git clone makes a local copy of an existing Git repository on your computer. It downloads the project files plus the repository history, branches, and tags so you can work on it locally.

What it does

  • Creates a new local repository from a remote one, such as GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket.
  • Copies the full history, not just the latest version of the files.
  • Sets up the remote connection, usually named origin, so you can later fetch or push changes.

Simple example

If you run:

bash

git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git

Git creates a new folder for that repo, downloads the content, and prepares it for local development.

Common note

By default, git clone usually checks out the default branch of the repository, and you can use options like --branch to clone a specific branch.

If you want, I can also explain the difference between git clone, git pull, and git fetch.