How to Create a GitHub Private Repository | A Step-by-Step Guide for Business Owners Hiring Engineers

When hiring an engineer to develop your app, a GitHub Private Repository is the essential tool for managing and sharing your code securely. In this guide, business owners with a GitHub account can learn how to create a private repository — visible only to their selected engineer — in just 5 steps.

What Is GitHub?

GitHub is a platform for managing code, often described as a Google Drive built specifically for software development. Repositories come in two types:

Type	Visibility
`Public`	Accessible to anyone on the internet
`Private`	Accessible only to invited users

Private repositories let you limit access to your team and the engineers you hire, keeping your code confidential.

Prerequisites

A GitHub account is required (available for free on the free plan)

Step 1: Open the Repositories Tab

First, select the Repositories tab from your GitHub account's profile page. Select the Repositories tab

Step 2: Create a New Repository

On the Repositories list page, click the green New button in the upper right.

Click the green New button to start creating a new repository. Click "New" to start creating your repository

Step 3: Enter Repository Details

The repository creation form will appear. Pay attention to the following:

Repository name: Use lowercase English letters and hyphens for a clear, descriptive name (e.g., my-app-project)
Description: A brief description of the project. This field is optional
Visibility: Be sure to select Private

Important: Setting visibility to Private is the most critical step — this ensures only invited users can access your code.

The repository creation form. Enter a descriptive name using English letters and hyphens. A brief Description is optional. Under Visibility, make sure to select Private. Select "Private" under "Choose Visibility" — this is the key setting

Step 4: Create the Repository

Once you've filled in the form, confirm that Visibility is set to Private, then click the Create repository button.

Confirm that visibility is set to Private, then click Create repository. Verify "Private" is selected before clicking "Create repository"

Step 5: Share the URL with Your Engineer

Your private repository is now ready. Copy the URL displayed on the screen and share it with the engineer you'd like to hire. If they need any permission adjustments, they will contact you directly.

Your new private repository is ready. Copy the URL and share it with the engineer you'd like to hire. Copy the repository URL and send it to your engineer

Summary

Creating a GitHub Private Repository takes just 5 steps:

Open the Repositories tab
Click the New button
Enter the repository name and set visibility to Private
Click Create repository
Share the URL with your engineer

Simply share the repository URL with your engineer, and you're ready to start development. First, make sure you have a GitHub account — it's free and easy to set up!