Manage Git Configuration with git config

This article explains how to check and change Git configuration settings such as your username and email address using the git config command.

Types of Git Configuration Files (system, global, local)

Git has three configuration scopes:

Git uses a priority system when multiple configurations exist for the same setting: local > global > system. This means a local setting overrides the same one in the global or system scope.

In most cases, you don't need to worry about the physical location of these files. You can manage all of them using the git config command, as explained below.

View and Modify Settings with git config

The git config command is used to view, add, or change settings.

Common Configuration Options

Git provides many configurable settings. You can find a full list in the official documentation:

• Git - git-config Documentation

Here are some commonly used options:

• user.name: Your name
• user.email: Your email address
• core.editor: The text editor used for commit messages
• color.ui: Controls color output (usually set to auto)

Check a Specific Setting

To check the value of a specific configuration key, use:

$ git config <name>

Example:

$ git config user.email
example@example.com

This shows the effective value based on your current directory. If no value is set, nothing is displayed.

You can specify the scope explicitly:

$ git config --local <name>
$ git config --global <name>
$ git config --system <name>

Note: The --local option works only inside a Git repository. If you run it outside a repository, you'll get an error:

$ git config --local user.email
fatal: --local can only be used inside a git repository

List All Configuration Settings

To list all effective settings, use the -l or --list option:

$ git config -l
$ git config --list

You can also list settings for a specific scope:

$ git config --local -l
$ git config --global -l
$ git config --system -l

Change a Setting

To change a configuration value, use:

$ git config <name> <value>

This changes the setting at the local level by default. To target global or system scope, use the appropriate option:

$ git config --global <name> <value>
$ git config --system <name> <value>

For example, to set your email address globally for all repositories:

$ git config --global user.email example@example.com

If you run the command without specifying a scope (which defaults to --local) outside a Git repository, it will result in an error:

$ git config user.email example@example.com
fatal: not in a git directory

Edit Configuration Files Manually

You can also open the configuration files directly in an editor using the -e or --edit option:

$ git config -e
$ git config --global -e
$ git config --system -e

The file opens in the editor specified by the core.editor setting. If no editor is configured, Git will use the system's default editor.