How to Check, Change, and Delink a Remote Git Repository

When working with Git, it is common to migrate repositories between hosts (like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket), fork an existing codebase, or start a project locally and need to switch remotes later.

Managing your repository's remote connections might sound intimidating, but it only takes a few straightforward terminal commands. Here is a practical, step-by-step guide to inspecting your current remote setup, changing it, or unlinking it entirely.

1. Check Your Current Git Repository Details

Before making changes, confirm the current state of your repository and where it points.

View Configured Remote URLs

To see the name and target URL of your remotes, run:

git remote -v

Example output:

origin  https://github.com/username/old-repository.git (fetch)
origin  https://github.com/username/old-repository.git (push)

View Detailed Remote Information

If you want more context—such as tracked branches, push/pull URLs, and local tracking status—use:

git remote show origin

(Replace origin with the name of your remote if it uses a custom name.)

Check Local Git Configuration

To see all repository-level configuration parameters (including user credentials and branch configurations):

git config --local --list

2. Change the Remote URL

If your project moved to a new URL, username, or organization, you can update the remote directly rather than re-cloning the repository.

Option A: The Direct `set-url` Command (Recommended)

Use git remote set-url to update the destination URL:

git remote set-url origin https://github.com/username/new-repository.git

If you are switching to SSH:

git remote set-url origin git@github.com:username/new-repository.git

Option B: Rename the Remote

If you want to keep the old remote as a backup or reference (for instance, keeping an upstream repo while adding an origin fork), you can rename it:

# Rename 'origin' to 'upstream'
git remote rename origin upstream

# Add your new repository as the new 'origin'
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/new-repository.git

Verify the Change

Always verify that your remote points to the new location:

git remote -v

3. Delink (Remove) the Remote

If you want to disconnect your local project from its remote repository entirely—without deleting your local files or local commit history—you can remove the remote connection.

Remove the Remote Connection

Run:

git remote remove origin

(or git remote rm origin in older Git versions)

Verify the Delink

Run:

git remote -v

If the command outputs nothing, your repository is completely delinked from any remote host. Your local commit history, staging area, and files remain untouched.

4. Resetting Completely (Nuclear Option: Un-Git a Project)

If your goal is not just to delink from a remote, but to remove Git tracking completely (so the folder becomes a regular, untracked directory), remove the hidden .git folder:

# On macOS / Linux / Git Bash
rm -rf .git

# On Windows (PowerShell)
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force .git

Warning: This permanently deletes your entire local commit history, all stashes, and branch references. Only do this if you intend to start fresh from scratch.

To re-initialize as a brand new repository after this:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

Quick Reference Summary

Task	Command
Inspect remotes	`git remote -v`
Inspect details	`git remote show <name>`
Change remote URL	`git remote set-url origin <new-url>`
Rename remote	`git remote rename <old-name> <new-name>`
Delink remote	`git remote remove origin`
Add a new remote	`git remote add origin <url>`