eSAFETY GUIDE

GitHub

13+
Minimum age according to GitHub
13+ Minimum age according to GitHub

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a website designed primarily for developers to create, store and share computer code. Although this is its main purpose, it can also be used by different people and organisations to do things like manage teams and track work. GitHub is cloud-based, which means that everything is saved online, instead of only on your own computer. The files are stored on GitHub’s servers and can be accessed through the internet, similar to how services like Google Drive or Dropbox let you keep files online.

People use GitHub to build, manage and share projects. You can create projects that can be worked on individually or with others. Others can review code, suggest improvements or contribute to new parts. These projects are kept in something called a repository. A repository is like a folder that holds all the files for a project, along with tools to track every change made to those files.

GitHub is built on a system called git. Git is a type of version control system. A version control system is a tool that keeps track of changes made to files over time. Each time a change is made, git saves a snapshot, like a checkpoint. It shows a clear record of who changed what and when. This allows people to undo mistakes, compare versions and collaborate without losing work. You can go back to earlier versions if something breaks or you change your mind.

You can follow other users on GitHub to see their public activity on your dashboard, and you can ‘star’ (like) repositories to show support. Stars help projects become more visible in GitHub’s feed (a stream of content, similar to Reddit or Facebook’s feed).

You can also click ‘watch’ on repositories (if you’re logged in) to get notifications about updates on that particular project. If you want to try making your own changes to a repository, you choose the ‘fork’ option which allows you to create your own copy to work on without affecting the original.

GitHub also have something called ‘achievements’ which are badges shown on your profile. For example, ‘quickdraw’ is earned when you close an issue or pull request within 5 minutes of opening it, and ‘starstruck’ is earned when you create a repository that receives 16 stars.

Be careful when uploading and sharing projects to public repositories as you might accidentally upload sensitive information such as passwords or API keys. Also be aware that public repositories can sometimes contain unsafe code like viruses or programs that could damage your device.

GitHub offers free and paid plans for individuals and organisations.

GitHub is owned by Microsoft, acquiring it in 2018.

Website: github.com

Apps: Android, Apple iOS

How can you report online abuse or block someone?

These links are provided by GitHub:

  • Report abuse or spam
    How to report behaviour and content that violates community guidelines and terms.
  • Block an account
    How to block a user to deny them access to your activity and repositories, and to prevent them from sending you notifications.

How can you protect your personal information?

These links are provided by GitHub:

  • Manage account settings
    How to manage settings for your personal account, including security settings.
  • Download your account data
    Download a copy of your GitHub account data, including your profile information, account settings, repositories and activity.

Key safety links

These links are provided by GitHub:

Social media changes are coming

From 10 December 2025, certain social media platforms won’t be allowed to let Australian children under 16 create or keep an account.

Find out more at eSafety’s social media age restrictions hub.

About The eSafety Guide

The eSafety Guide helps you find out how to protect your personal information and report harmful content on common social media, games, apps and sites. Entries are for information only and are not reviews or endorsements by eSafety. Before choosing to use any online service or platform it’s best to:

  • do your own research to understand the risks and benefits
  • check the age rating and requirements
  • consider privacy
  • check the permissions and other settings
  • check the in-app reporting options.

If you are a parent or carer who is deciding whether a child should be allowed to use an online service or platform, you can also:

  • consider your child's readiness for the types of content and experiences they might encounter
  • help them understand what to do if they need help
  • provide ongoing support and monitoring, for example through regular check-ins with your child
  • agree to some rules about use of each service or platform.

To find out more, you can read the App checklist for parents, as well as information about parental controls in social media, games and apps and mental wellbeing resources for families.