gitlab-org--gitlab-foss/doc/gitlab-basics/create-your-ssh-keys.md

---
type: howto
---

# Create and add your SSH public key

It is best practice to use [Git over SSH instead of Git over HTTP](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-on-the-Server-The-Protocols).
In order to use SSH, you will need to:

1. [Create an SSH key pair](#creating-your-ssh-key-pair) on your local computer.
1. [Add the key to GitLab](#adding-your-ssh-public-key-to-gitlab).

## Creating your SSH key pair

1. Go to your [command line](start-using-git.md#open-a-shell).
1. Follow the [instructions](../ssh/README.md#generating-a-new-ssh-key-pair) to generate
   your SSH key pair.

## Adding your SSH public key to GitLab

To add the SSH public key to GitLab, see
[Adding an SSH key to your GitLab account](../ssh/README.md#adding-an-ssh-key-to-your-gitlab-account).

NOTE: **Note:**
Once you add a key, you cannot edit it. If it didn't paste properly, it
[will not work](../ssh/README.md#testing-that-everything-is-set-up-correctly), and
you will need to remove the key from GitLab and try adding it again.
First pass to bring /gitlab-basics to SSoT standards Removes duplicated information, and combines sections and files together when they are duplicated or highly related. Also adds intros to all pages and sections missing intros, and troubleshooting sections to pages that may need them in the future. Links more to other docs, and clarifies language when abosolutely necessary, and adds angle brackets to sample parameters. 2019-07-30 01:02:59 -04:00			`---`
			`type: howto`
			`---`
added new file about creating your SSH keys 2015-06-22 11:54:40 -04:00
First pass to bring /gitlab-basics to SSoT standards Removes duplicated information, and combines sections and files together when they are duplicated or highly related. Also adds intros to all pages and sections missing intros, and troubleshooting sections to pages that may need them in the future. Links more to other docs, and clarifies language when abosolutely necessary, and adds angle brackets to sample parameters. 2019-07-30 01:02:59 -04:00			`# Create and add your SSH public key`
added new file about creating your SSH keys 2015-06-22 11:54:40 -04:00
First pass to bring /gitlab-basics to SSoT standards Removes duplicated information, and combines sections and files together when they are duplicated or highly related. Also adds intros to all pages and sections missing intros, and troubleshooting sections to pages that may need them in the future. Links more to other docs, and clarifies language when abosolutely necessary, and adds angle brackets to sample parameters. 2019-07-30 01:02:59 -04:00			`It is best practice to use [Git over SSH instead of Git over HTTP](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-on-the-Server-The-Protocols).`
Resolving minor formatting issues in gitlab-basics 2019-08-27 21:32:09 -04:00			`In order to use SSH, you will need to:`
added new file about creating your SSH keys 2015-06-22 11:54:40 -04:00
First pass to bring /gitlab-basics to SSoT standards Removes duplicated information, and combines sections and files together when they are duplicated or highly related. Also adds intros to all pages and sections missing intros, and troubleshooting sections to pages that may need them in the future. Links more to other docs, and clarifies language when abosolutely necessary, and adds angle brackets to sample parameters. 2019-07-30 01:02:59 -04:00			`1. [Create an SSH key pair](#creating-your-ssh-key-pair) on your local computer.`
			`1. [Add the key to GitLab](#adding-your-ssh-public-key-to-gitlab).`
added new file about creating your SSH keys 2015-06-22 11:54:40 -04:00
Refactor GitLab basics ssh keys docs Ensures we give instructions for how to create ssh keys in a single place only. 2019-05-29 10:33:32 -04:00			`## Creating your SSH key pair`

First pass to bring /gitlab-basics to SSoT standards Removes duplicated information, and combines sections and files together when they are duplicated or highly related. Also adds intros to all pages and sections missing intros, and troubleshooting sections to pages that may need them in the future. Links more to other docs, and clarifies language when abosolutely necessary, and adds angle brackets to sample parameters. 2019-07-30 01:02:59 -04:00			`1. Go to your [command line](start-using-git.md#open-a-shell).`
			`1. Follow the [instructions](../ssh/README.md#generating-a-new-ssh-key-pair) to generate`
			`your SSH key pair.`
Refactor GitLab basics ssh keys docs Ensures we give instructions for how to create ssh keys in a single place only. 2019-05-29 10:33:32 -04:00
			`## Adding your SSH public key to GitLab`

First pass to bring /gitlab-basics to SSoT standards Removes duplicated information, and combines sections and files together when they are duplicated or highly related. Also adds intros to all pages and sections missing intros, and troubleshooting sections to pages that may need them in the future. Links more to other docs, and clarifies language when abosolutely necessary, and adds angle brackets to sample parameters. 2019-07-30 01:02:59 -04:00			`To add the SSH public key to GitLab, see`
			`[Adding an SSH key to your GitLab account](../ssh/README.md#adding-an-ssh-key-to-your-gitlab-account).`
added new file about creating your SSH keys 2015-06-22 11:54:40 -04:00
Fix some procedures with misleading instructions 2019-03-14 12:26:27 -04:00			`NOTE: Note:`
First pass to bring /gitlab-basics to SSoT standards Removes duplicated information, and combines sections and files together when they are duplicated or highly related. Also adds intros to all pages and sections missing intros, and troubleshooting sections to pages that may need them in the future. Links more to other docs, and clarifies language when abosolutely necessary, and adds angle brackets to sample parameters. 2019-07-30 01:02:59 -04:00			`Once you add a key, you cannot edit it. If it didn't paste properly, it`
			`[will not work](../ssh/README.md#testing-that-everything-is-set-up-correctly), and`
			`you will need to remove the key from GitLab and try adding it again.`