---
title: '1 · Get on GitHub'
description: 'Create a free GitHub account and install the one tool that puts your shop online.'
canonical: 'https://cartwright.app/docs/getting-started/from-code-to-live/1-github-account'
---

# 1 · Get on GitHub (/docs/getting-started/from-code-to-live/1-github-account)



GitHub is where your shop's code will live. It's free, and you'll use the same account for
everything from here on.

<Steps>
  1. **Create a free GitHub account.**

     Go to [github.com/signup](https://github.com/signup) and follow the prompts (email, password,
     username). Pick a username you're happy with — it shows up in your repository's web address.

     <Callout type="tip">
       Your username becomes part of your code's address, like `github.com/yourname/my-shop`. Short
       and lowercase is nice, but anything works.
     </Callout>

  2. **Install the tool you'll use to publish your code.**

  <Tabs items="['Uden terminal', 'Med terminal']">
    <Tab value="Uden terminal">
      Download **GitHub Desktop** — a friendly app with buttons, no commands:

      * Go to [desktop.github.com](https://desktop.github.com) and download it for Mac or Windows.
      * Open it and click **Sign in to GitHub.com** — use the account you just made.

      That's everything. GitHub Desktop is all you need for the no-terminal path.
    </Tab>

    <Tab value="Med terminal">
      Install **git** (the version-control tool) and optionally the **GitHub CLI** (`gh`, which
      automates creating the repo):

      ```bash
      # macOS (Homebrew)
      brew install git gh

      # Windows (winget)
      winget install Git.Git GitHub.cli
      ```

      Then log in to GitHub from the terminal:

      ```bash
      gh auth login
      ```

      Pick **GitHub.com → HTTPS → Login with a web browser** and follow the link. Done.
    </Tab>
  </Tabs>
</Steps>

<Callout type="info" title="Why bother with GitHub at all?">
  Two reasons. First, it's a **backup with history** — every change is saved, and you can roll back
  to any earlier version of your shop. Second, it's the **trigger for going live** — once Vercel is
  connected (next steps), publishing a change is as simple as saving it to GitHub.
</Callout>

Next: [Step 2 — Publish your shop](/docs/getting-started/from-code-to-live/2-publish-repo).