GitHub
Website and technology
Website and technology
GitHub is an online platform that stores the code of a website or application, along with the full history of every change.
Underneath GitHub sits Git: a system that records each code change as a separate step (a commit). That shows who changed what and when, and lets you return to an earlier version when something breaks. GitHub adds the online side: a shared repository where several people work on the same code.
In practice teams work with branches: a separate line where you build something without touching the live version. When it is ready it goes through a pull request for review and then back into the main line. Many teams run automated tests and a build on that before anything reaches production.
This matters even if you do not code yourself. It means your site is not a loose set of files on a server that someone edits unseen, but a project with an auditable history. If an agency or developer changes, the code moves with you.
Tip
Arrange a separate backup for your database, media uploads and email alongside your code. That way you cover everything GitHub itself does not store.
Related terms
- Version controlVersion control means every change in a project is recorded, so you can see what changed and roll back to an earlier version.
- FontA font is the typeface your text is displayed in: the shapes of letters, numbers and symbols, in various weights and styles.
- UIThe UI (user interface) is the visible, touchable layer of a site or app: buttons, fields, menus, colours, type and icons someone acts through.