How to Download a File from Github

An easy, step-by-step guide on downloading files from Github

Co-authored by Théo Dufort and Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: November 11, 2024 Fact Checked

When you view individual files on GitHub, you'll notice the button to download the code isn't there. You'll instead see the download button on the right side of the page when you navigate to the root of the repository. This wikiHow will teach you how to download files from GitHub by changing to the Raw version of the file.

Steps

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Go to https://github.com/ in a web browser. You can use any web browser to download files.
Use the search bar at the top of the page to find the file you want to download and the results will list repositories that match your search. ^{[1]
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Click Releases (if it's available). You'll see this option on the right side of the browser. ^{[2]
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- Once you click Releases , you can click to download the installer or the source code.
- If there is no Releases available, continue following these steps to download a file.
You'll see this above the list of files within this repository next to a button to download all the files. ^{[3]
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It'll open within GitHub in your web browser.
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Click Raw . You'll see this next to Blame and a monitor icon above the space where the file displays. ^{[4]
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- The page will redirect to display the file contents without any GitHub headers, footers, or menus.
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Right-click the page and click Save as . Alternatively, you can press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl/CMD + S .
- Your file manager will open so you can select a name and location to save the file.
- If you want to download the entire repository instead, navigate to the root (click the first half of the link, which is usually before any / ), click the button with the download icon (it will usually say Code), and click Download ZIP . ^{[5]
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