on GitHub displays your README and initial commit.

Follow-up

Add a license file if the project is public.
Set up branch protection rules in GitHub before collaborating.