# Create and add your SSH public key

This topic describes how to:

- Create an SSH key pair to use with GitLab.
- Add the SSH public key to your GitLab account.

You do this to use [Git over SSH instead of Git over HTTP](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-on-the-Server-The-Protocols).

## Creating your SSH key pair

1. Go to your [command line](start-using-git.md).
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 the paste
[didn't work](../ssh/README.md#testing-that-everything-is-set-up-correctly), you need to remove the key and re-add it.