docs/content/github/administering-a-repository/changing-the-default-branch.md

title	intro	permissions	versions	redirect_from
Changing the default branch	If you have more than one branch in your repository, you can configure any branch as the default branch.	People with admin permissions to a repository can change the default branch for the repository.	[{free-pro-team *} {enterprise-server *} {github-ae *}]	[/github/administering-a-repository/setting-the-default-branch /articles/setting-the-default-branch]

About changing the default branch

You can choose the default branch for a repository. The default branch is the base branch for pull requests and code commits. For more information about the default branch, see "About branches."

{% if currentVersion != "github-ae@latest" %} {% note %}

Note: If you use the Git-Subversion bridge, changing the default branch will affect your trunk branch contents and the HEAD you see when you list references for the remote repository. For more information, see "Support for Subversion clients" and git-ls-remote in the Git documentation.

{% endnote %} {% endif %}

{% if currentVersion == "free-pro-team@latest" or currentVersion ver_gt "enterprise-server@3.0" %}

You can also rename the default branch. For more information, see "Renaming a branch."

{% endif %}

{% if currentVersion == "free-pro-team@latest" or currentVersion ver_gt "enterprise-server@2.22" %}

{% data reusables.branches.set-default-branch %}

{% endif %}

Prerequisites

To change the default branch, your repository must have more than one branch. For more information, see "Creating and deleting branches within your repository."

Changing the default branch

{% if currentVersion == "free-pro-team@latest" or currentVersion ver_gt "enterprise-server@2.22" or currentVersion == "github-ae@latest" %}

{% data reusables.repositories.navigate-to-repo %} {% data reusables.repositories.sidebar-settings %} {% data reusables.repositories.repository-branches %}

1. Under "Default branch", to the right of the default branch name, click {% octicon "arrow-switch" aria-label="The switch icon with two arrows" %}.
2. Use the drop-down, then click a branch name.
3. Click Update.
4. Read the warning, then click I understand, update the default branch.

{% else %}

{% data reusables.repositories.navigate-to-repo %} {% data reusables.repositories.sidebar-settings %} {% data reusables.repositories.repository-branches %}

1. In the default branch drop-down, choose the new default branch.
2. Click Update.

{% endif %}