Managing Multiple GitHub Accounts: Personal & Work

Using one machine for both personal projects and work? You’ve probably run into the annoying issue where Git pushes with the wrong account. The solution is simple: configure your remotes per-project using Personal Access Tokens.

---

The Problem

You have:

• A personal GitHub account (personal-username)
• A work GitHub account (work-username)

By default, Git uses your global credentials. This causes problems:

• Commits show up under the wrong identity
• Push/pull fails because of credential mismatch
• Work repos accidentally use your personal account

---

The Solution: Per-Project Remote URLs

Instead of relying on global credentials, embed authentication directly in the remote URL for each project.

Format

https://USERNAME:PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN@github.com/owner/repo.git

This approach is:

• ✅ Project-specific (no global conflicts)
• ✅ Works with HTTPS (no SSH key juggling)
• ✅ Easy to set up and understand

---

Step 1: Create a Personal Access Token (PAT)

GitHub no longer accepts passwords for Git operations. You need a PAT.

1. Go to GitHub → Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)
2. Click Generate new token (classic)
3. Give it a name (e.g., “Work Laptop” or “Personal Projects”)
4. Select scopes:
   • repo — Full control of private repositories
   • workflow — (optional) If you work with GitHub Actions
5. Click Generate token
6. Copy the token immediately — you won’t see it again

⚠️ Treat your PAT like a password. Don’t commit it to repos or share it.

---

Step 2: Configure Remote URL

Navigate to your project and set the remote URL:

For Personal Projects

git remote set-url origin https://personal-username:ghp_xxxxxxxxxxxx@github.com/personal-username/my-project.git

For Work Projects

git remote set-url origin https://work-username:ghp_yyyyyyyyyyyy@github.com/company/work-project.git

Verify the change:

git remote -v

Output:

origin  https://work-username:ghp_yyyyyyyyyyyy@github.com/company/work-project.git (fetch)
origin  https://work-username:ghp_yyyyyyyyyyyy@github.com/company/work-project.git (push)

---

Step 3: Configure Local Git Identity

Set your name and email per-project to match the GitHub account:

For Personal Projects

git config user.name "Your Name"
git config user.email "personal@email.com"

For Work Projects

git config user.name "Your Name"
git config user.email "work@company.com"

💡 Without the --global flag, these settings only apply to the current repository.

Verify:

git config user.name
git config user.email

---

Full Workflow Example

Setting up a new work project:

# Clone using the authenticated URL
git clone https://work-username:ghp_yyyyyyyyyyyy@github.com/company/project.git

cd project

# Set local identity
git config user.name "Your Name"
git config user.email "work@company.com"

# Verify
git remote -v
git config user.email

For an existing repo, just update the remote:

cd existing-project
git remote set-url origin https://work-username:ghp_yyyyyyyyyyyy@github.com/company/project.git
git config user.email "work@company.com"

---

Pro Tips 🔥

1. Check Current Config Before Committing

git config user.email

Make sure it shows the correct email for the repo you’re in.

2. List All Local Configs

git config --list --local

3. Use a Script for New Projects

Create a helper script ~/.local/bin/git-work-setup:

#!/bin/bash
git config user.name "Your Name"
git config user.email "work@company.com"
echo "✅ Work identity configured"

Then run git-work-setup in any work repo.

4. Don’t Commit Your Token

If you accidentally commit a URL with your token:

1. Revoke the token immediately on GitHub
2. Generate a new one
3. Update your remotes

---

Security Notes

• PATs have expiration dates — set reminders to regenerate them
• Use fine-grained tokens when possible for better security
• Never share tokens in chat, email, or code
• Revoke unused tokens regularly

---

When to Use This Approach

✅ Good for:

• Managing 2-3 accounts on one machine
• Quick per-project setup
• HTTPS preference (corporate firewalls often block SSH)

❌ Consider SSH keys if:

• You have many repos and don’t want to update URLs individually
• You prefer not to embed tokens in URLs
• Your workflow involves frequent cloning

---

Quick Reference

Task	Command
Set remote URL	git remote set-url origin https://USER:TOKEN@github.com/owner/repo.git
Set local name	git config user.name "Name"
Set local email	git config user.email "email@example.com"
View remote	git remote -v
View local config	git config --list --local

---

That’s it. No more “wrong account” commits or failed pushes. Each project knows exactly which identity to use. ✨